# Create an eligibility rule

> Go to Recognition → Eligibility rules → Create rule and work through five steps. A rule does nothing until you add it to an award, badge or service milestone.

- Product: Recognition › Recognition settings guides
- Who can do this: Super admins, Admins with the manage awards permissions
- Plan: Recognition
- Where: Admin dashboard
- Last checked: 15 Oct 2026
- Web page: https://www.vantagecircle.com/en/help/recognition/recognition-settings/create-an-eligibility-rule/

An eligibility rule limits who can give or receive recognition. You make a rule once and reuse it on as many awards, badges and service milestones as you like. Go to **Recognition → Eligibility rules** and select **Create rule**.

You need to be a super admin or have the **Manage awards** permission. Without it, the tab isn't in your menu.

1. **Name.** Enter a **Rule name** of up to 50 characters. Use a name that says who it's for, such as "Sales team in India".
2. **Who can give.** Optionally choose the giver's **Giver country**, **Giver departments**, **Giver gender**, **Giver employee types** and **Giver company entities**. Giver grade groups aren't here; you set them on each award.
3. **Who can receive.** Optionally choose **Recipient departments**, **Recipient gender**, **Recipient employee types**, **Recipient company entities** and **Recipient grade groups**. Recipient countries aren't here; you set them on each award.
4. **Giver and recipient.**
   - Turn on **Giver and recipient must be in the same department** or **Giver and recipient must be in different departments**. Either one needs at least one giver department from step 2.
   - Optionally set **Minimum recipients** (1 to 49) and **Maximum recipients** (1 to 50) for each recognition. The maximum can't be lower than the minimum.
5. **Employee data rules.** Optionally check how the giver and recipient are related using your company's employee data fields. For example, **Giver must appear in the recipient's** checks that the giver is named in one of the recipient's employee data fields. In each group you can choose only one rule.

Select **Create rule**. You'll see "Eligibility rule created".

Leave a step empty if you don't need it. If you add no conditions at all, the rule won't limit anyone.

## Use the rule

Turn on **Use eligibility rules** when you create or edit an award or badge, then choose the rule. See [Create a standard award](/en/help/recognition/awards-and-quotas/create-a-standard-award/) and [Create a badge](/en/help/recognition/badges-and-greetings/create-a-badge/).

When an employee recognises someone, awards that the two of them don't qualify for are hidden.

## Change a rule

On the list, **Eligibility requirements** sums up each rule and **Used by awards and badges** shows where it's used. Service milestones aren't counted in that column.

To change a rule, choose **Edit rule** from its menu, then **Save changes**. The change applies everywhere the rule is used. You can't delete a rule, so give each one a clear name.