---
title: "Locating Rule"
slug: "locating-rule"
description: "Why are Locating Rules important, and how to create a Locating Rule? Step by Step guides containing all the information that you need to know to help you understand Canary7"
updated: 2025-08-01T09:57:21Z
published: 2025-08-01T09:57:21Z
canonical: "help.canary7.com/locating-rule"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.canary7.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Locating Rule

## 📍 Understanding Locating Rules in Canary7

A **Locating Rule** in Canary7 defines *how and where* products should be stored once they arrive in the warehouse. These rules drive **Putaway** and **Replenishment** operations, ensuring stock is directed to the most appropriate location based on warehouse layout, inventory characteristics, and business logic.

Locating Rules are essential for:

- ✅ Smart and efficient putaway
- 🔄 Replenishment logic
- 🏗️ Space optimisation
- 📦 Consistent, rule-based storage decisions

They can be automatically assigned using the **Locating Assignment Master**, ensuring the right rule is applied to the right product without manual intervention.

---

## 🧠 How Do Locating Rules Work?

When a **Receipt** is uploaded, the system checks each item on the **receipt detail** against its assigned Locating Rule. Each rule contains one or more **Locating Rule Details**, and each detail has two critical components:

---

### 🔎 1. **Locating Selection**

This acts as a *filter* to narrow down the pool of eligible storage locations.

You can filter by:

- 📦 **Zones** (e.g. Ambient, High Bay, Fast-Moving)
- 📚 **Aisles or Racks**
- 📍 **Specific Locations**
- 🧾 **Custom Attributes** (if defined)

---

### 🔄 2. **Locating Method**

Once eligible locations are selected, the **Locating Method** tells the system how to choose the final destination:

| Method | Description |
| --- | --- |
| **Permanent Location** | Sends the item to its fixed, predefined storage location. Ideal for items with a home location. |
| **Empty Location** | Sends the item to any completely empty storage location. |
| **Consolidate (Same Item + UoM)** | Looks for a location that already contains the same item and Unit of Measure. |
| **User Defined (Location as per Selection)** | Gives the first matching location from the filtered list and allows manual entry. |

---

## 🌍 Best Practice: The Global Locating Rule

It’s recommended to create a **Global Locating Rule** that acts as a fallback when no specific rule applies.

This rule should:

- Use a **broad Locating Selection** (covering all inventory zones).
- Include **all four Locating Methods**, ordered from most preferred to least.

📝 **Suggested method order:**

1. Consolidate
2. Permanent Location
3. Empty Location
4. User Defined

This ensures all items will always have a valid location during putaway or replenishment.

---

## ⚙️ Customising Locating Rules

Locating Rules can be as **simple** or **complex** as your warehouse needs:

- 🔁 A fast-moving SKU might avoid “High Bay” zones and only locating to Ground Level Pickfaces.
- 🧩 A bulky item might require specific aisle locations.
- 📊 You can define multiple rules targeting zones, aisles, bins, item types, or even companies.

This flexibility helps optimise:

- Picker travel time
- Storage efficiency
- Replenishment logic
- Overall warehouse performance

![](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/image-1746618269823.png)

## 🔍 Accessing Locating Rules

To find Locating Rules in the system:

1. Go to the **Navigation Menu**.
2. Use the **Search Bar** and type **"Locating Rule"**.
3. Alternatively, go to: **Configuration > Receiving Profile Setup > Locating Rule**.

## ➕ Adding a New Locating Rule

Click on the Red Action Button![red action button](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/red%20action%20button.png), this will bring up a drop-down menu, and select "Add"

### ![add uom](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/image-1664033249991.png)

- Enter a **Name** for your rule (e.g., *Fast-Moving SKU Putaway*).

### ![name of locating rule](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/name%20of%20locating%20rule.png)

Click on the Submit Button![submit button(1)](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/submit%20button(1).png) to continue.

### 🔧 Adding Locating Rule Details

Within the details tab, click on the red action button![red action button](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/red%20action%20button.png) and click on "add".

![add detail to locating rule](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/image-1664615191744.png)

### Select the Mandatory Fields

![add location detail new](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/add%20location%20detail%20new.png)

Select the following mandatory fields:

- **Locating Selection** – defines the location pool.
- **Locating Method** – choose one of the four methods.

📝 **Method options recap**:

- Consolidate (Same Item + UoM)
- Empty Location
- Permanent Location
- Location as per Selection

1. Click **Submit** to save your detail.

Click on the Submit Button![submit button(1)](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/submit%20button(1).png) to continue.

### 🔢 Setting the Order of Rule Details

### ![rule detail order](https://cdn.document360.io/4ed7d884-d42a-4c7e-a949-08033b57dc86/Images/Documentation/rule%20detail%20order.png)

The system checks rule details **top to bottom**:

- If the first rule fails to find a location, it tries the next.
- Right-click a rule detail and choose **Move Up** or **Move Down** to change the order.

💡 Tip: Put your most preferred methods (e.g. Consolidate) at the top for optimal efficiency.

A query of records based on predefined criteria allows a more straightforward configuration of Locations.

A predefined set of procedures which decide where products will be placed.