The customer Entity is the anchor in BNDRY. Three different ways to attach information hang off it — structured identity records, uploaded files, and free-text notes. This article explains what each is for, when to reach for which, and where teams typically slip up.
How the three concepts relate to an Entity
A customer Entity is the anchor. Three different attachment types hang off it, each suited to a different shape of information:
- Documents — structured identity data. Typed fields capturing the details of an identity document — passport, driver's licence, Medicare card, visa — with number, expiry, and issuing authority. Required for identity verification.
- Files — uploads. Any file (PDF, image, spreadsheet, Word doc) that needs to live with the customer. Bank statements, supporting evidence, signed forms, photos. Unstructured.
- Notes — free text. Quick observations, conversation summaries, reminders. Informal and human-readable.
Which one should I use? A decision flow
You have something to attach to a customer. Three questions, in order, get you to the right tool. Follow the spine; branch right when the answer is yes.
- Is it the details of an identity document? If yes — create a Document. Typed fields, structured data, ready for identity verification.
- Is it an actual file you need to keep on the customer's record? If yes — upload it as a File. Lives alongside the Entity as an attachment.
- Is it a free-text observation, summary, or reminder? If yes — write a Note. Quick, informal, searchable.
Common mistakes vs correct usage
Three slips we see repeatedly, and the patterns that get it right.
| Common mistake | Correct usage |
|---|---|
| Uploading a passport scan as a File and expecting identity verification to run on it. | Identity verification only reads from Documents. Create a Document with typed fields (number, expiry, issuing authority). The File can sit alongside as supplementary evidence — but the Document is the record. |
| Capturing structured details about a driver's licence as a Note ("DL #1234567, expires 12/2027") because creating a Document feels heavier. | Document fields are typed and structured, so the data is queryable and usable for verification. The same content trapped inside a Note is free text — invisible to the rest of the system. |
| Writing a long Note describing what's in a document the customer sent through, instead of uploading the document itself. | If you have the actual file, upload it as a File. The Note can add context ("see signed form attached") but the File preserves the original. |
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