Rate Rule Gap Analysis
What is Rate Rule Gap Analysis?
Gap Analysis automatically monitors your rate rules and detects logical gaps that could cause customers to receive no shipping rates at checkout. It identifies scenarios where your rules don't cover all possible cart conditions and suggests fixes.
How It Works
The system analyzes all rates within each region, examining match rules to identify gaps in coverage. Analysis runs automatically whenever you:
- Create a new rate
- Edit an existing rate
- Duplicate a rate
- Delete a rate
Analysis runs in the background and may take a few moments. Refresh the page if results don't appear immediately after making changes.
Where Alerts Appear
Gap analysis alerts display on the region edit page, above your rates list. If no gaps are detected, no alert appears.
Types of Gaps Detected
Weight Gaps
Example: You have one rate with the rule "Cart weight > 8kg"
Problem: Carts under 8kg receive no rates.
Suggested fix: Add a rate for carts under 8kg or create a catchall rate without weight rules.
Cart Value Gaps
Example: You have rates for:
- Orders over £50
- Orders under £20
Problem: Orders between £20-£50 receive no rates.
Suggested fix: Add a rate covering £20-£50 or adjust existing rules to eliminate the gap.
Quantity Gaps
Example: You have one rate with the rule "Cart quantity > 10 items"
Problem: Carts with 10 or fewer items receive no rates.
Suggested fix: Add a rate for smaller quantities or remove the quantity rule from one rate.
Product Group Gaps
Example: You have rates for:
- Product Group A
- Product Group C
Problem: Carts containing only Product Group B items receive no rates.
Suggested fix: Create a rate for Product Group B or add a catchall rate covering all product groups.
Combination Gaps
Example: You have rates for:
- Product Group A with weight > 5kg
- Product Group B with weight < 5kg
Problem: Product Group A items under 5kg and Product Group B items over 5kg receive no rates.
Suggested fix: Review and adjust rules to ensure all product group and weight combinations are covered.
Understanding the Alert
When gaps are detected, an alert banner appears with:
Issue count "We detected X potential issues"
Issue list (when expanded) Specific description of each gap found
Suggested fixes (when available) Recommended actions to resolve gaps
Severity indicator
- Warning tone - Critical gaps that will likely cause checkout failures
- Info tone - Potential issues that may cause problems in some scenarios
Viewing Gap Details
- The alert shows the number of issues detected
- Click Show issues to expand details
- Review each issue description
- Review suggested fixes
- Click Hide issues to collapse
Dismissing Alerts
If you understand the gaps and accept them (e.g., you intentionally don't ship certain cart types):
- Click Hide until next change
- Alerts hide until you next edit, create, or delete a rate in this region
- Alerts reappear after rate changes to ensure you see new gaps
Note: Dismissing doesn't fix gaps - customers may still receive no rates for certain cart conditions.
Fixing Gaps
Option 1: Add Missing Rates
Create rates covering the gaps identified.
Example: If analysis shows "No rate for carts under 8kg", add a rate for lighter carts.
Option 2: Modify Existing Rules
Adjust match rules on existing rates to eliminate gaps.
Example: If you have another rate with the rule "Cart weight < 8kg", and another rate with the rule "Cart weight > 8kg" change "Cart weight > 8kg" to "Cart weight >= 8kg" to ensure that carts weighing exactly 8kg are covered.
Option 4: Accept the Gap
If you intentionally don't ship certain cart types, dismiss the alert.
When appropriate:
- You don't ship oversized items
- You don't ship orders below minimum value
- Certain product combinations can't be shipped together
Important: Customers matching gap conditions receive no rates at checkout and cannot complete their order.
Product Group Considerations
When using product groups, the analyzer checks coverage both:
Within each product group Ensures each product group has rates covering all cart conditions.
Across product groups Ensures all product groups have rates assigned.
Example issue: "Product Group 'Fragile Items' has no rates defined. Carts containing only fragile items will receive no rates."
Fix: Create at least one rate for the Fragile Items product group.
Best Practices
Review Alerts After Changes
When you edit rates, check for new gap alerts. Changes to one rate's rules may create gaps in coverage.
Test in Rate Sandbox
After fixing gaps, use the Rate Sandbox to test various cart scenarios and verify all conditions receive rates.
Use Catchall Rates Carefully
Catchall rates ensure customers always get at least one option, but may not represent your actual shipping costs. Price catchall rates appropriately.
Document Intentional Gaps
If you dismiss alerts for intentional gaps, document why certain carts shouldn't receive rates. This helps when reviewing configuration later.
Consider Edge Cases
Gap analysis detects logical gaps in rules, but may not catch every edge case. Test your rates with realistic cart examples.
Understanding False Positives
Sometimes gap analysis flags issues that aren't actually problems for your business.
Intentional Restrictions
Scenario: You don't ship orders under £10.
Alert: "No rate for carts under £10"
Response: This is intentional - dismiss the alert. Customers under the minimum won't be able to check out, which is your policy.
Product-Specific Rules
Scenario: You only ship Product Group "Downloadable" as free digital delivery.
Alert: "Product Group 'Physical Items' has no rates"
Response: If you've separated physical items into a different shipping zone or don't sell physical items, this alert is a false positive. Dismiss it.
Complex Rule Interactions
Scenario: Your rules are complex with many conditions, and the analyzer flags a gap that's actually covered by rule combinations.
Response: Test in Rate Sandbox to verify. If rates appear correctly, dismiss the alert.
Troubleshooting
Alert Doesn't Appear After Fixing Gap
Gap analysis runs in a background job and may take a few moments. Refresh the page to see updated results.
Alert Shows After Fixing
Verify your fix actually covers the gap:
- Check the specific match rules on your rates
- Test the scenario in Rate Sandbox
- Ensure you saved the rate changes
Alert Returns After Dismissing
Alerts reappear whenever you edit, create, or delete rates in the region. This ensures you see new gaps introduced by changes.
Too Many Alerts
If gap analysis flags many issues:
- Your rate structure may be too complex
- Consider simplifying rules
- Use catchall rates to cover edge cases
- Review if all product groups need separate rates
Alert Seems Wrong
If an alert doesn't make sense:
- Expand the alert to read the full description
- Check match rules on all rates in the region
- Test the flagged scenario in Rate Sandbox
- If it's a false positive, dismiss the alert
Updated on: 12/03/2026
Thank you!