Documentation

Use an existing Perfex CRM installation and an administrator account with access to module management. Check the release compatibility requirements before installing. Your server must be able to connect to the selected external services.

Prepare credentials only for the providers you intend to use. VIES does not require credentials. KVK access is purchased separately from KVK. HMRC managed mode currently has sandbox availability; live Webbuild-managed access is pending HMRC production approval.

Back up your Perfex database and files before installing or updating a module. Keep the backup outside the public web directory and confirm that you can restore it.

1. Download the distribution supplied for your purchase. Locate the installable module archive rather than uploading a documentation or branding bundle.
2. Sign in to Perfex as an administrator and open Setup, then Modules.
3. Use the module upload action to upload the installable archive. Follow the installation result shown by Perfex.
4. Activate Business Registry from the module list.
5. Open Business Registry from the sidebar. Confirm that the settings page and Run Setup Wizard action are available.
6. Continue with the wizard before running your first customer lookup.

If installation fails, stop and record the visible error. Check the package structure and release requirements before retrying. Do not rename the internal module folder to match the marketing name: the established technical folder is aade_business_registry.

Open Business Registry and select Run Setup Wizard. The guided flow covers provider selection, provider configuration and a summary. You can return to the settings page to review individual integrations later.

Select providers

Choose the countries and services you need. Greece corresponds to AADE, France to INSEE Sirene and the Netherlands to KVK. The United Kingdom groups Companies House and HMRC in the selection step, but they remain separate integrations.

VIES does not require a credential setup step. Its enabled state can be reviewed in Providers & Integrations.

Configure each selected provider

Enter the required values and use Test connection where appropriate. Save & continue becomes available when required configuration has been supplied. If a credential is already saved, you can continue without entering it again.

• Back returns to the previous step.
• Skip for now lets you defer a configuration step; it does not establish a working connection.
• Save & continue saves the supplied configuration and advances.
• Continue is used where no new credentials are needed.
• Test connection checks the selected connection; it does not save a customer.

In HMRC managed mode, customer Client ID and Client Secret fields are not required. In customer-owned mode, the credential and environment fields are shown.

Review the summary

Check the services and configuration states. Use Configure for an unconfigured service or Review for a configured or available service. An enabled provider is not necessarily configured, and a successful connection test does not prove that a particular company identifier will return a result.

Open Providers & Integrations, enable the service you need, complete its configuration, save settings and test the connection. Repeat for each service you use.

Disabling a provider removes its explicit lookup modes and excludes it from Auto-detect. Saved credentials are retained. When you enable it again, review its configuration and test it before relying on the connection.

The other settings areas are Field Mapping, Display Labels and Instructions. Instructions contains general guidance and a separate section for each of the six providers.

AADE provides Greek business registry information. The module needs service-specific Special Access Codes and the VAT number of the business or professional making the request.

Obtain the correct access codes

1. Open the official AADE business registry service and review the service access requirements.
2. Open the Special Access Codes application from the official AADE site. Sign in there using your main myAADE or TAXISnet credentials.
3. Find the relevant registry service in the available services and follow its access-code creation process.
4. Keep the generated username and password for that specific service.

Do not enter your main myAADE or TAXISnet password in Business Registry. Special Access Codes are service specific; a pair issued for another AADE service is not interchangeable with registry access codes.

Official references: AADE business registry service and AADE Special Access Codes.

Enter the configuration

1. Open Business Registry, then Providers & Integrations.
2. Enable Greece AADE.
3. Enter the Special Access Codes username and password in their corresponding fields.
4. Enter the caller business VAT number. This identifies the business making the request, not the customer you intend to search for.
5. Save the settings and run Test connection.
6. Open a customer and use the Greek business VAT identifier with the Greece AADE lookup type.

Review returned data

Compare the available business details with the customer record. Additional information such as tax office, profession or primary activity, and registration date can use optional custom-field mappings when returned by the provider.

Do not assume that every lookup returns every mapped field. Review the proposed changes before applying them and save the customer through Perfex afterward.

If the connection fails

Confirm that the access codes belong to the registry service, that the caller VAT number is correct and that the provider is enabled. Check any test-mode setting before relying on results as live information. Use advanced timeout or debug settings only for a specific diagnosis, and turn temporary debugging off after the check.

Companies House and HMRC serve different purposes. Use Companies House for company registry information and HMRC for UK VAT validation. A company number and a VAT number are different identifiers.

Companies House

1. Open the Companies House application guide.
2. Sign in to the developer portal or create a developer account.
3. Create or select an application and obtain the appropriate API key for company information access.
4. Open Providers & Integrations, enable Companies House and enter your API key.
5. Save settings and run Test connection.
6. Use the Companies House company number lookup type in the customer form. Keep leading zeros and any letters that belong to the identifier.

The returned fields depend on the record. Optional mappings can hold company number, status, type and other supported registry details. Review available values rather than assuming that every company has the same information.

HMRC with customer-owned credentials

1. Review the official Check a UK VAT number API.
2. Obtain your own HMRC developer application access for the service.
3. Enable HMRC and select customer-owned mode.
4. Enter the Client ID and Client Secret, then select Sandbox or Production according to the credentials and access you hold.
5. Save settings and run Test connection. Use UK VAT lookup for a VAT identifier.

Sandbox and production are separate environments. Production requires valid HMRC production access; changing the environment selector does not grant approval. Sandbox results are test results and must not be presented as live business verification.

HMRC through the Webbuild managed gateway

Select Webbuild managed mode when using that connection option. You do not enter your own HMRC Client ID or Client Secret in this mode. Webbuild HMRC secrets are not distributed inside the customer module.

Current availability: Managed mode has sandbox availability. Live Webbuild-managed production access is pending HMRC production approval. Do not use the managed sandbox option as evidence of a live VAT check.

Switching modes does not reveal saved secrets. Review the active mode and environment whenever troubleshooting a result.

Use INSEE Sirene to look up a French legal unit by SIREN or an establishment by SIRET. SIREN contains 9 digits; SIRET contains 14 digits. Select the type that corresponds to the entity you want to check.

1. Open the official INSEE API Portal.
2. Sign in or create an account, then find the Sirene API product and subscribe to obtain your API key.
3. In Providers & Integrations, enable France INSEE and enter your key.
4. Save settings and run Test connection.
5. Open a customer, enter the identifier and choose France SIREN or France SIRET when you want to specify the lookup explicitly.
6. Compare the returned information, apply selected values and save the customer.

Use optional mappings for the French identifiers and additional returned fields you need. An establishment result and a legal-unit result can contain different information; check the selected lookup type before applying an address or status.

If access fails, check your Sirene subscription and API key in the official portal. Confirm the identifier type and provider enabled state before running the lookup again.

KVK supports Dutch business lookup using KVK and RSIN identifiers. These are separate lookup choices. Do not use them interchangeably or replace one identifier with the other because their formats appear similar.

1. Open the KVK Developer Portal quickstart.
2. Arrange access to the API product required for your use and obtain an API key.
3. Open Providers & Integrations, enable Netherlands KVK and enter your key.
4. Save settings and run Test connection.
5. Open a customer and choose Netherlands KVK or Netherlands RSIN for the identifier you have.
6. Review the result and apply only the intended changes before saving.

Separate service charges: KVK is an external paid service. Subscription or query charges are paid to KVK, not Webbuild, and are not included in the Business Registry purchase.

If a KVK lookup fails, check API product access, account status and any service limits. An API key alone does not establish that your account is entitled to every API operation.

VIES validates EU VAT numbers. It does not require API credentials in Business Registry and is not a complete company registry. Name and address information may be limited or absent.

1. Open Providers & Integrations and enable EU VAT Validation VIES.
2. Save the setting. You can use Test connection to check service availability.
3. Open a customer and enter the VAT identifier, including the appropriate country prefix where required.
4. Use Auto-detect or select EU VAT Validation VIES.
5. Run the lookup and review the validation result and any returned information.
6. Apply changes only when the preview offers suitable values. Review the customer form and save it through Perfex.

An invalid or not-registered result does not offer customer updates. A service error or timeout is not the same as an invalid VAT result. If necessary, check the identifier through the official VIES service and retry after a service interruption.

For an explanation of VIES results, see the European Commission's VAT number checking guidance. The module does not determine the tax treatment of a transaction.

Auto-detect uses supported formats and available context to route a lookup. If a bare identifier could belong to several services, select the provider explicitly. A Greek prefixed EU VAT lookup can use VIES, while a Greek registry lookup uses AADE; choose according to the information you need.

Only enabled providers are used. If the required lookup type is missing, review the provider switch in settings. Country values returned by a provider are normalized for the customer form, but you should still review the proposed country before saving.

1. Open the new customer form in Perfex.
2. Enter the customer identifier and any country context required for the intended lookup.
3. Leave the lookup type on Auto-detect or choose a specific service.
4. Select the registry-check action and wait for the result.
5. Confirm that the provider and returned business information correspond to the customer you intend to create.
6. Select the proposed fields you want and use Apply selected fields.
7. Review the customer form, complete any other required Perfex fields and select Save.

Applying values is an intermediate step. The new customer is not stored until the normal Perfex save succeeds.

1. Open the customer for editing and confirm the identifier.
2. Run the appropriate lookup.
3. Compare current values with the provider values. Consider whether an existing contact or address serves a different purpose from the registry value.
4. Select only the fields you intend to change. Leave other fields unselected.
5. Apply the selection, inspect the form and save the customer.
6. Reopen the customer if you want to confirm the saved result.

For example, if the provider returns a new company name but you want to retain the current address, select only the company-name change. A returned value is a proposal, not an instruction to replace every field.

Empty or null provider values do not clear existing customer values. If you intentionally need to delete information, do so through the normal customer editing workflow after reviewing the record.

Native Perfex customer fields are connected automatically. Field Mapping is optional and controls where additional provider information is stored in customer custom fields.

1. Open Business Registry, then Field Mapping.
2. Find the relevant general or provider-specific section.
3. For an additional value you want to store, select an existing active customer custom field.
4. If no suitable field exists, use Create field to create a Perfex customer custom field for that purpose.
5. Review the selected field and save settings.
6. Run a lookup that returns that information, review the proposal, apply it and save the customer.

Create only the fields you need. The module does not automatically create every possible provider field, and a mapping cannot make the provider return information that is absent from its response.

Mapping groups

The screen groups Core customer fields, General registry details, Greece AADE, United Kingdom Companies House, France INSEE, Netherlands KVK and EU VAT VIES.

For example, use the AADE group for tax office, profession or primary activity, and registration date. Keep French SIREN and SIRET values and Dutch KVK and RSIN values in clearly identified fields. Do not map unrelated identifiers into the same custom field.

If a field does not receive a value, check that the provider returned it, that the destination field is active and selected, that you selected the proposed update and that the final customer save succeeded.

Display Labels changes how registry fields are named in the interface. It does not change the technical keys, provider data or field mappings. Overrides apply across the installation rather than to one customer only.

1. Open Display Labels and find the label to change.
2. Enter the preferred wording and save.
3. Review a relevant screen or lookup preview in the intended language.

Reset restores custom display labels to their defaults after confirmation. It does not reset provider settings, mappings or customer fields.

The module follows the Perfex language setting and includes English and Greek. Review any custom label wording when switching languages because installation-wide overrides are separate from the default translations.

Stored secrets use Perfex encryption. Saved password and API-secret values are not displayed as input values. Saved or masked indicators tell you when a credential is present.

Leaving an existing secret input blank preserves the saved value. To replace it, enter the new value and save. To remove it, use the explicit removal control and confirm the intended action. Disabling a provider preserves its saved credentials.

Keep your Perfex backup and encryption configuration together when planning a migration. A restored database without the required encryption configuration may not be enough to use stored secrets. Test provider connections after a restore or server move.

The provider does not appear in the lookup selector

Open Providers & Integrations and check whether it is enabled. Disabled providers are hidden from explicit modes and excluded from Auto-detect. Auto-detect itself remains available.

The connection test reports missing credentials

Confirm that required values were saved for the selected provider and mode. For HMRC, check whether you selected managed or customer-owned mode. For VIES, no key should be entered.

The provider rejects access

Check the credential, account permissions, subscription and environment. A 401 or 403 response can indicate an authentication or access problem; review the provider message rather than treating the company identifier as invalid.

The request times out or reaches a limit

Check service availability and server connectivity. A 429 response indicates rate limiting; avoid rapid repeated requests and follow the provider's retry guidance. Do not interpret a network failure as a business validation result.

The result is valid but there is no Apply action

The provider may not have returned applicable changes, or its values may already match the form. Review the no-updates message. VIES may validate a number without supplying name or address details.

Applied changes disappear after leaving the page

Confirm that you saved the customer through the normal Perfex action. Apply changes the form only. If Perfex reports a required-field validation error, correct it and save again.

The page still shows an older layout after updating

Reload the page normally. Module assets use versioned URLs. If the problem persists, ask the administrator to verify that the update is deployed consistently and that a proxy or CDN is serving current assets.

Read the release notes and compatibility requirements before updating. Back up the installation, apply the supplied update through the supported module process and check that Business Registry remains active.

After an update or restore, review enabled providers, saved-credential indicators, optional mappings and display labels. Test a provider connection and perform one controlled customer lookup before routine use.

Do not rename internal module identifiers or manually delete configuration records during an update. Deactivation is not a method of erasing credentials. For credential removal, use the explicit provider controls. Before uninstalling, review the release-specific removal behavior and retain a backup.

Activate your license

Open Business Registry → License & updates. Use HTTPS for this Perfex installation. Enter the Webbuild license supplied for your purchase and select Activate. Review the license status and bound installation. The saved key is encrypted and shown masked; do not include it in screenshots or support messages.

Check and install an update

Back up the Perfex database and files before installation. Select Check for updates now and review the available version. With a valid update grant, select Install update now. The updater checks the package checksum, size, version and module structure before installation. After completion, refresh the settings and check the module version and provider configuration.

Automatic installation is off by default. Enable Allow safe automatic updates only if you want the normal Perfex cron process to check and install eligible updates. The periodic update check is throttled to 24 hours. This interval is unrelated to resetting demo data.

If activation or installation is unavailable, check HTTPS, the license status, installation binding and server connectivity. If installation fails, retain the error message and backup; do not repeatedly overwrite the module files. Deactivate a license only when intentionally releasing the installation binding. Provider credentials and customer records are separate from license activation.

For configuration questions or a reproducible module issue, contact [email protected]. Include the module version, Perfex and PHP versions, the provider and lookup mode, the time of the issue, the visible error and the steps needed to reproduce it.

For a suspected security issue, contact [email protected] privately. Do not post credentials, tokens or customer data in public comments or screenshots. Provide a redacted screenshot or a clearly synthetic example where possible.

Website: Webbuild

Product and licensing platform: Webbuild Products

Provider account access and service availability are controlled by the provider. Include enough context for Webbuild to distinguish a module problem from an external access or availability issue.