The second option in the Rules tab of your data garden are the rules that apply to Mutating records


When creating a rule under this subsection, the rule will be executed whenever the record is modified. For example, when a respondent fills out the questionnaire the record is updated with the answers they fill out and the status of the record changes from New, to Active and eventually Completed. Whenever the record is updated*, the system will check the rules that are present in the Mutating records section and execute them. The sys_updated column indicates the last time the record has been modified. 


The added value of creating rules in this section, is the ability to specifically target records at the moment they are updated. So when a questionnaire is filled out and a new result comes in, your info is up to date.

By using the rules in this section, you also ensure that already completed records (historic data) are not included in your changes. Since their status will not change anymore, the rules will not be executed on these records.


An example:

You have hired a new regional manager, responsible for the Region North. You only want the new results to be in the name of your new manager. The old records remain in the name of the former regional manager. 

However, the weekly records for this region are already automatically created by the connection to your CRM system, and they therefore still have the name of the former manager applied to them. To make sure that any new results that come into your dashboard are updated to the new regional manager, you use the Mutating records section.

 



By adding the rule to this section, any record that changes status, gets updated with the name of your new manager. The old records are not affected, since they don't change status anymore. 


This is just one example, of course the possibilities are endless. The most important criteria for using this section of rules, is that you only want to impact records that are going to be updated by the respondent. 


Pro tip: By using the Mutating records rules with a Send email action, you can set notification mails that are sent whenever the respondent completes the questionnaire. The content of the mail can be set up exactly the way you want is and offers great flexibility in design as well. With the fieldpicker you are able to add the answers that the respondent has given directly into the mail. The quickest way to keep up with new feedback that is coming in! 




* Please note that this only applies to mutations that are done from the respondent view. If you update a record by using an Event based rule or by using a Follow up widget in your dashboard, this will not trigger your Mutating records rules.