# Key Concepts

This article explains the core ideas behind TexAu. Understanding these concepts will help you get the most out of the platform.

## Tables

A **Table** is where your data lives in TexAu. Tables work like spreadsheets with rows and columns, but with added intelligence for data enrichment.

Each table contains:

- **Rows** - Individual records (a company, a person, a lead)
- **Columns** - Data fields for each record (company domain, employee count, industry)

### Creating tables

You can create a table in three ways:

1. **Start from scratch** - Create an empty table and define columns manually.
2. **Clone a template** - Start with a pre-built table structure from a template.
3. **Import data** - Upload a CSV or Excel file and TexAu creates the table structure automatically.

To create a table, click **Tables** in the sidebar and then click the create button.

## Columns and semantic data types

Each column in TexAu has a **semantic data type** that tells the platform what kind of data the column contains. This is more specific than "text" or "number."

### Why semantic data types matter

When TexAu knows the data type, it can:

- **Validate data** - Confirm an email address or phone number is formatted correctly
- **Match providers** - Identify which enrichment providers can fill that column
- **Format automatically** - Keep phone numbers, addresses, and emails consistent

### Common semantic data types

TexAu supports 140+ data types. Some of the most common include:

**Contact information:** email, phone number, LinkedIn profile URL, Twitter handle

**Company information:** company domain, company name, industry, employee count, funding stage, annual revenue, address, location

**Personal information:** job title, first name, last name, full name

**General types:** text, number, URL, boolean, date, JSON

### Assign a data type

When you create or import a table, TexAu auto-detects column types. To change a type:

1. Right-click the column header.
2. Click **Edit Column**.
3. Select the correct semantic data type.

## Templates

A **Template** is a pre-configured enrichment workflow. Templates define which input data you provide, what output data you get back, and which providers are used.

A template includes:

- **Input columns** - The data you provide (for example, company domains)
- **Output columns** - The data you want back (for example, company name, industry, employee count)
- **Data providers** - The services that will enrich your data
- **Processing rules** - Any transformations or cleanup steps

### Use a template

1. Click **Templates** in the sidebar.
2. Browse or search for a template that matches your data.
3. Click the template to view details.
4. Click **Clone** or **Use This Template**.
5. Follow the prompts to apply it to a new or existing table.

## Waterfall enrichment

**Waterfall enrichment** means that if one data provider cannot find information for a row, the next provider in the list automatically tries.

Example of enriching an email address column with three providers:

```
Provider 1: Hunter API    - No result
Provider 2: Apollo API    - No result
Provider 3: RocketReach   - Found: john@company.com
```

Without waterfall, if the first provider failed, the cell would stay empty. With waterfall, TexAu keeps trying providers in priority order until one returns a result or all providers have been tried.

### Set provider priority

You control the order in which providers are tried:

1. **Primary provider** - Tried first (most likely to have the data)
2. **Secondary provider** - Tried if the primary fails
3. **Additional providers** - Tried in order if earlier providers fail

Using 2 to 4 providers per enrichment column improves data completeness with minimal extra cost.

## Formulas

**Formulas** let you calculate values based on other columns in the same table.

Common formula examples:

- **Concatenation:** `CONCAT(FirstName, " ", LastName)` produces "John Smith"
- **Conditional logic:** `IF(EmployeeCount > 100 AND Industry = "SaaS", TRUE, FALSE)`
- **Fallback values:** `COALESCE(WorkEmail, PersonalEmail, AlternateEmail)` returns the first non-empty value
- **Text manipulation:** `UPPER(FirstName)`, `EXTRACT_DOMAIN(Email)`

To add a formula to a column, create a new column, set the type, and configure it to use a formula.

## Processing actions

**Processing actions** are built-in functions that clean and format data. No formula knowledge is required.

Common processing actions:

- **CleanDomain** - Normalizes URLs to just the domain (for example, `www.google.com` becomes `google.com`)
- **NormalizePhoneNumber** - Formats phone numbers consistently
- **ValidateEmail** - Checks email format
- **ExtractFirstName / ExtractLastName** - Splits a full name into parts
- **Trim** - Removes extra spaces

## Scheduled jobs

If you enrich new data regularly, set up a **scheduled job** to automate the process:

1. Configure an enrichment on a table.
2. Click **Schedule** instead of running it once.
3. Set the frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom).
4. Set the time it should run.
5. Save.

Manage your scheduled jobs in **Settings > Schedules**.

## Integrations

**Integrations** connect TexAu to external data providers and services. Set up integrations to:

- Connect to APIs that provide enrichment data (such as Hunter, Apollo, or LinkedIn)
- Authenticate with API keys or OAuth

To configure integrations:

1. Go to **Settings > Integrations**.
2. Click the provider you want to connect.
3. Enter your API key or complete the OAuth flow.
4. Save.

## Navigation reference

| Area | How to find it |
|------|---------------|
| Dashboard | Click **Dashboard** in the sidebar |
| Templates | Click **Templates** in the sidebar |
| Tables | Click **Tables** in the sidebar |
| Copilot | Click **Copilot** in the sidebar |
| Profile and workspace settings | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Profile** |
| Team members | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Members** |
| Billing | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Billing** |
| Integrations | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Integrations** |
| Webhooks | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Webhooks** |
| Schedules | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Schedules** |
| Prompts | Click **Settings** (gear icon) > **Prompts** |
| Workspace switcher | Click the **profile menu** at the bottom of the sidebar |

## Workspace roles

TexAu has five roles: **Owner**, **Admin**, **Member**, **Editor**, and **Viewer**. Each role has different permissions for managing data, templates, team members, and settings. For a full breakdown, see [Team Roles and Permissions](../workspace-and-teams/team-roles-and-permissions.md).

## Quick reference

| Concept | What it is |
|---------|-----------|
| Table | A structured dataset with rows and columns |
| Column | A data field with a semantic type |
| Semantic type | A category describing the data (email, phone, domain) |
| Template | A pre-built enrichment workflow |
| Waterfall | Multi-provider fallback for better data completeness |
| Formula | A calculated column based on other columns |
| Processing action | A built-in function to clean or format data |
| Scheduled job | An automated enrichment that runs on a recurring schedule |
| Integration | A connection to an external data provider or service |

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## What is next

- [Your First Enrichment](your-first-enrichment.md) - Put these concepts into practice
- [Navigating the Dashboard](navigating-the-dashboard.md) - Explore the interface
- [Creating Your Account](creating-your-account.md) - Go back to account setup if needed