Core Concepts

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How they fit together

A flow is your configuration. A session is one execution of that flow. The session produces a result, and — if the user is enrolled — writes verified attributes to their identity wallet at the appropriate assurance level.

Flow  (config: docs allowed, liveness level, retention)
  │
  └──▶ Session  (one user, one URL, one outcome)
         │
         ├──▶ Result  (verdict + fields + scores)
         └──▶ Identity Wallet  (durable, user-owned)
                 │
                 └──▶ released to your app via OIDC / SAML / API
                       only with explicit user consent

Mapping to common products

If you've worked with another IDV vendor, the vocabulary translates:

1Kosmos	Persona	Sumsub	Incode
Verification flow	Template	Verification level	Onboarding flow
Session	Inquiry	Applicant	Onboarding session
Verification result	Verification	Review	Session outcome
Identity wallet	Account	Applicant profile	Incode Identity

The differences matter most when you talk about data lifetime: a 1Kosmos identity wallet is owned by the user and persists across sessions and tenants, while most competitors store identity records inside the business's account.