Overview

Two of Baselayer's core US products — Business Search and Web Presence — have international counterparts that allow you to verify businesses outside the United States.

International Business Search provides corporate registration data for businesses in 33 supported countries, sourced through a specialized third-party data provider rather than direct registry integrations. Web Presence works internationally out of the box: the same endpoint and response structure you already use for US businesses, with global coverage.

This guide covers how each product works in an international context, what to expect in terms of data and availability, and how they differ from their US equivalents.

At a Glance: US vs. International

International Business Search

How It Works

Unlike Baselayer's US Business Search — where data is sourced directly from Secretary of State registries — International Business Search relies on a third-party provider that aggregates corporate registration data across 33 jurisdictions. The data returned is structured consistently regardless of country, although the depth of information varies by jurisdiction.

International Business Search is available via API only. It uses a separate set of endpoints from the US Business Search.

Supported Countries

International Business Search is available for the following 33 countries:

Note: Country availability reflects current data access through our third-party provider and may expand over time. Contact your Baselayer account manager for the latest list.

API Endpoints

POST /international/searches
GET /international_searches/{id}
GET /international_searches

For complete API reference, see:

• Post International Search: Create a new international business search.
• Get International Search: Retrieve an international business search by ID.
• Get International Searches: Retrieve a list of international business searches.

Making a Request

A request requires three fields: name, address, and iso2_country_code. The country code is an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g., GB for the United Kingdom, DE for Germany) and determines which jurisdiction's registry Baselayer queries.

POST /international/searches

{
    "name": "Acme Ltd",
    "address": "1 Parliament St, London SW1A 2JR, United Kingdom",
    "iso2_country_code": "GB"
}

Optional fields include:

• officer_names: List of known officers or directors
• website: Business website URL
• phone_number: Business phone number
• email: Business or contact email
• alternative_names: Trading names or DBAs associated with the business
• reference_id: Your internal ID for tracking this request

Tip: The iso2_country_code must match one of the 33 supported countries listed above. Submitting an unsupported code will return a validation error.

Understanding the Response

When a search completes, the response includes a business object - similar to how the US Business Search response is structured. The following fields are present across all countries:

• name: The official registered name of the business
• file_number: The registration or filing number in the local corporate registry
• status: Whether the registration is active, inactive, or unknown
• country: The ISO2 country code of the registration

Important: Data depth varies significantly by country. Most countries return only core registration fields — name and file number. The status field is normalized to active, inactive, or unknown regardless of the country.

Scores & Ratings

International Business Search returns the same KYB and Risk ratings as the US product, calculated using the same methodology and value scale. You can apply the same thresholds and decisioning logic you already use for US searches.

For a detailed explanation of how scores are calculated and how to use them, see the Scores & Ratings Guide.

Webhooks

International Business Search emits three webhook events:

• InternationalBusinessSearch.submitted: The search has been accepted and is being processed.
• InternationalBusinessSearch.completed: Results are available.
• InternationalBusinessSearch.failed: The search did not find an associated business.

These follow the same structure as US Business Search webhooks. For details on configuring webhooks, see the Webhooks Guide.

Key Differences from US Business Search

International Business Search is a distinct product from Baselayer's US Business Search. Key differences to keep in mind:

• Separate API route: International searches use /international/searches, not /searches. The two are not interchangeable.
• Third-party data source: Unlike the US product, where Baselayer sources data directly from Secretary of State registries and the IRS, international data comes through a third-party provider.
• No TIN verification: IRS TIN matching is a US-only capability and is not available for international searches.
• No orderables: Website Analysis, Industry Prediction, and Enhanced Search options are not available as add-ons to international searches. Use the Web Presence endpoint for these capabilities.
• Country-specific pricing: International search pricing varies by country and is negotiated separately from your US contract. Contact your account manager for details.
• API-only access: International Business Search is not available through the Baselayer Console.

Web Presence (International)

How It Works

Baselayer's Web Presence endpoint works internationally using the same API route and response format as US requests. When you include a non-US iso2_country_code in your request, Baselayer automatically routes the request through its international processing pipeline. The response structure is identical — you receive the same signals regardless of the country.

Web Presence is available via both the API and the Baselayer Console.

Supported Countries

Web Presence offers global coverage — any country with a valid ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code is supported. This is significantly broader than International Business Search because Web Presence relies on Baselayer's AI-powered web intelligence rather than corporate registry access.

API Endpoint

POST /web_presence_requests
GET /web_presence_requests/{id}
GET /web_presence_requests

This is the same endpoint used for US Web Presence requests. For complete API reference, see:

• Post Web Presence Request: Submit a web presence request.
• Get Web Presence Request: Retrieve a Web Presence Request.
• List Web Presence Requests: Retrieve a paginated list of Web Presence Requests.

Making a Request

To run a Web Presence request for an international business, include the iso2_country_code field in your payload. The minimum required fields are name and address.

POST /web_presence_requests

{
    "name": "Siemens AG",
    "address": "Werner-von-Siemens-Straße 1, 80333 München, Germany",
    "iso2_country_code": "DE"
}

Optional fields that improve results:

• website: The website provided by the applicant — if included, Baselayer compares it against the website it discovers online, enabling the business_website_match signal and input_website_analysis if Order.WebsiteAnalysis was requested
• officer_names: Known officers or directors
• phone_number: Business phone number
• email: Business or contact email
• alternative_names: Trading names or DBAs
• reference_id: Your internal ID for tracking
• options: Request the exact products you would like in the response - explained in our Online Presence: Basics guide

Understanding the Response

The response for international requests mirrors the US response. The request_type field will be set to INTERNATIONAL (instead of UNITED_STATES), and you receive the same key data points.

For a complete overview of these fields and how to use them, see the Web Presence & Orderables Guide.

Webhooks

Web Presence uses the same webhook events for both US and international requests:

• WebPresenceRequest.submitted: The request has been accepted and is being processed.
• WebPresenceRequest.completed: Results are available.
• WebPresenceRequest.failed: The request could not be completed.

You can distinguish between US and international results using the request_type field in the webhook payload (UNITED_STATES or INTERNATIONAL).

Quick Reference

International Business Search

Web Presence (International)