---
title: "Define BOM triggers"
slug: "define-bom-triggers"
updated: 2024-11-22T18:09:01Z
published: 2024-11-22T18:09:01Z
canonical: "docs.zilliant.com/define-bom-triggers"
---

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

# Define BOM triggers

After defining the [product BOM](/v1/docs/about-the-product-bom) and linking the [knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base) with it, a product modeler can specify BOM explosion triggers.

There are three categories of BOM explosion triggers:

- Default BOM explosion
- BOM explosion based on the dynamic attribute value
- BOM explosion based on the dynamic attribute and quote attribute values

In BOM triggers, you need to define explosion conditions based on the values of one or more attributes, and specify actions to insert the product into the parent product.

In this topic:

- [Explore how a BOM explosion trigger works](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#how-a-bom-explosion-trigger-works)
- [Define a default BOM explosion trigger](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#define-a-default-bom-explosion-trigger)
- [Define a BOM explosion trigger based on the dynamic attribute value](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#define-a-bom-explosion-trigger-based-on-the-dynamic-attribute-value)
- [Define a BOM explosion trigger based on the dynamic attribute and quote attribute values](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#define-a-bom-explosion-trigger-based-on-the-dynamic-attribute-and-quote-attribute-values)

## How a BOM explosion trigger works

In BOM explosion triggers:

- The AND operator is used between attributes with values.
- If the same product BOM is returned by different trigger groups with the same position and quantity, it will be exploded only once due to the INTERSECTION concept.
- If the same product BOM is returned by different rule groups with different positions or quantities, it will be exploded twice due to the UNION concept.
- Empty values are ignored and do not contribute to the condition for exploding a product BOM.

The following image shows a sample BOM explosion trigger:

![BOMexample_1](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/BOMexample_1.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D)

In this example:

- Product A1 will be exploded when DA1 = DA1_1, DA2 = DA2_1, DA3 = DA3_1, and the quote’s Sales Org ERP ID is 0006.
- Product A5 will be exploded when DA2 = DA2_5, DA3 = DA3_5, and the quote’s Sales Org ERP ID is 0007.
- Product A6 will be exploded when DA2 = DA2_5.
- Products A5 and A6 will be exploded when DA2 = DA2_5, DA3 = DA3_5, and the quote’s Sales Org ERP ID is 0007. This is because row 13 is a valid condition, and row 14 is also valid, since empty cells in row 14 are ignored and only DA2 is considered to decide if the product should be added.

## Define a default BOM explosion trigger

The BOM explosion can be configured to execute automatically when the main configurable product is added to a quote. To enable this, a product modeler needs to:

- Define a [quote attribute](/v1/docs/create-quote-attributes-kbtriggerrelation) to fetch the value from the product’s status.
- Create a trigger of the BOM type to define the logic for triggering the BOM explosion based on the main product’s status.

Use one of the following methods to define a default BOM explosion trigger:

- [User interface](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-ui)
- [Knowledge base Excel spreadsheet](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-knowledge-base-excel-spreadsheet)

### From the UI

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom)
- [Dynamic attributes](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)
- [Quote attribute](/v1/docs/create-quote-attributes-kbtriggerrelation) with the following search expression:  

`SalesItem().isProduct.hasProductStatus.objectName[0]`.

#### Procedure

1. Define a new trigger group:
  1. From the application left navigation area, select **Products**.
  2. Select a product.
  3. From the top navigation bar, select **Knowledge Base**.
  4. Select a knowledge base.
  5. On the **Triggers** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to define a new trigger group.
  6. On the **New Trigger Group** dialog, enter information or make selections:
    - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
    - **Type**—Select **BOM**.
  7. Select **Create**.
2. Select the trigger group from the list on the **Triggers** tab.
3. On the **Attributes** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), select attributes to add to the trigger group, then select **Add**.
4. On the **Triggers** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to create a trigger.
5. On the **Conditions** tab, define the trigger condition.
6. On the **BOM Entries** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), then select the product BOM and select **Add**.
7. From the bottom button bar, select **Create** to save the trigger configuration.
8. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

### From the knowledge base Excel spreadsheet

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom)
- [Dynamic attributes](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)
- [Quote attribute](/v1/docs/create-quote-attributes-kbtriggerrelation) with the following search expression:  

`SalesItem().isProduct.hasProductStatus.objectName[0]`.

          Tip

          

You can define a product BOM and a quote attribute together with the trigger in the knowledge base spreadsheet, as described in the following procedure.

#### Procedure

1. [Download a product knowledge base](/v1/docs/download-a-knowledge-base). On the **Download Options** dialog, on the **Trigger Groups** tab, select a checkbox next to **BOM** and in the **No. of Sheet(s)** column specify the number of range trigger groups.
2. If you want to define a new quote attribute, use the QUOTE_ATTRIBUTE sheet in the downloaded file. Use the following search expression: `SalesItem().isProduct.hasProductStatus.objectName[0]`
3. If you want to define a new product BOM, use the PRODUCT_BOM sheet in the downloaded file.
4. On the RULE_X (where X is the trigger group sequence number) sheet, define information about the trigger group:
  - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
  - **Sequence ID**—Enter the trigger group's sequence ID. This ID helps to maintain the order of sheets inside the knowledge base spreadsheet when a user downloads it again.
5. Add the QUOTE_ATTRIBUTE.QuoteAttributeName column, where *QuoteAttributeName* is the name of the quote attribute you created in Step 2. Then define the BOM explosion triggers, as shown on the following image:

![BOM_8](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/BOM_8.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D)
6. In Zilliant CPQ, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_upload.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) and then select the filled out spreadsheet to upload.
7. Confirm the upload.
8. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

## Define a BOM explosion trigger based on the dynamic attribute value

Use one of the following methods to define a BOM explosion trigger based on the attribute value:

- [User interface](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-ui1)
- [Knowledge base Excel spreadsheet](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-knowledge-base-excel-spreadsheet1)

### From the UI

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom)
- [Dynamic attribute](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)

#### Procedure

1. Define a new trigger group:
  1. From the application left navigation area, select **Products**.
  2. Select a product.
  3. From the top navigation bar, select **Knowledge Base**.
  4. Select a knowledge base.
  5. On the **Triggers** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to define a new trigger group.
  6. On the **New Trigger Group** dialog, enter information or make selections:
    - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
    - **Type**—Select **BOM**.
  7. Select **Create**.
2. Select the trigger group from the list on the **Triggers** tab.
3. On the **Attributes** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), select attributes to add to the trigger group, then select **Add**.
4. On the **Triggers** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to create a trigger.
5. On the **Conditions** tab, define the trigger condition.
6. On the **BOM Entries** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), then select the product BOM and select **Add**.
7. From the bottom button bar, select **Create** to save the trigger configuration.
8. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

### From the knowledge base Excel spreadsheet

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom)
- [Dynamic attribute](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)

          Tip

          

You can define a product BOM together with the trigger in the knowledge base spreadsheet, as described in the following procedure.

#### Procedure

1. [Download a product knowledge base](/v1/docs/download-a-knowledge-base). On the **Download Options** dialog, on the **Trigger Groups** tab, select a checkbox next to **BOM** and in the **No. of Sheet(s)** column specify the number of range trigger groups.
2. If you want to define a new product BOM, use the PRODUCT_BOM sheet in the downloaded file.
3. On the RULE_X (where X is the trigger group sequence number) sheet, define information about the trigger group:
  - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
  - **Sequence ID**—Enter the trigger group's sequence ID. This ID helps to maintain the order of sheets inside the knowledge base spreadsheet when a user downloads it again.
4. Define the BOM explosion triggers, as shown on the following image: ![attributes_4](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/attributes_4.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D)
5. In Zilliant CPQ, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_upload.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) and then select the filled out spreadsheet to upload.
6. Confirm the upload.
7. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

## Define a BOM explosion trigger based on the dynamic attribute and quote attribute values

Use this type of triggers to execute the BOM explosion based on data points inside a quote, such as a sales organization. For example, a product modeler can define a trigger to explode a product that is only available for the quote's sales organization.

Use one of the following methods to define a BOM explosion based on the attribute value trigger:

- [User interface](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-ui2)
- [Knowledge base Excel spreadsheet](/v1/docs/define-bom-triggers#from-the-knowledge-base-excel-spreadsheet2)

### From the UI

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom).
- [Dynamic attributes](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)
- [Quote attribute](/v1/docs/create-quote-attributes-kbtriggerrelation)

#### Procedure

1. Define a new trigger group:
  1. From the application left navigation area, select **Products**.
  2. Select a product.
  3. From the top navigation bar, select **Knowledge Base**.
  4. Select a knowledge base.
  5. On the **Triggers** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to define a new trigger group.
  6. On the **New Trigger Group** dialog, enter information or make selections:
    - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
    - **Type**—Select **BOM**.
  7. Select **Create**.
2. Select the trigger group from the list on the **Triggers** tab.
3. On the **Attributes** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), select dynamic and quote attributes to add to the trigger group, then select **Add**.
4. On the **Triggers** sub-tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) to create a trigger.
5. On the **Conditions** tab, define the trigger condition.
6. On the **BOM Entries** tab, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_add.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D), then select the product BOM and select **Add**.
7. From the bottom button bar, select **Create** to save the trigger configuration.
8. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

### From the knowledge base Excel spreadsheet

#### Prerequisites

To define a trigger, your product must have:

- [Knowledge base](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base)
- [BOM](/v1/docs/create-a-product-bom)
- [Dynamic attributes](/v1/docs/add-dynamic-attributes-to-products)
- [Quote attribute](/v1/docs/create-quote-attributes-kbtriggerrelation)

          Tip

          

You can define a product BOM and a quote attribute together with the trigger in the knowledge base spreadsheet, as described in the following procedure.

#### Procedure

1. [Download a product knowledge base](/v1/docs/download-a-knowledge-base). On the **Download Options** dialog, on the **Trigger Groups** tab, select a checkbox next to **BOM** and in the **No. of Sheet(s)** column specify the number of range trigger groups.
2. If you want to define a new product BOM, use the PRODUCT_BOM sheet in the downloaded file.
3. If you want to define a new quote attribute, use the QUOTE_ATTRIBUTE sheet in the downloaded file.
4. On the RULE_X (where X is the trigger group sequence number) sheet, define information about the trigger group:
  - **Name**—Enter a name for the trigger group.
  - **Sequence ID**—Enter the trigger group's sequence ID. This ID helps to maintain the order of sheets inside the knowledge base spreadsheet when a user downloads it again.
5. Add or remove the needed dynamic attributes.
6. Add the QUOTE_ATTRIBUTE.QuoteAttributeName column, where *QuoteAttributeName* is the name of the quote attribute.
7. Define condition values for the dynamic and quote attributes and assign the BOM entry ID, as shown on the following image: ![attributes_8](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/attributes_8.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D)
8. In Zilliant CPQ, select ![](https://cdn.document360.io/24f960e8-3c1c-4c18-a2c6-83b6ae4aab84/Images/Documentation/CPQ-icon_upload.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-11T12%3A43%3A00Z&se=2026-11-11T13%3A43%3A00Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=9D8zYbBSHy768OHbrcPR6cz9QzEv%2FVs1UHZ3dROBuCU%3D) and then select the filled out spreadsheet to upload.
9. Confirm the upload.
10. [Create a knowledge base snapshot](/v1/docs/create-a-knowledge-base-snapshot) to apply the trigger.

Process of adding the product bill of material (BOM) as subline items of a configurable product in a quote based on the defined triggers (rules).

A trigger, also known as *KBTrigger*, is a rule that allows to automatically explode a product BOM, assign attribute properties, calculate attribute values, and more. Triggers also allow you to limit attribute values to ensure that users can create only a valid configuration of the product.