Computing apparatus, computer-readable storage medium, and method associated with application of content rules to content. The computing apparatus may have a processor and a content management service to be operated on the processor. The content management service may receive content rules, each content rule specifying one or more criteria for application of the content rule to one or more instances of content. The content management service may identify one or more instances of content that match the criteria specified by the content rules. The content management service may apply one or more of the content rules to the identified one or more instances of content in a hierarchical manner based on a specificity of the criteria, wherein a rule specifying more specific criteria is applied with priority over a rule specifying less specific criteria. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.