Create a Sum Check

Step-by-step tutorial for creating a Sum check that reconciles a numeric column against an exact total. For what each property means and how the rule evaluates the data, see the How It Works page.

Permission Required

You need the Author team permission on the datastore to create an Active check, or Drafter to create it as a Draft. See the Permissions page for the full matrix.

Show me how

The app can walk you through this. Click Show me how in the check creation form's header, or press H while it is open, and the Add a Check walkthrough highlights each step while you fill in the real form.

Field reference

The Authored Check Details form is organized in the sections below. Fill them in as you follow the Steps.

Target

Field	Type	Description
Associate with a Check Template	Toggle	Links the check to a Check Template. Enabling it replaces the Rule Type dropdown with a Template dropdown where you pick an existing template, which then controls the check's properties. When off, you configure everything on this form.
Rule Type	Option	The validation logic to apply. Select Sum for this check. Shown only while Associate with a Check Template is off.
Table / File	Option	The table or file the check runs against. Locked after the check is saved.
Field	Option	The numeric field whose values are added up. Accepts `Integral` and `Fractional` fields.
Filter Clause	Text	A SQL `WHERE` expression that limits the rows the check evaluates. Rows outside the filter are ignored entirely.
Custom Anomaly Description	Toggle	Has no effect on this rule. The option replaces the message on Record Anomalies, and Sum emits a Shape Anomaly only.

Properties

Field	Required	Type	Description
Sum		Number	The exact total the field's values must add up to.

Pass Criteria

Field	Required	Type	Description
Coverage		Slider	Shown because it is part of the shared check form, but it has no effect on this rule: Sum compares one aggregate against one value, so there is no per-row pass rate to relax.

Ownership

Field	Required	Type	Description
Owner		Option	The user responsible for the check. Already filled in with the check creator.
Anomaly Assignee		Option	The user automatically assigned to anomalies the check produces.

Metadata

Field	Type	Description
Description	Text	A plain-language description of what the check enforces. Supports Markdown formatting: click the field to open the Markdown editor. Click the Apply suggested description button for a suggestion based on the rule type.
Tags	Option	Tags applied to the check for filtering and organization.
Additional Metadata	Key-value	Custom key-value pairs, typically links to catalog entries, tickets, or governance records.

Let AgentQ fill in the form

When AgentQ is configured for your deployment, the Check Assistant panel in the check form can author the check for you: describe the rule in plain language (for example, "the allocation percentages must add up to 100") and it proposes a configuration you can apply to the form. Review the filled-in fields, then Validate and Save as usual.

Steps

Step 1: Select the source datastore from the left menu, then click the Checks tab.

Step 2: Click Add in the top-right corner and select Check from the dropdown. The Authored Check Details form opens.

Step 3: Select Sum in the Rule Type dropdown.

Step 4: Fill in the required fields and any optional ones you need. Every field is described in the Field reference above.

Step 5: Click Validate to test the rule against the selected data without saving it. A success message confirms the rule can run on that data. If validation fails, see Troubleshooting.

Step 6: Click Save. A success message confirms that the check was created.