diff --git a/rules/ansible.yml b/rules/ansible.yml
index 2972faf..8be4ad8 100644
--- a/rules/ansible.yml
+++ b/rules/ansible.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ rules:
       - ansible
       - playbook
     
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: array
       items:
@@ -38,7 +37,6 @@ rules:
       - ansible
       - role
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: array
       items:
diff --git a/rules/gitlab-ci.yml b/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
index 5d87925..0c0a537 100644
--- a/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/rules/gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ rules:
       - gitlab
       - optional
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       required: [stages]
@@ -24,7 +23,6 @@ rules:
       - gitlab
       - optional
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       patternProperties:
@@ -42,7 +40,6 @@ rules:
       - gitlab
       - important
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       patternProperties:
diff --git a/rules/grafana.yml b/rules/grafana.yml
index d9fd3d0..4a190c1 100644
--- a/rules/grafana.yml
+++ b/rules/grafana.yml
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@ rules:
       - grafana
       - dashboard
 
-    # this is not the ideal selector for this rule, but tags are located at $.dashboard.tags, while notification
-    # channels are nested under $.dashboard.panels[*].alert.notifications[*].uid
     select: '$.dashboard'
 
     filter:
diff --git a/rules/kubernetes.yml b/rules/kubernetes.yml
index 3652579..4bb1ff7 100644
--- a/rules/kubernetes.yml
+++ b/rules/kubernetes.yml
@@ -108,7 +108,6 @@ rules:
       - kubernetes
       - labels
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       required: [metadata]
diff --git a/rules/salty-dog.yml b/rules/salty-dog.yml
index f51b867..4452655 100644
--- a/rules/salty-dog.yml
+++ b/rules/salty-dog.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ definitions:
       - level
       - tags
       # data
-      - select
       - check
     properties:
       name:
@@ -34,6 +33,7 @@ definitions:
           pattern: "[-:a-z0-9]+"
       select:
         type: string
+        default: '$'
         minLength: 1
       filter:
         type: object
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ rules:
       - important
       - salty-dog
 
-    select: '$'
     check:
       type: object
       additionalProperties: false
diff --git a/src/rule.ts b/src/rule.ts
index 72b7dde..60cc4d7 100644
--- a/src/rule.ts
+++ b/src/rule.ts
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ export class Rule implements RuleData, Visitor<RuleResult> {
     this.desc = data.desc;
     this.level = data.level;
     this.name = data.name;
-    this.select = data.select;
+    this.select = data.select || '$';
     this.tags = Array.from(data.tags);
 
     // copy schema objects