Understanding Entries
Entries are the core data units in Obelisk. Everything in your system—from customer records to project notes—is stored as entries.
What are Entries?
An entry is a single record of data. Each entry belongs to an entry type, which defines what fields it contains. Think of entry types as templates or schemas, and entries as the actual data.
Example:
You might have an entry type called Customer with fields for name, email, and phone. Each individual customer you add is an entry of that type.
Entry Types
Entry types define the structure of your data. When you create an entry type, you specify:
- Fields: What information each entry will contain (text, numbers, dates, etc.)
- Required fields: Which fields must be filled in
- Relationships: How entries connect to other entry types
Entry types are flexible. You can add new fields at any time, and existing entries will automatically get those fields (with empty values until you fill them in).
Drafts vs. Published Entries
Entries can be in one of two states: draft or published. This distinction is crucial for maintaining data quality.
Drafts are entries that haven't been finalized yet. They're visible in your draft queue where you can review, edit, or delete them. Drafts don't appear in regular searches or reports until you publish them.
Published entries are active in your system. They appear in searches, can be used by scribes, and are included in all reports and queries. Once published, entries can still be edited or archived.
Working with Drafts
How Drafts are Created
Entries become drafts in several ways:
- Bulk data import: When you create entries from text or documents, they're saved as drafts by default so you can review the extracted data
- Scribe data collection: When scribes with the "Data Gatherer" role collect information through conversation, they create draft entries
- Manual creation: You can choose to save entries as drafts when creating them manually
Scribes and Drafts
Data collection scribes automatically create draft entries. This workflow ensures:
- The scribe gathers information through natural conversation
- When all required fields are collected, a draft entry is created
- You review the draft to verify the scribe extracted information correctly
- You publish the entry to make it active in your system
Example: Customer Intake Scribe
A scribe configured as a Data Gatherer chats with website visitors to collect customer information. As it gathers name, email, and company details, it creates a draft Customer entry.
You review the draft in your queue. If everything looks good, you publish it. If something's wrong, you can edit it or ask the scribe to follow up with the customer.
Publishing Drafts
You can publish drafts individually or in bulk from your draft queue. Once published, entries:
- Become searchable and visible throughout Obelisk
- Are available for scribes to read and act upon
- Appear in reports and aggregations
- Can trigger workflows and automations