> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.open.cx/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Content rules > Write quality rules in plain language — OpenCX checks every article on save or publish and can block publish when a must-rule fails. **Content rules** enforce quality on Help Center articles. Write each rule in plain English and OpenCX runs every article through them, either on save, on publish, or both. A rule with **must** severity can block publish when it fails; **should** rules warn but let the article ship. Manage rules at [**Help Center → Settings → Content Rules**](https://platform.open.cx/help-center). ## What a rule looks like Every rule has three fields: | Field | What it controls | | --------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Applies to** | `Main article` (checked during content-check runs) or `Translation` (injected into the AI's translation prompt so translations follow the rule by construction). | | **Severity** | One of `must`, `should`, `must not`, `should not`. `must`/`must not` can block publish when the **On publish** setting is **Block**; `should`/`should not` only surface warnings. | | **Instruction** | The rule itself, written in plain language. Max 500 characters. | ### Examples ``` Applies to: Main article Severity: must Instruction: Every article starts with a 1-2 sentence TL;DR under the title. ``` ``` Applies to: Main article Severity: should not Instruction: Avoid exclamation points and emoji in body copy. ``` ``` Applies to: Translation Severity: must Instruction: Keep product names (OpenCX, Autopilot, Assist Mode) in English in every language. ``` ## When rules run The **Automation** card on the Content Rules page controls when checks fire. Pick the combination that matches how your team ships content. | Setting | What it does | | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Auto-check on edit** | Re-runs all Main-article rules every time you save a draft. Surfaces violations inline so you can fix them before publish. Off by default. | | **Throttle** | Debounce for auto-checks, 5 to 300 seconds. Saves while you're typing collapse into one check run. Default 30 seconds. | | **On publish** | What happens when you hit **Publish** on an article that fails a `must` rule: `Disabled` (no check), `Warn` (shows the violation, allows publish), `Block` (rejects publish until the `must` rule passes). | A `should`/`should not` violation always surfaces as a warning — it never blocks, no matter what the **On publish** setting says. ## Manual runs Run a check on demand from the article editor — **Run content check** in the editor menu. The panel shows every rule, pass/fail, and the AI's reasoning per violation. Use this before bulk-publishing imported content or when tuning a new rule. ## Tune rules that fire too often If a `should` rule flags valid articles constantly, the rule is probably too broad. A few patterns that work: * **Anchor to a structural signal** — "The first heading under the title is a `##` heading" beats "Articles are well-structured". * **Give an example** — `Instruction: "Every screenshot has a caption below it (example: 'Figure 1: the sidebar with categories expanded')"`. * **Scope with applies-to** — a rule that belongs only to translations should target `Translation`, not `Main article`. ## Good to know Content rules enforce editorial quality — tone, structure, terminology, factual claims. They don't check URLs for reachability, run spellcheck, or validate HTML. Those are separate tools. A rule set to **Applies to: Translation** doesn't run as a check after translation — it's added to the AI's translation prompt so the output follows the rule by construction. This is how the glossary and translation rules stay consistent. The **On publish** setting applies to every article in the Help Center. If one team needs block semantics and another doesn't, split Help Centers across orgs or split the rules by **Applies to** scope. Rules can target a single article by ID instead of the whole Help Center. Useful for imported content where one article needs a one-off rule without globalizing it. *** ## Related Documentation Content rules run against articles on save or publish. Translation-scoped rules shape the AI's translation prompt. Organize the articles your rules apply to. Everything the Help Center does.