# Checkr Glossary

Candidate
The individual being screened. Identified by email address or SSN. Candidates are created before a background check is ordered.

Report
The output of a background check. Contains one or more screenings and an overall status: `clear`, `consider`, or `suspended`.

Package
A named bundle of screening types, such as "Driver Pro" or "Basic Criminal". Packages define which checks are included in a background check order.

Invitation
A link sent to a candidate to complete their background check application. The candidate provides consent and fills in required information via Checkr's hosted apply flow.

Screening
An individual check within a report, such as an SSN Trace, County Criminal Search, or Motor Vehicle Report. Each screening has its own status and result.

Node
A hierarchical unit within a Checkr account, representing a team, location, or business entity. Nodes allow organizations to manage checks across multiple business units.

Adjudication
The decision made on a report result. Options are `engaged` (candidate is hired) or `adverse action` (hiring decision is negatively impacted).

Adverse Action
The process of notifying a candidate that a hiring decision was negatively impacted by their background check. Checkr provides pre-adverse and adverse action notice workflows.

Webhook
An HTTP callback that Checkr sends to your server when a report or screening status changes. Used to receive real-time updates without polling.

Staging
Checkr's customer-facing test environment (`staging.checkr.com`, `api.checkr-staging.com`) for testing integrations. No real data is used and no real checks are run.

Production
The live Checkr environment (`checkr.com`, `api.checkr.com`) used for real background checks. Requires a credentialed account.

API Key
A secret token used to authenticate requests to the Checkr API via HTTP Basic Auth. Separate keys exist for staging and production.

OAuth
The authorization protocol used by Partners to connect their customers' Checkr accounts to their platform. Enables multi-tenant access.

MCP (Model Context Protocol)
An open standard for connecting AI assistants (such as Claude) to external tools, APIs, and data sources.

Session Token
A short-lived token used to authenticate Checkr Embed components on the client side. Generated server-side and passed to the WebSDK.