Auto-rejection rules and knockout questions

Last updated: August 16, 2026

Auto-rejection rules let you automatically reject candidates who don't meet a job's must-have requirements, based on their answers to knockout questions on the application form. Kula compares each candidate's answers against the criteria you set and rejects candidates who don't meet them, without any manual review.

Path: Jobs > Application forms > Auto-rejection rules

Use auto-rejection rules to screen out candidates who lack a required certification, live outside an approved location, fall short of a minimum years-of-experience threshold, or answer a yes/no eligibility question the wrong way. Kula rejects these candidates as soon as they apply, sends them the rejection communication you configure, and records the rejection on the candidate's activity feed, so your team spends review time on qualified applicants only.

Auto-rejection rules are available to recruiters assigned to the job, job creators, and users with the Manage all jobs permission.

How auto-rejection rules work

Auto-rejection rules run against custom fields on the job's application form. Kula supports rules for these field types:

  • Single-select and multi-select fields

  • Yes/No fields

  • Number fields

  • Date fields

Note: You can't build a rule until the application form has at least one custom field of a supported type. Add the field to the application form first, then set up the rule.

Step 1: Turn on auto-rejection rules

Auto-rejection rules are off by default for each job.

  1. Open the job's application form settings from either the job posting or the application form template.

  2. In the Auto-rejection rules section, turn on the toggle in the top-right corner.

Step 2: Create a rule

  1. Click Set up auto-rejection (or Add rule if you already have rules on this job).

  2. In Rule name, enter a name that describes what the rule screens for, for example Requires 5+ years experience.

Step 3: Set the rejection criteria

Set the knockout question and the condition that triggers rejection.

  1. In Select criteria, choose the custom field to evaluate.

  2. Choose a condition. The conditions available depend on the field type:

    • Single-select or multi-select fields: Include any (reject if the answer matches any selected value), and Include all (reject only if the answer matches every selected value) when the field allows multiple selections

    • Yes/No fields: Include any or Exclude all

    • Number fields: Greater than, Lesser than, Greater than or equal to, Lesser than or equal to, or Equals

    • Date fields: Greater than, Lesser than, Greater than or equal to, Lesser than or equal to, or Equals

  3. Enter or select the value that completes the condition.

  4. Click Add criteria to add another condition to the same rule, if needed.

Note:

  • When a rule has more than one criterion, a candidate must match every criterion for the rule to reject them. Kula always combines criteria within a rule with AND logic; it doesn't support OR logic between criteria in the same rule.

  • Kula blocks you from saving duplicate criteria, conflicting criteria (conditions no candidate could ever satisfy), and a criterion that would reject every candidate. Update or remove the flagged criterion to continue.

  • If a candidate leaves a knockout question unanswered, the rule doesn't reject them for that criterion.

Step 4: Set the rejection reason and email

  1. In Rejection reason and email, select a rejection reason from Select rejection reason.

  2. Turn on Add rejection email if you want Kula to email rejected candidates automatically, then choose a template from Rejection email template.

  3. Turn on Schedule rejection email to delay the email, and set Send after to the number of weekdays to wait before sending. Leave it off to send the email as soon as Kula rejects the candidate.

  4. Click Create rule.

Managing multiple rules

You can add more than one auto-rejection rule to a job. Each rule appears in the Auto-rejection rules list, where you can:

  • Drag a rule by its handle to reorder it. Kula evaluates rules in the order shown here.

  • Turn a rule's toggle on or off to enable or disable it without deleting it.

  • Click the edit icon to change a rule's name, criteria, rejection reason, or email.

  • Click the trash icon to delete a rule permanently.

Note: If you delete or change the type of a custom field that a rule depends on, Kula disables that rule and flags it until you update the rule's criteria.

What happens when a candidate applies

When a candidate submits an application, Kula checks the job's active auto-rejection rules in the order shown in the rules list. It evaluates each rule in turn and stops at the first rule whose criteria the candidate fully matches. Kula then:

  • Marks the candidate Rejected (by Auto-Rejection Rule).

  • Applies the rejection reason set on that rule.

  • Sends the rejection email configured on that rule, on the schedule you set.

  • Logs the rejection on the candidate's activity feed, including which rule triggered it.

If a candidate doesn't fully match any active rule, Kula takes no action and the candidate moves through your pipeline as normal.

FAQ

  • Can a candidate reapply after an auto-rejection? Yes. Candidates can submit a new application. Auto-rejection rules evaluate new applications the same way they evaluate any other application.

  • Can I manually override an auto-rejection? Yes. You can move a rejected candidate to a different stage from their candidate profile, the same way you would for any other candidate.

  • How do I see which rule rejected a candidate? Open the candidate's activity feed on their profile. Kula logs the rule name for every auto-rejection.

Need help?

If you have questions or need assistance, reach out to us at support@kula.ai or use the in-app chat.