Protocol Rules: Hard Facts vs. Attestations
Protocol Rules: Hard Facts vs. Attestations
Hard facts are checked automatically from your data. Attestations are confirmed by you. A protocol can use both.
Two Types of Rules
Every rule in a protocol falls into one of two categories:
| Rule Type | How It Works | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Hard Fact | Auto-evaluated from your health data. Rubric checks automatically — no action required from you. | ”Sleep 7+ hours,” “Stay under 2,000 calories,” “Walk 8,000+ steps” |
| Attestation | Self-reported. You confirm whether you completed it. Rubric trusts your word. | ”Meditate for 10 minutes,” “Complete PT exercises,” “No alcohol,” “Journal before bed” |
This distinction is the most important mechanical concept in the protocol system.
How Hard Facts Are Evaluated
At the end of each day — or when data arrives retroactively within the 3-day window — Rubric checks your logged data against the rule’s threshold. If you met it, the day passes automatically. If you did not, it fails automatically. No user action is required.
Hard fact rules rely on data from Apple Health and your nutrition logs. The available metrics:
| Category | Metric | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Sleep Duration | minutes |
| Nutrition | Total Calories | kcal |
| Nutrition | Protein | grams |
| Nutrition | Carbohydrates | grams |
| Nutrition | Fat | grams |
| Activity | Steps | steps |
| Activity | Active Calories | kcal |
| Activity | Workouts | sessions |
| Recovery | Resting Heart Rate | bpm |
| Recovery | HRV (SDNN) | ms |
Hard fact rules support comparison operators: at least (≥), at most (≤), exactly (=), or between a range. “Sleep at least 420 minutes” and “Stay under 2,000 calories” are both valid constructions.
What this means for you: If your protocol rules are all hard facts, you may never need to open the app to check in. Your Apple Health data syncs in the background, your nutrition logs are already there, and Rubric evaluates everything automatically.
How Attestations Work
Each day with an active attestation rule, your dashboard prompts you to reflect on your day. Tap “Reflect on Today” to open the attestation sheet and confirm whether you completed each behavior.
Attestations operate on the honor system. Rubric does not verify them — and that is the point. Some behaviors cannot be measured by a sensor. Meditation, journaling, therapy exercises, avoiding alcohol — these are real commitments that matter, even though no device can confirm them.
Mixed Protocols
A single protocol can combine hard facts and attestations. This is where protocols become powerful.
Example: “Sleep 7+ hours (hard fact) AND meditate daily (attestation) for 14 days.” The sleep rule auto-evaluates from your Apple Watch data. You only need to check in for the meditation rule. A day passes only when all rules are satisfied.
Auto-Evaluation Logic
The system follows a strict order of operations:
- All hard facts pass, no attestation rules exist — the day auto-closes as a pass. No action needed.
- Any hard fact fails — the day auto-closes as a fail, regardless of whether attestation rules were completed.
- Hard facts pass, attestation rules exist — the day stays open until you check in. If you do not check in within the 3-day window, the attestation is voided.
If no data is available to evaluate a hard fact — for example, your Apple Watch did not sync — the rule is voided rather than failed. Rubric does not penalize missing data.
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