In My Humble Opinion

Here are the available Rails validation filters: before_validation_on_update before_validation_on_create validate validate_on_update validate_on_create after_validation after_validation_on_update after_validation_on_create before_save before_update before_create after_update after_create after_save These filters are callbacks that are invoked automatically. The difference between update and create is really with respect to the database. If the record you are saving is a new record in the db, then it means you are creating. If the item already exists but you are making a change, then it means you are updating. In other words, it does not matter, whether you called obj.save or obj.create, before_update filter will be invoked. The same is true for obj.save vs. obj.update_attributes. So no matter what Active record method you invoke the filter is decided based on the database record. How about before_save, before_after_save? They will always be invoked whether you are creating or updating.