# Choose your integration workflow

Choose the outcome your integration needs to produce, whether you are implementing for the receiving organisation or an external referrer. Each walkthrough explains the Lead source setup, the data to send, and how to check the result in the Portal.

Every flow starts with the same **baseline**: a business, its primary contact, and its relationship with the receiving Portal. A **Lead source** records where the business came from and chooses its initial setup. Pass its ID as `source_channel_id` to `POST /v1/businesses/`.

| Starting experience | Setup added to the baseline | Walkthrough |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Business profile only | None | [Create a business profile](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/source-business.md) |
| Client intake | An empty client intake application | [Collect client intake](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/source-client-intake.md) |
| Deal application | A Deal and empty application to the receiving Portal | [Start a deal application](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/source-direct-deal.md) |
| Self-serve matchmaking | Permission for the client to use matchmaking | [Find funding matches](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/source-matchmaking.md) |

These are starter setups, not permanent workflow restrictions. Starting with **Business profile only**, you can [add intake, a Deal, or client matchmaking through later API calls](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/source-business.md#continue-from-the-baseline). You can also create a project and run matching without enabling the client's matchmaking experience. The same business can use more than one of these workflows.

When you add forms later, the source still determines the published intake template and the application for Deals sent to the receiving Portal. Your key must have permission for each action and access to the relevant records. Each guide explains the Portal setup and application status required to continue. Changing a source's starting experience does not recreate applications or reconfigure existing businesses.

## Before you implement

Ask the person who requested the integration which outcome they want and which **Lead source** to use. If the source already exists, read `GET /v1/source-channels/{source_channel_id}/` to confirm its starting experience and readiness. For client intake and Deal applications, creation returns an application: read its contract before mapping answers. For matchmaking, create a Project for the funding request, then read that Project’s matching contract.

The receiving Portal is the workspace associated with the API key; it may belong to your organisation or the organisation receiving your referrals. You need an API key with the permissions and access scope required by that workflow. [Get started](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/rest-api.md) explains authentication and API environments. Each guide identifies its additional permissions and source setup.

## Understand what happens next

A **Deal** is a business’s funding application to one recipient. Creating a business and saving application answers are separate from submitting a completed application. Inviting the client is also a separate choice. Each guide shows where its workflow ends and what you or the client still need to do.

If you already have a Project and only need to work on its Criteria, use the [Matchmaking guide](https://docs.staging.levr.ai/guides/matchmaking.md).