# Configure Background Checks Parameters

You can customize certain parameters for [Background Checks](/checks/) in your client account, that can give you more accurate results. 

**Note: These settings will affect all check types performed in your client account.**

### Parameters description:

**names_matching_type:** This parameter specifies the **matching type** for comparing names extracted from identity databases with those  found in records from government databases (criminal, legal, and international records). The **names_matching_type** can be either ``soft`` or ``exact``:

- The ``soft`` matching type considers names similar enough to be recognized as the same person (e.g., Maria Alejandra Gomez matching Alejandra Gomez). 

- The ``exact`` matching type (default) requires perfect name matches, considering only instances where the names are identical (e.g., Maria Alejandra Gomez matching Maria Alejandra Gomez). This matching type helps reduce the risk of homonyms.

**retries:** When enabled (set to ``true``) this parameter indicates database queries will be retried automatically on any database with an “error” as a response (because the source is down), until they successfully return a response or until the **max_duration** time expires. This will change the result of the check, and while the retries are still running, the status of the check will appear as *“delayed”*. Keep in mind that this will give you a more complete response, but will also delay the check response time. 

Retries are configured per Account, this means that:
- All countries under the same Account share the same **retries** configuration.
- All databases share the same **retries** configuration


**max_duration:**  This parameter sets the maximum duration for a background check to fetch responses, represented in the format **Xunits** where **X** is a number and **units** can be either *minutes* (m) or *hours* (h). For example, *25m* indicates 25 minutes, and *2h* indicates 2 hours.

- **max_duration** can range from 2 minutes to 7 days (168 hours).
- If the **retries** parameter  is enabled (set to ``true``), **max_duration** configuration is 48 hours by default
- If the **retries** parameter  is disabled (set to ``false``), no retries will be performed in case of a final response (``found``, ``not found``, or ``error``). The default **max_duration** is configured as follows to wait for a final response (``found``, ``not found``, or ``error``), but will not retry:
    - 3 hours for Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Brazil
    - 48 hours for Chile and international searches
    - 72 hours for Costa Rica


## Get Settings

Get the Background Checks settings configured in your client account.

- Create a **GET** request to the endpoint ``https://api.checks.truora.com/v1/settings``.

The default values for these parameters are as follows:

{{<code lang="json" lang_title="Response 200">}}
{
    "settings": {
        "retries": false,
        "max_duration": "default",
        "names_matching_type": "exact"
    }
}
{{</code>}}

## Configure Settings

To create a new configuration of settings, follow these steps:

- Send a **POST** request to the endpoint ``https://api.checks.truora.com/v1/settings``.

- Set the following ``key : values`` within the request ``body`` and ``x-www-form-urlencoded`` format:
    - ``names_matching_type``: the matching type used to compare names retrieved from identity databases (set to ``soft`` or ``exact``).
    - ``retries``: indicates whether or not database queries should be retried until they successfully return a response or until the maximum duration time is reached (set to ``true`` or ``false``).
    - ``max_duration``: Sets the maximum amount of time a background check can take to fetch responses

Here's an example response in JSON format:

{{<code lang="json" lang_title="Response 200">}} 
{
    "settings": {
    "retries": true,
    "names_matching_type": "exact",
    "max_duration": 2h
  }
}
{{</code>}}

## Other Background Checks Dashboard tools

- [**Create a Background Check via dashboard:**](/guides/checks/) It will allow you to make a background check through our dashboard.
- [**Create a Custom Type for Background Check:**](/guides/background_check_custom_type/) Performing a personalized background check.
- [**Generate a PDF report and attachment of a background check:**](/guides/checks_pdf_variables_and_attachments/) Exporting background check results as PDF and attachment.