Search Types

The Verification service supports two search types on each order: EMPLOYMENT and EDUCATION. You declare them in searchTypes[] and supply the history to verify under history. Hiring context (employer applied to, job title, worksite) lives in businessContext, not as top-level fields.

How search types fit an order

Piece	Role
`searchTypes[]`	Which verification work to run (`EMPLOYMENT`, `EDUCATION`) and optional per-search options
`applicant`	Person being verified
`businessContext`	Proposed job / worksite context for the order
`history.employment[]` / `history.education[]`	Records to verify for each search type

Full field tables: Create order · Search type · History

Employment (`EMPLOYMENT`)

Verifies employment history: employer, position, dates, and related details when available. What you send

searchTypes[] entry with searchType: "EMPLOYMENT"
Optional: externalSearchId, questionnaireUrl, questionnaireAccessCode, searchConfig
history.employment[] with at least employerName and position per record

Example

{
  "searchTypes": [
    {
      "searchType": "EMPLOYMENT",
      "externalSearchId": "client-emp-001"
    }
  ],
  "applicant": {
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Smith",
    "ssn": "123-45-6789"
  },
  "businessContext": {
    "entityName": "Acme Corp",
    "appliedJobTitle": "Senior Software Engineer",
    "worksiteCity": "San Francisco",
    "worksiteState": "CA",
    "proposedSalary": 100000
  },
  "history": {
    "employment": [
      {
        "employerName": "Tech Corp",
        "position": "Software Engineer",
        "employerLocation": "San Francisco, CA",
        "startDate": "2020-01-15",
        "endDate": "2023-06-30"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Education (`EDUCATION`)

Verifies educational credentials: institution, degree or qualification, dates, and related details when available. Completed education webhooks may include institutional accreditation data for post-secondary schools. What you send

searchTypes[] entry with searchType: "EDUCATION"
history.education[] with required fields such as institutionName and qualification (see Education history)

Example

{
  "searchTypes": [
    {
      "searchType": "EDUCATION",
      "externalSearchId": "client-edu-001"
    }
  ],
  "applicant": {
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Smith",
    "ssn": "123-45-6789"
  },
  "businessContext": {
    "entityName": "Acme Corp",
    "appliedJobTitle": "Senior Software Engineer",
    "worksiteCity": "San Francisco",
    "worksiteState": "CA",
    "proposedSalary": 100000
  },
  "history": {
    "education": [
      {
        "institutionName": "University of California",
        "qualification": "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science",
        "fieldOfStudy": "Computer Science",
        "institutionLocation": "Berkeley, CA",
        "startDate": "2014-08-25",
        "endDate": "2018-05-15",
        "graduationDate": "2018-05-15"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Multiple search types on one order

You can request both types in a single order. Include matching history for each type you request.

{
  "searchTypes": [
    { "searchType": "EMPLOYMENT", "externalSearchId": "client-emp-001" },
    { "searchType": "EDUCATION", "externalSearchId": "client-edu-001" }
  ],
  "applicant": {
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Smith",
    "ssn": "123-45-6789"
  },
  "businessContext": {
    "entityName": "Acme Corp",
    "appliedJobTitle": "Senior Software Engineer",
    "worksiteCity": "San Francisco",
    "worksiteState": "CA",
    "proposedSalary": 100000
  },
  "history": {
    "employment": [
      {
        "employerName": "Tech Corp",
        "position": "Software Engineer",
        "startDate": "2020-01-15",
        "endDate": "2023-06-30"
      }
    ],
    "education": [
      {
        "institutionName": "University of California",
        "qualification": "Bachelor of Science in Computer Science",
        "fieldOfStudy": "Computer Science",
        "graduationDate": "2018-05-15"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Per-search options

On each searchTypes[] entry you may set:

Field	Purpose
`externalSearchId`	Your correlation ID; echoed on searches and webhooks
`questionnaireUrl` / `questionnaireAccessCode`	Applicant questionnaire link and access code
`searchConfig`	Per-search policy overrides (channels, SLA, third-party ban, and more). Replaces order-level `defaultSearchConfig` for that search when present. See Search-level configuration and Third-party ban.

Results

Searches complete asynchronously. Prefer webhooks for terminal outcomes; poll Get order searches as a fallback. Employment results (when verified) typically include dates, position, salary when available, and rehire eligibility. Education results typically include degree or qualification, graduation or attendance dates, GPA when available, and accreditation status for eligible post-secondary institutions.

Next steps

Create order — full request field reference
Integration patterns — employment-only, education-only, and combined examples
Error handling — hub for errors, SLA, and troubleshooting
Errors — validation and retry guidance

Core concepts

Guides

Examples

Troubleshooting

Search Types

Search Types

How search types fit an order

Employment (`EMPLOYMENT`)

Education (`EDUCATION`)

Multiple search types on one order

Per-search options

Results

Next steps

​Search Types

​How search types fit an order

​Employment (EMPLOYMENT)

​Education (EDUCATION)

​Multiple search types on one order

​Per-search options

​Results

​Next steps

Search Types

How search types fit an order

Employment (`EMPLOYMENT`)

Education (`EDUCATION`)

Multiple search types on one order

Per-search options

Results

Next steps