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

# Accounts and Legal Identities

> Distinguish authentication accounts from reviewed identities used in trusted workflows

An **Account** establishes access to a Neuron. A **Legal Identity** represents an actor for workflows that require reviewed identity data, signatures, contract participation, or another stronger trust decision.

They are related, but they are not interchangeable.

| Object                     | Answers                                               | Typical lifecycle                                                                         |
| -------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Account                    | “Which Neuron principal is authenticated?”            | Created, contact details verified where required, authenticated, recovered or transferred |
| Legal Identity application | “Which identity is being submitted for review?”       | Prepared, submitted with required attributes and attachments, reviewed                    |
| Legal Identity             | “Which reviewed actor participates in this workflow?” | Returned with its current status and used according to the relying workflow's policy      |

## Why the distinction matters

Logging in proves control of account credentials. It does not by itself prove that the account has a current Legal Identity or that a relying application should accept that identity for a particular purpose.

An application must state its own requirement explicitly:

```text theme={null}
Authenticated account only
        or
Current Legal Identity required
        or
Specific provider, review, role, or contract rule required
```

## Onboarding paths

| Situation                             | Start with                                                      |
| ------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Trusted backend creates a new account | [User onboarding](/neuron-api/guides/user-onboarding)           |
| Browser user creates an account       | [Browser-based signup](/neuron-api/guides/browser-based-signup) |
| Existing Neuro user signs in          | [Sign in with Neuro](/build/sign-in-with-neuro/overview)        |
| Account applies for a Legal Identity  | [Verified identity](/build/verified-identity/overview)          |

## State applications must retain

Persist identifiers and status needed to resume the workflow. Do not use display names or email addresses as substitutes for returned account, application, key, or Legal Identity identifiers.

Identity review is asynchronous. The application must handle at least a pending outcome and a terminal approved or rejected outcome using the delivery or query mechanism supported by its Neuron.

## Keep account and identity data separate

Never put an account-creation API secret in browser or distributable mobile code. A browser onboarding flow can differ from normal Agent API JSON requests and may use hosted forms, redirects, and a session-token exchange; follow the dedicated guide instead of adapting backend examples.

## Reference

* [Accounts and onboarding](/neuron-api/api-reference/accounts-and-onboarding/overview)
* [Authentication and sessions](/neuron-api/api-reference/authentication-and-sessions/overview)
* [Legal Identities](/neuron-api/api-reference/legal-identities/overview)