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

# Priority & status

> Control how recommendation blocks are evaluated using priority ordering and manage their lifecycle through draft, published, and archived statuses.

## Block priority and ordering

When multiple blocks target the same anchor type, you can control which block is used through priority ordering.

### Priority system

Blocks have a priority field that determines evaluation order:

* Lower numbers = higher priority
* Blocks are evaluated in ascending priority order
* The first block whose rules match is used

### Use cases for multiple blocks

**Geographic targeting:**

```
Block 1 (priority 0): US visitors → US-specific recommendations
Block 2 (priority 1): EU visitors → EU-specific recommendations
Block 3 (priority 2): Default → Global recommendations
```

**Customer segmentation:**

```
Block 1 (priority 0): VIP customers → Premium recommendations
Block 2 (priority 1): Returning customers → Personalized recommendations
Block 3 (priority 2): New visitors → Popular products
```

**Device optimization:**

```
Block 1 (priority 0): Mobile → Mobile-optimized layout (8 products)
Block 2 (priority 1): Desktop → Desktop layout (16 products)
```

## Block status

Blocks have two statuses that control whether they are live:

* **Published**: Block is live and the API returns it
* **Draft**: Block is not live and the API does not return it

### Publishing and unpublishing

You can control a block's status directly from the block editor using the **Publish** and **Unpublish** buttons in the page header:

* When creating a new block, click **Publish** to save and immediately make it live, or click **Save Changes** to save it as a draft.
* When editing a published block, click **Unpublish** to revert it to draft status without deleting it.
* When editing a draft block, click **Publish** to make it live.

Only published blocks are evaluated when processing API requests. Draft blocks are useful for:

* Testing new block configurations before going live
* Temporarily disabling blocks without deleting them
* Preparing seasonal blocks in advance

### Filtering by status

On the blocks list page, you can filter blocks by their publication status using the **Published** column filter. Select **Published** or **Draft** to narrow the list.

## See also

* [Blocks Overview](/platform/blocks) - Overview of blocks and anchor types
* [Strategies](/platform/blocks/strategies) - Strategy types and availability
* [Rules & Safeguards](/platform/blocks/rules-and-safeguards) - Conditional rules and safeguard configuration
* [Blocks API Reference](/api-reference/blocks) - API documentation for retrieving block products