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An operator link records that one verified person may act for one verified business. You need a VERIFIED link before you can mint a business credential for that person and business. Every business credential tells the site two things: who the business is, and that the person behind the agent is verified to act for it. The operator link is where that second statement comes from. Without it, a verified business and a verified person are just two unrelated records.
1

Verify the person and business together

The result records an operator link for that pair.
2

Baselayer checks the link

If the business’s tax ID matched and its registry check passed, the link is verified on its own. Otherwise it waits for your review.
3

Your organization decides when needed

Approve or reject a link that is UNDER_REVIEW.
4

Mint once the link is verified

Baselayer mints a business credential only when the link is VERIFIED.
A link is created when one of your own verifications covers a person and a business together:
  • a direct verification with "type": "BUSINESS" on POST /issuance/identities/verifications, which carries both individual and business, or
  • a hosted enrollment session whose journey collects a business.
The verification’s result includes individual_ref, business_ref and business_operator_link_status. You cannot create a link any other way, and you can only decide on a pair after one of your own verifications has covered it.

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How automatic verification works

A link becomes VERIFIED on its own when all three checks pass. Each check has a shortfall code that shows when it fails:
  • A tax ID (TIN) was provided for the business. Shortfall: TIN_NOT_PROVIDED.
  • The IRS matched that tax ID to the business name. Shortfall: TIN_NOT_MATCHED.
  • The business was verified against its state registry. Shortfall: KYB_NOT_VERIFIED.
If any check falls short, the link is UNDER_REVIEW and its shortfalls list says which.
A business without a tax ID can still be verified, but its link cannot verify on its own. Send tin with the business to give the link a chance to verify automatically.

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Officer matching

Baselayer also compares the person’s name to the officers on the registry record. The result is officer_match: EXACT, PARTIAL, NONE or NOT_EVALUATED. This is supporting evidence for your review, separate from the three checks above. It never verifies or holds a link on its own, because many states do not list officers. Your status for a link never changes because of another organization’s verification or decision, and yours never changes theirs. Sandbox and production links are also separate. Find the links waiting on you:
See the API reference. Each row names both sides by your own references and names, and shows where the link stands: See every filter and sort option in the API Reference. Then look up one link with its evidence:
See the API reference. It returns the link with its evidence: the check results a business credential minted for this pair right now would rest on. You can also see links from either side:
  • A person’s links: the businesses list on GET /issuance/identities/individuals/{individual_ref}. Rejected links are not listed there.
  • A business’s people: GET /issuance/identities/businesses/{business_ref}.

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Approve or reject

See the API reference.
The response is the link, as the list shows it.
Approving doesn’t refresh verificationThe credential still states, and is dated by, what your own verifications found. If that is more than a year old, the mint is refused with 6301.
  • Re-verify the person if their verification lapsed.
  • Send a new type: BUSINESS verification for the pair if the business evidence lapsed.
A new decision replaces the earlier one, with its own decider, time and reason. Sending the link’s current status again records a new decision without changing the status. A decision applies to your organization only.
Baselayer signs a business credential only when the link is VERIFIED. For any other status, a mint with type: BUSINESS (and its preview) is refused with 409 and the error code 6300. See Troubleshooting.
The site that receives the credential checks the same thing. A business credential whose person link is not verified is refused there too. A business credential records how its link was verified, in actor.authorization.basis: evidence when the checks passed, or reviewer when your organization decided it. Once a reviewer has decided a link, it stays reviewer.

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Troubleshooting