Identifiers
Overview
We provide consistent identifiers that work across all our APIs, giving you a unified way to reference any business entity worldwide. Behind the scenes, we handle the complexity of global business operations – from varying jurisdictional requirements to different registration systems – so you don't have to.
What you get are universal IDs that work regardless of jurisdiction differences, regulatory frameworks, or data source variations. Whether you're tracking a multinational corporation operating in dozens of countries or a local business with a single registration, our identifier system provides the same level of consistency and reliability.
Three-Level Identifier System
Our identifier system uses a three-level hierarchy designed to capture how businesses actually operate in the real world:
Global ID (SIQ ID)
The universal identifier for any legal entity worldwide. This is your primary reference point – the single ID that represents the entity regardless of where or how it operates. Think of this as the "master key" that unlocks information about an entity across all our APIs.
Operational Presence ID
How that entity operates in each country. A single global entity might have different operational structures, business models, or regulatory requirements in different markets. The Operational Presence ID captures these country-specific variations while maintaining the link to the global entity.
Legal Entity ID
The specific legal registration in each jurisdiction. This represents the actual legal incorporation, registration, or filing that creates the entity's legal standing in a particular jurisdiction. One operational presence might involve multiple legal entities, depending on local requirements.
Key insight: Legal entities can operate globally across countries, and each country has different registration requirements. Our system maps these relationships so you can work at whatever level of detail your use case requires.
Identifier Prefixes
Our identifier system uses consistent prefixes to make it clear what type of entity you're working with. Here's how it works in practice:
Real Example: Apple Inc.
Global ID: siq_2ZUKocPbFCPLClZ5XtHlJ
Your primary reference for all API calls. This represents Apple Inc. as a global business entity and serves as the universal identifier across all our services.
US Operational Presence: op_30BxJm2puXIB3jRENbivD
How Apple operates specifically in the United States. This links to the global entity while capturing US-specific business structure and regulatory requirements.
Primary Legal Entity: le_2ZoRp6I3EUgebkUBHaDdk
Apple Inc.'s California corporation registration. This represents the specific legal filing that creates Apple's US legal status and regulatory standing.
Each identifier serves a different purpose, but they're all connected through our system, allowing you to navigate between global, operational, and legal perspectives as needed.
Using Identifiers Across APIs
The Global ID (SIQ ID) is what you'll use for most API calls. This design ensures consistency and eliminates duplicate lookups:
Cross-API Compatibility
Use the same Global ID whether you're calling our Entity Resolution APIs or Business Intelligence endpoints. The identifier remains consistent across all services, so data retrieved from one API can seamlessly reference entities in another.
Linked Intelligence
When you resolve an entity through our Entity Resolution API, the Global ID you receive can immediately be used to access:
- Business intelligence and analytics
- Financial data and insights
- Operational presence information
- Legal entity details
No Duplicate Lookups
Once you have a Global ID, you don't need to re-resolve the entity across different API calls. The identifier serves as your persistent reference, reducing API overhead and ensuring data consistency.
Government vs Synthetic Identifiers
Our approach to data quality balances comprehensive coverage with reliable sourcing:
Government Foundation
Most of our identifiers are based on official government registrations, filings, and databases. This gives you confidence that the entities and their associated data have official backing and regulatory recognition.
Placeholder System
When government data isn't accessible – whether due to limited registrars, restricted countries, or other data availability constraints – we create synthetic identifiers using our placeholder system.
Quality Assurance
Placeholders are only created when we have clear consensus from multiple reliable sources about an entity's existence and basic details. We don't create identifiers speculatively or based on single data points.
Future-Proof Design
When official government data becomes available for entities that previously had placeholder identifiers, we seamlessly replace the synthetic data with official information. Importantly, the identifier itself remains consistent – your integrations won't break when data quality improves.
Consistency Guarantee
Whether derived from government sources or created through our placeholder system, you get the same reliable identifier structure and the same level of API functionality.
Handling Global Complexity
Different countries operate vastly different business registration systems, and we handle this complexity behind the scenes:
Registration System Variations
Some countries have single, centralized registrars that handle all business entity registrations. Others, like the United States, require federal registration combined with state-specific requirements. Still others have industry-specific registration authorities or complex multi-tier systems.
Jurisdiction Mapping
We normalize these different approaches into our consistent identifier system. Whether an entity is registered through a single government database or requires multiple registrations across different authorities, you get the same clean, universal identifier structure.
Behind-the-Scenes Processing
You don't need to understand the intricacies of Maltese corporate law or Canadian provincial registration requirements. We handle the jurisdiction-specific complexity and deliver identifiers that work consistently regardless of the underlying regulatory framework.
Simplified Interface
Complex global business registration landscape, simple API interface. That's our commitment – you focus on your application logic, we focus on making global business data accessible and consistent.
Key Takeaways
- Universal Compatibility: All identifiers work seamlessly across our entire API ecosystem
- Global Coverage: Handle international business complexity without worrying about jurisdictional differences
- Data Quality: Government-sourced foundation with reliable fallbacks for comprehensive coverage
- Developer Simplicity: Complex underlying system designed for simple, consistent integration
- Future-Proof: Identifiers remain stable and consistent as our data coverage and quality continue to improve
Next Steps:
- Try it: Entity Resolution API - Get your first entity ID
- Learn more: Business Intelligence API - Use entity IDs to retrieve comprehensive data
- Advanced: Entities and Candidates - Understanding when entities get persistent IDs