When to use a custom rule
Scout already checks for common visual, content, link, and page-experience problems. Add a custom rule when your organization has a visible requirement or preference that Scout could not infer from the page alone.
Choose the narrowest useful scope
- Account
- Applies to every monitored page in the account.
- Site
- Applies to pages in one site, plus inherited account rules.
- Page
- Applies to one page, plus inherited account and site rules.
Put truly universal requirements at the account level. Keep brand, campaign, legal, or page-specific requirements closer to the content they govern.
Write objective, checkable rules
- Describe the visible requirement and what would count as a failure.
- Use one requirement per rule instead of a long mixed checklist.
- Include exact names, dates, disclosures, or phrases when they matter.
- Avoid broad taste statements such as “make the page look better.”
- Do not ask Scout to verify hidden data, complete a transaction, or know an external fact you did not provide.
Understand inheritance and limits
Enabled account rules are inherited by sites and pages. Enabled site rules are inherited by that site's pages. Scout allows up to five effective custom rules after inheritance, so a page cannot exceed that combined total. Each rule can contain up to 500 characters.
Custom rules are currently available on every Scout plan. If plan configuration later disables the feature, saved rules remain stored but are not evaluated while access is disabled. Review current plan details on the Pricing page.
Review rules as your site changes
Update or disable rules when campaigns end, policies change, or page ownership moves. A stale custom rule can create misleading findings even when the page is correct.
Pause a rule when you may need it again, edit it where it was created, or delete it when it is obsolete. Inherited rules must be edited at their account or site source. Deleting a rule does not erase the text snapshot stored on historical findings.