Rotation builder

Updated October 18, 2026

The rotation builder is the KeyRota window where you put an advanced rotation together without typing it: slots with flags, auras, rules, with the KRC text and the JSON beside them. The documentation is the same for Windows and macOS; the screenshots were taken on Windows. They show the Assassination raid rotation from the examples.

Opening it#

• Your rotation. Select the profile in the Rotation block of the main window and click Configure.
• A new rotation. New — In the builder…. The specialization comes from the game or from the current profile. The rotation becomes a profile when you first save it.
• From a file or the clipboard. New — From file… accepts KRC text (.txt), rotation JSON and a KeyRota profile file; New — From clipboard takes the same from the clipboard. Open the new profile in the builder with Configure.

For a Blizzard profile the builder shows only the name and the key press delay: the game picks the main button. "Build your own rotation" creates a new profile with an advanced rotation; the Blizzard profile stays in the list.

The window#

• On the left, the pages: General, Slots, Auras, Rules (with the number of rules), Text and JSON. Above them, "Your rotation" and the chosen specialization.
• On the right, the selected page.
• At the bottom, the status bar: whether the rotation is valid ("The rotation is valid: 15 rules, 11 slots, 10 auras"), whether there are unsaved changes and, on an error, where it is and a Show button. On the right, Close and Save.

Nothing is applied until Save (on Windows also Ctrl+S).

General#

Warnings appear under the buttons: which slots used in rules have no spell ID (they won't be in the Better Assistant profile) and what in an already pasted profile doesn't match the rotation.

The Better Assistant profile in the game#

Rotation slot N is slot N in Better Assistant, aura N is aura N in its list. The profile string puts your slots and auras there in the right order.

1. On the General page click "Build from slots and auras", then "Copy".
2. In the game type /ba, open the Profile tab, paste the string, click Apply and confirm.
3. After any change to slots or auras (IDs, order, With a target / In combat) build and paste the profile again.

Slots#

On the left are the 12 places: number, name, spell ID, flags ("off the GCD, queued") and "unused" when the slot isn't in any rule. An empty place says "Empty"; select it to get an "Add slot" button.

For KeyRota to press a slot, its spell must be on an action bar in the game with a key bound: KeyRota takes the key from your bars. A macro with #showtooltip Name works too. A slot without a key is never pressed.

How to press: flags#

Every flag combination and its JSON is in Slot flags.

Auras#

Auras are your buffs and your debuffs on the target that the rules read. Rotation aura N is aura N in the Better Assistant list.

Only your auras are visible: buffs you put on yourself and debuffs you put on the target. Buffs from other players and other players' debuffs on the target aren't seen by the rules.

Rules#

Rules are checked from top to bottom: KeyRota presses the first one that is met and whose spell can be cast; if it can't (cooldown, resource, range), it checks the next one.

The toolbar above the list:

Each rule in the list shows its number (the priority), the slot, the name and the number of groups; a rule with an error has a red mark.

The selected rule:

Each group has "Group N", a "Group comment" box and Duplicate group and Delete group buttons. A condition row has what to check, the property, the comparison and the number; the cross removes the condition. "+ Condition" adds a condition to the group, "+ Group (OR)" a new group. A group holds up to 16 conditions and a rule up to 16 groups: at the limit the buttons are disabled. A rule without groups says "No conditions: the rule fires whenever the spell can be cast".

Comparisons: <, ≤, =, ≥, >; the number is 0 to 100. A new condition starts as "active" for the first aura; when you change what to check, the property and the number reset to defaults (≥ 50 for a resource, ≥ 2 for enemies, ≤ 8 for the distance). Every condition in detail: Conditions.

Errors and the status bar#

• Green: "The rotation is valid: …" — no errors, it can be saved.
• Red names the place: "Rule 9, group 1: the group has no conditions". Show opens that place. The rule is marked in the list, the group is outlined in red.
• A rotation with an error isn't saved: "A rotation with an error can't be saved: fix what's marked below".
• While the rotation runs you can't save: "Stop the rotation to save".

Text and JSON#

An edit in the box applies at once if it has no errors; an error shows under the box, and the other pages keep the last valid version.

What the text keeps and what only the JSON keeps. KRC text has no spell IDs, slot flags, With a target / In combat, specialization, Ignore main icon or enemy counter settings. When you edit the text, these stay with the slots and auras of the same numbers. The JSON keeps everything. When you paste or open a new version of the rotation, slots and auras with the same numbers keep their IDs, visibility and flags if the new version has none.

Saving and closing#

• Save (on Windows also Ctrl+S) writes the rotation into the profile; the button briefly shows Saved. A new rotation becomes a profile and is selected in the list.
• Closing with unsaved changes asks "Save changes?": Save, Don't save or Cancel. So does closing KeyRota.
• Export in the main window saves the profile with its rotation as JSON; Import accepts both a KeyRota profile and a bare rotation JSON.

Example: a rotation from scratch#

Let's build a small Assassination rotation: two DoTs (Garrote and Rupture), a builder (Mutilate), a spender (Envenom), a defensive (Crimson Vial at 40% health or lower) and a cooldown on the Burst button (Deathmark).

1. New profile. Rotation — New — In the builder….

2. General. Profile name: "Assassination: example". Specialization: Assassination (the resources become PlayerHP, TargetHP, Energy, Combo_Points). Rotation name: "Assassination: example v1". Ignore main icon: on.

3. Slots. For each row of the table: select the place on the left, click "Add slot", fill in Name, Spell ID and Name in text; for Crimson Vial choose In combat. No flags are needed.

4. Auras. The same on the Auras page:

5. Rules. On the Rules page click "+", choose the slot in Press and type the Name. "+ Group (OR)" adds a group with a default condition: change what to check, the property, the comparison and the number. "+ Condition" adds the next condition to the same group. The rules, in this order:

Why:

• The defensive first: at low health Crimson Vial matters more than damage. It fires only when Healing / defense is on in the quick settings panel.
• Deathmark on Burst: cd == 1 is the Burst button (F3 on Windows, ⌃⇧B on macOS), not the spell's cooldown. Turn Burst off and Deathmark waits.
• DoTs with the pandemic window: an absent aura has 0 left, so the refresh takes two groups: "no DoT" and "DoT up with ≤ 30% left".
• 5 combo points = 70: out of 7 combo points, 5 is 71%; the threshold 70 works with any rounding. The table is in Resources.
• Mutilate last and only below 5 combo points, so that no energy is wasted while Envenom waits for its conditions.

6. Check. The status bar should say "The rotation is valid: 6 rules, 6 slots, 4 auras". Open Text and JSON to see the same as below.

7. The Better Assistant profile. General — "Build from slots and auras" — "Copy"; in the game /ba — Profile — paste — Apply.

8. Keys. Put the six spells on your action bars and bind keys to them.

9. Run it. Save, close the window, choose the profile "Assassination: example" and start the rotation (F1 on Windows, ⌃⇧Space on macOS). On the quick settings panel turn on Healing / defense if you want Crimson Vial; the Burst button turns Deathmark on and off.

rotation "Assassination: example v1"

# Example from the KeyRota documentation: two bleeds, a builder, a spender with energy pooling,
# a defensive at low health and Deathmark on the Burst button.
# Combo points in percent of 7: 5 points = 71%, threshold 70 = 5+.

buff1	Garrote_DoT = "Garrote on target [703]"
buff2	Rupture_DoT = "Rupture on target [1943]"
buff3	Envenom_Buff = "Envenom [32645]"
buff4	Deathmark_DoT = "Deathmark on target [360194]"
slot1	Garrote = "Garrote"
slot2	Rupture = "Rupture"
slot3	Envenom = "Envenom"
slot4	Mutilate = "Mutilate"
slot5	Deathmark = "Deathmark"
slot6	Crimson_Vial = "Crimson Vial"
resource1	PlayerHP
resource2	TargetHP
resource3	Energy
resource4	Combo_Points

# --- Defensive: only with Healing / defense on ---
use Crimson_Vial when  # Crimson Vial
	defensives == 1 and PlayerHP <= 40  # health 40% or lower

# --- Cooldown: only with Burst on ---
use Deathmark when  # Deathmark
	cd == 1 and Garrote_DoT.up and Rupture_DoT.up and Envenom_Buff.up  # Burst on, bleeds and Envenom up

# --- Bleeds ---
use Garrote when  # Garrote
	Garrote_DoT.down  # no bleed
	or
	Garrote_DoT.up and Garrote_DoT.duration <= 30  # pandemic window: 30% or less left

use Rupture when  # Rupture
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Rupture_DoT.down  # 5+ combo points, no bleed
	or
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Rupture_DoT.up and Rupture_DoT.duration <= 30  # 5+ combo points, pandemic window

# --- Spender: 5+ combo points, pooling energy ---
use Envenom when  # Envenom
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Envenom_Buff.down  # no buff
	or
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Envenom_Buff.up and Envenom_Buff.duration <= 20  # buff running out
	or
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Energy >= 70  # don't cap energy
	or
	Combo_Points >= 70 and Deathmark_DoT.up  # Deathmark on the target

# --- Builder: below 5 combo points ---
use Mutilate when  # Mutilate
	Combo_Points < 70  # below 5 combo points

{
  "format": "keyrota-rotation",
  "version": 1,
  "title": "Assassination: example v1",
  "specID": 259,
  "ignoreMainIcon": true,
  "enemies": {"range": 8, "combatOnly": true},
  "notes": [
    "Example from the KeyRota documentation: two bleeds, a builder, a spender with energy pooling,",
    "a defensive at low health and Deathmark on the Burst button.",
    "Combo points in percent of 7: 5 points = 71%, threshold 70 = 5+."
  ],
  "resources": ["PlayerHP", "TargetHP", "Energy", "Combo_Points"],
  "auras": [
    {"n": 1, "alias": "Garrote_DoT", "label": "Garrote on target [703]", "spell": 703},
    {"n": 2, "alias": "Rupture_DoT", "label": "Rupture on target [1943]", "spell": 1943},
    {"n": 3, "alias": "Envenom_Buff", "label": "Envenom [32645]", "spell": 32645},
    {"n": 4, "alias": "Deathmark_DoT", "label": "Deathmark on target [360194]", "spell": 360194}
  ],
  "slots": [
    {"n": 1, "alias": "Garrote", "label": "Garrote", "spell": 703, "show": "target"},
    {"n": 2, "alias": "Rupture", "label": "Rupture", "spell": 1943, "show": "target"},
    {"n": 3, "alias": "Envenom", "label": "Envenom", "spell": 32645, "show": "target"},
    {"n": 4, "alias": "Mutilate", "label": "Mutilate", "spell": 1329, "show": "target"},
    {"n": 5, "alias": "Deathmark", "label": "Deathmark", "spell": 360194, "show": "target"},
    {"n": 6, "alias": "Crimson_Vial", "label": "Crimson Vial", "spell": 185311, "show": "combat"}
  ],
  "rules": [
    {
      "use": "Crimson_Vial",
      "name": "Crimson Vial",
      "note": ["--- Defensive: only with Healing / defense on ---"],
      "when": [{"all": ["defensives == 1", "PlayerHP <= 40"], "comment": "health 40% or lower"}]
    },
    {
      "use": "Deathmark",
      "name": "Deathmark",
      "note": ["--- Cooldown: only with Burst on ---"],
      "when": [
        {
          "all": ["cd == 1", "Garrote_DoT.up", "Rupture_DoT.up", "Envenom_Buff.up"],
          "comment": "Burst on, bleeds and Envenom up"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "use": "Garrote",
      "name": "Garrote",
      "note": ["--- Bleeds ---"],
      "when": [
        {"all": ["Garrote_DoT.down"], "comment": "no bleed"},
        {
          "all": ["Garrote_DoT.up", "Garrote_DoT.duration <= 30"],
          "comment": "pandemic window: 30% or less left"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "use": "Rupture",
      "name": "Rupture",
      "when": [
        {"all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Rupture_DoT.down"], "comment": "5+ combo points, no bleed"},
        {
          "all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Rupture_DoT.up", "Rupture_DoT.duration <= 30"],
          "comment": "5+ combo points, pandemic window"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "use": "Envenom",
      "name": "Envenom",
      "note": ["--- Spender: 5+ combo points, pooling energy ---"],
      "when": [
        {"all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Envenom_Buff.down"], "comment": "no buff"},
        {
          "all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Envenom_Buff.up", "Envenom_Buff.duration <= 20"],
          "comment": "buff running out"
        },
        {"all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Energy >= 70"], "comment": "don't cap energy"},
        {"all": ["Combo_Points >= 70", "Deathmark_DoT.up"], "comment": "Deathmark on the target"}
      ]
    },
    {
      "use": "Mutilate",
      "name": "Mutilate",
      "note": ["--- Builder: below 5 combo points ---"],
      "when": [{"all": ["Combo_Points < 70"], "comment": "below 5 combo points"}]
    }
  ]
}

Download this example: JSON, KRC text. Open it with Open… on the Text and JSON page or with New — From file….