"Auto apply plan rules" enable you to automatically apply plans to new leads. You can define a unique rule for every unique combination of Lead Type and Lead Source. For example, you can define a rule that will be applied to buyers who found you through your lawn sign, and a different rule for buyers who found you through your website. Once a rule has been automatically applied to a plan, the activities contained within the plan will appear in the My Business portlet of the dashboard as they come due.