diff --git a/rita-core/src/Parser.ts b/rita-core/src/Parser.ts
index 69382c6..52d76fd 100644
--- a/rita-core/src/Parser.ts
+++ b/rita-core/src/Parser.ts
@@ -161,7 +161,11 @@ export default class Parser {
      * @param jsonRuleset the atom
      */
     public parseAtom(jsonRuleset: Record<string, any>): Atom {
-        return new Atom(jsonRuleset['path'], !!jsonRuleset['isDate']);
+        return new Atom(
+            jsonRuleset['path'],
+            !!jsonRuleset['isDate'],
+            jsonRuleset['default']
+        );
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/rita-core/src/logicElements/Atom.ts b/rita-core/src/logicElements/Atom.ts
index 1b5f224..1bb6f0c 100644
--- a/rita-core/src/logicElements/Atom.ts
+++ b/rita-core/src/logicElements/Atom.ts
@@ -25,22 +25,30 @@ export class Atom extends Formula {
      */
     public path: string;
     public isDate: boolean;
+    public defaultValue?: FormulaResults | Array<FormulaResults>;
 
-    constructor(path: string, isDate: boolean = false) {
+    constructor(
+        path: string,
+        isDate: boolean = false,
+        defaultValue?: FormulaResults | Array<FormulaResults>
+    ) {
         super();
         this.path = path;
         this.isDate = isDate;
+        this.defaultValue = defaultValue;
     }
 
     /**
      * Get the value of an object property or array by a path that is passed as string
      * @param object object
      * @param path path
+     * @param defaultVal default value to return if path is not found
      * @param context the context of the formula
      */
-    static getPropertyByString(
+    static async getPropertyByString(
         object: any,
         path: string,
+        defaultVal?: FormulaResults | Array<FormulaResults>,
         context?: Formula
     ): Promise<FormulaResults | FormulaResults[]> {
         path = path.replace(/\[(\w+)]/g, '.$1'); // convert indexes to properties
@@ -50,6 +58,8 @@ export class Atom extends Formula {
             const k = a[i];
             if (k in object) {
                 object = object[k];
+            } else if (defaultVal) {
+                return defaultVal;
             } else {
                 throw new UndefinedPathError(
                     'Undefinded path in data: ' + path,
@@ -68,7 +78,12 @@ export class Atom extends Formula {
     getPropertyByString(
         object: any
     ): Promise<FormulaResults | FormulaResults[]> {
-        return Atom.getPropertyByString(object, this.path, this);
+        return Atom.getPropertyByString(
+            object,
+            this.path,
+            this.defaultValue,
+            this
+        );
     }
 
     validate(): boolean {
@@ -81,13 +96,15 @@ export class Atom extends Formula {
             path: this.path,
         };
         if (this.isDate) at['isDate'] = true;
+        if (this.defaultValue) at['default'] = this.defaultValue;
         return at;
     }
 
     async evaluate(
         data: Record<string, any>
-    ): Promise<FormulaResults | Array<FormulaResults>> {
-        const val = this.getPropertyByString(data);
+    ): Promise<FormulaResults | FormulaResults[]> {
+        let val: FormulaResults | FormulaResults[] =
+            await this.getPropertyByString(data);
 
         if (typeof val === 'string' && this.isDate) {
             return parseDate(val, this);
diff --git a/rita-core/src/schema/atom.json b/rita-core/src/schema/atom.json
index 817a86f..bbcea72 100644
--- a/rita-core/src/schema/atom.json
+++ b/rita-core/src/schema/atom.json
@@ -17,6 +17,26 @@
             "type": "boolean",
             "default": false,
             "description": "Must be set to true if the atom should be parsed as a date"
+        },
+        "default": {
+            "oneOf": [
+                {
+                    "type": "string"
+                },
+                {
+                    "type": "number"
+                },
+                {
+                    "type": "boolean"
+                },
+                {
+                    "type": "string",
+                    "format": "date-time"
+                },
+                {
+                    "type": "array"
+                }
+            ]
         }
     },
     "required": ["type", "path"],
diff --git a/rita-core/test/assets/defaultVal.json b/rita-core/test/assets/defaultVal.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b045c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rita-core/test/assets/defaultVal.json
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+{
+    "$schema": "../../../rita-core/src/schema/schema.json",
+    "rules": [
+        {
+            "id": "r1",
+            "comment": "",
+            "rule": {
+                "type": "comparison",
+                "operation": "equal",
+                "arguments": [
+                    {
+                        "type": "atom",
+                        "path": "fancyness",
+                        "default": "unicorn"
+                    },
+                    "unicorn"
+                ]
+            }
+        }
+    ]
+}
diff --git a/rita-core/test/implementationTests/atom.test.ts b/rita-core/test/implementationTests/atom.test.ts
index 5b4807d..073cd8b 100644
--- a/rita-core/test/implementationTests/atom.test.ts
+++ b/rita-core/test/implementationTests/atom.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { Parser } from '../../src';
 // @ts-ignore
 import { exampleData, ruleTemplate } from '../assets/exampleData';
+// @ts-ignore
+import ruleset_defaultVal from '../assets/defaultVal.json';
 
 const p = new Parser();
 
@@ -44,3 +46,11 @@ it('second customer rated', () => {
     });
     expect(rule.evaluate(exampleData)).resolves.toBe(true);
 });
+it('use default value', () => {
+    const rule = p.parseRuleSet(ruleset_defaultVal)[0];
+    expect(rule.evaluate({})).resolves.toBe(true);
+});
+it('do not use default value when value is specified', () => {
+    const rule = p.parseRuleSet(ruleset_defaultVal)[0];
+    expect(rule.evaluate({ fancyness: 'very' })).resolves.toBe(false);
+});
diff --git a/rita-core/test/schema.test.ts b/rita-core/test/schema.test.ts
index 5a693c7..6ebd96a 100644
--- a/rita-core/test/schema.test.ts
+++ b/rita-core/test/schema.test.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ import rule_qfa from './assets/quantifiers_fa.json';
 // @ts-ignore
 import rule_qex from './assets/quantifiers_ex.json';
 // @ts-ignore
+import rule_defaultValue from './assets/defaultVal.json';
+// @ts-ignore
 import macros from './assets/macros';
 import { DateTime } from 'luxon';
 
@@ -132,6 +134,7 @@ describe('Validate Rule examples', () => {
             rule_qfa,
             rule_qex,
             macros,
+            rule_defaultValue,
         ];
         for (let i = 0; i < examples.length; i++) {
             const example = examples[i];