> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.custral.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Entities

> The shareable, permissionable things in your workspace: objects, pages, views, records, and channels.

An **entity** is anything in Custral that can be owned, shared, and given permissions. Almost everything you work with is an entity: objects, pages, views, records, and channels all qualify. Treating them all the same way is what lets one permission model cover your entire workspace.

## What counts as an entity

| Entity        | What it is                                                      |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Workspace** | The top-level container for your whole organization.            |
| **Object**    | A data model such as Contacts, Companies, or Deals.             |
| **Record**    | A single row of an object, one contact, one deal.               |
| **Page**      | A workspace surface that holds one or more views.               |
| **View**      | A filtered, organized display of data inside a page or object.  |
| **Channel**   | An email, SMS, voice, or chat channel that feeds conversations. |

Because each of these is an entity, the same sharing and access controls apply everywhere. You don't learn a separate system for objects, pages, and channels.

## Why entities matter

Entities are the unit that **permissions attach to**. When you share a deal, restrict a dashboard, or give a team access to an object, you're placing an access grant on that entity. Each entity carries its own list of who can see and do what, and that list can either be inherited from a parent entity or set independently.

Entities are arranged in a hierarchy that mirrors your workspace: for example, Workspace → Object → Record, or Section → Page → View. Access flows down this hierarchy by default, so a permission set on a parent reaches its children unless you override it lower down. This is what makes it possible to manage access across thousands of records without touching each one.

## How entities relate to Surfaces

A [Surface](/surfaces/overview) always begins from an entity, either a **Page** or an **Object**. The entity is the entry point; the [views](/surfaces/views/overview) and [components](/surfaces/components/overview) built on it are how its data becomes interactive.

## See also

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Surfaces Overview" icon="plane-departure" href="/surfaces/overview" />

  <Card title="Permissions Overview" icon="users" href="/team/permissions/overview" />

  <Card title="Access Levels" icon="key" href="/team/permissions/access" />

  <Card title="Views Overview" icon="eye" href="/surfaces/views/overview" />
</CardGroup>


## Related topics

- [Permissions Overview](/team/permissions/overview.md)
- [Global Permissions](/team/permissions/global.md)
- [Views Overview](/surfaces/views/overview.md)
- [Access Levels](/team/permissions/access.md)
- [Teams](/team/users/groups.md)