Platform Integration Overview

What This Guide Covers (and What It Doesn't)

What This Guide Provides

Complete CLEAR Integration Functionality:

• How to create verification sessions (User Profile Matching and Known User Key flows)
• How to retrieve and process verification results
• How to route users to the correct flow based on stored data
• How to validate credentials
• How to correlate verification data back to your user records
• Working code samples for Node.js/Express and Python/Flask
• Complete API reference with real request/response examples
• Decision logic and flow routing patterns
• Security best practices (userID validation, mismatch handling)

This guide will get you to a functional CLEAR integration.

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What This Guide Does NOT Provide

You Will Need to Build/Decide:

1. Database Architecture

   • Where to store employee/user data
   • How to structure your employees, tenants, sessions tables
   • Which database technology to use (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, etc.)
   • Database migrations and schema management

2. Data Storage Layer

   • How to connect to your data storage systems
   • Where to push CLEAR verification data after processing
   • How to encrypt and secure stored credentials
   • Your ORM or database access patterns

3. Application Integration

   • How this fits into your existing application architecture
   • Your authentication/authorization system
   • Your frontend framework and UI components
   • Your admin dashboard structure
   • Your existing user management flows

4. Infrastructure & Deployment

   • How to deploy your application (Docker, Kubernetes, serverless, etc.)
   • Environment variable management
   • Secrets management (API keys, database credentials)
   • Logging, monitoring, and alerting infrastructure
   • Load balancing and scaling strategies

5. User Interface

   • Admin configuration screens (we provide requirements, not code)
   • User verification screens (pre/post verification)
   • Error handling UI
   • Success/failure messaging

6. Business Logic

   • Multi-tenancy implementation (if applicable)
   • Billing/usage tracking
   • User permissions and role-based access
   • Workflow customization beyond CLEAR integration

This guide provides the CLEAR-specific integration logic. You own how it connects to your existing systems and infrastructure.

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Intended Audience

This guide is for:

• Platform partners building integrations where their customers will configure CLEAR credentials
• Technical architects planning CLEAR integration approach
• Engineering teams implementing identity verification flows
• Developers familiar with REST APIs and backend development

You should be comfortable with:

• Backend API development
• Database design and management
• Authentication and security concepts
• Your chosen programming language/framework

CLEAR Basics

Before building a CLEAR integration, it's important to understand how CLEAR's identity platform works and the distinction between Networked Identity and Ecosystem Identity.

Networked Identity: The CLEAR Network

CLEAR operates a nationwide network of identity verification nodes across physical and digital locations. These nodes include airports, stadiums, arenas, as well as digital experiences like LinkedIn, consumer applications like The Home Depot, and other partner platforms. When a user signs up in the CLEAR network for the first time at any node, they create a reusable identity that works across all network nodes.

First-Time Sign-Up (CLEAR Network)

When a user first joins CLEAR at any network node (e.g., airport, stadium, LinkedIn, The Home Depot), they complete a one-time sign-up:

1. Provide Contact Information: Phone number and email
2. Document Verification: Scan a valid ID document:
   • U.S. Driver's License
   • U.S. Passport or Passport Card
   • Permanent Resident Card (Green Card)
   • Other accepted government-issued IDs from supported countries
3. Biometric Capture: Take a selfie
4. Verification Complete: CLEAR verifies the document and links the user's biometric to their verified identity

Result: User now has a verified identity in the CLEAR network.

Returning to Any Network Node

Once signed up, the user can access any CLEAR network location with a streamlined experience:

1. Enter Phone Number: Input the phone number associated with their CLEAR account
2. Biometric Verification: Take a selfie
3. Instant Access: Identity confirmed in seconds

No need to re-scan ID or sign up again. The user's verified identity travels with them across the entire CLEAR network.

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CLEAR Verification Basics: How Identity Proofing Works

Whether it's a user's first time, a repeat visit to a CLEAR network node, or verification within a customer ecosystem, CLEAR follows a rigorous multi-layered verification process to proof identity. Understanding this process is critical for partners building integrations.

The Verification Process

1. Capture

CLEAR captures the necessary components for identity verification:

• Biometric Selfie: Facial capture via device camera
• Document Image: Scan of government-issued ID (driver's license, passport, etc.)
• Phone Number: User's mobile number
• Email Address: User's email (typically on first-time verification)
• One-Time Passcode (OTP): Sent to phone or email for additional verification in many cases

2. Extract

CLEAR extracts information from each captured component:

• From Selfie: Facial biometric data, feature measurements, liveness indicators
• From Document: Personal information (name, DOB, address), document details (issue date, expiration, document number), security features (holograms, patterns, fonts)
• From Phone/Email: Contact verification, ownership confirmation via OTP

3. Biometric Verification

CLEAR performs advanced facial biometric analysis:

• Anti-Spoofing Detection: Check for image injection attempts or AI deepfake attacks
• Liveness Detection: Ensure a live person is present, not a photo, video, or synthetic image
• Facial Matching: Compare the selfie against:
  • The photo on the ID document (first-time verification)
  • The existing biometric template on file (returning users)
  • Customer employee data image (ecosystem verification with User Profile Matching)
• Feature Analysis: Identify irregularities and facial imperfections that assure no AI deepfake attacks
• Geometric Measurement: Measure the distance between facial features (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) and compare those measurements to templates stored on file for returning users

Result: High-confidence match that the live person presenting the selfie is the same person in the document and/or stored biometric template.

4. Document Verification

CLEAR validates the authenticity of the ID document:

• Liveness Detection: Ensure the document is physically present, not a photo or printout
• Image Attack Detection: Check for spoofing attempts (photos of photos, screen displays, manipulated images)
• Document Vintage Validation: Compare the document to the expected template for documents minted in a given year
  • Example: If the document issuance is 2026, CLEAR validates that holograms, security features, fonts, layouts, and all design trends match the 2026 vintage
  • Ensures the document is genuine and not forged or altered
• Security Feature Analysis: Validate holograms, microprinting, UV features, and other security elements specific to the issuing authority

Result: Confirmation that the document is authentic, valid, and has not been tampered with.

5. Data Extraction & Validation

CLEAR extracts verified data from the document to enable system population and user matching:

• Demographic Data: Name, date of birth, address, document number, expiration date
• Document Metadata: Issuing authority, document type, issue date
• Verified Attributes: Data confirmed as authentic through document validation

This data is passed back to the integrating partner to:

• Populate user records and systems
• Facilitate user matching (comparing verified data to employee records)
• Enable downstream workflows (account creation, access provisioning, etc.)

6. Source Validation (Baseline Identity)

CLEAR corroborates the information extracted from the document across authoritative sources:

• Authoritative Database Checks: Cross-reference data with trusted identity databases and government sources
• Consistency Validation: Ensure information is consistent across multiple data points
• Baseline Identity Approach: By default, CLEAR performs source validation during each verification session as a key component of user verification

This step provides an additional layer of assurance that the identity presented is legitimate and matches authoritative records.

7. Device Telemetry (Optional)

Partners can optionally enable device telemetry to assess device risk:

• VPN Detection: Determine if the user is connecting through a VPN or proxy
• Device Risk Assessment: Analyze device characteristics, browser fingerprinting, and behavioral signals
• Trustworthiness Score: Provide a risk score indicating whether the device is trustworthy

This helps ensure that the device the user is verifying from is legitimate and not associated with fraudulent activity.

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Verification Across All CLEAR Contexts

This comprehensive verification process applies consistently across:

• CLEAR Network (Networked Identity): Airport security, stadium entry, event access, LinkedIn verification, consumer experiences (The Home Depot, etc.)
• Customer Ecosystem (Ecosystem Identity): Employee verification, password reset, conditional access, building entry, device provisioning

Key Distinction by Context:

Security Note: Even on returning user flows where only a selfie is required, CLEAR still performs rigorous anti-spoofing, liveness detection, biometric matching, document proofing (against document on file), and source validation to ensure the highest level of security.

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Ecosystem Identity: Customer-Specific Verification

While the CLEAR network serves a broad range of locations and experiences, Ecosystem Identity extends CLEAR's verification capabilities to enterprise customers within their own specific environments—both digital and physical. This is where partners integrate.

How Ecosystem Identity Works

When a user verifies their identity for a specific customer (e.g., a company, organization, or platform), they are issued a customer-specific CLEAR userID (PSUID - Person-Specific Unique Identifier). This userID represents the verified identity relationship between that user and that customer.

Key Characteristics:

• Customer-Scoped: The userID is unique to the user-customer relationship
• Ecosystem-Bound: Only valid within that customer's ecosystem (does NOT work at airports or other CLEAR network nodes)
• Reusable: Once the user receives their userID, it enables fast re-verification across all use cases within that customer's ecosystem
• Privacy-Preserving: Customer A cannot access or use userIDs issued by Customer B

Customer Ecosystem Touchpoints

Enterprise customers typically have multiple touchpoints where identity verification is critical. Once a user completes their first verification for a customer and receives their customer-specific CLEAR userID, they can use it for streamlined verification across ALL of these scenarios:

Workforce Identity & Access:

• Employee Onboarding: Verify new hire identity during account creation
• Laptop/Device Provisioning: Confirm identity before issuing hardware
• Physical Access: Verify identity for building entry, secure facility access, or equipment checkout
• VPN/Network Access: Authenticate access to corporate networks
• High-Risk Login: Step-up authentication for suspicious activity or sensitive systems
• Conditional Access: Re-verify when accessing from new device or location
• Account Recovery: Prove identity to regain account access
• MFA Reset: Verify user before resetting multi-factor authentication

HR & Recruiting:

• Candidate Verification: Verify job applicant identity during hiring process
• Contractor Onboarding: Verify identity for temporary or contract workers

Operational Security:

• Password Reset: Verify identity before allowing password changes
• Role Changes: Re-verify when changing access permissions or roles
• Offboarding Verification: Confirm identity during exit procedures

Compliance & Audit:

• General Employee Verification: Periodic identity checks for compliance
• Access Recertification: Re-verify identity during access reviews

Example: User's Journey Across Customer Ecosystem

Day 1 - Onboarding (First Verification):

• New employee logs in for the first time
• Completes CLEAR verification (ID + Selfie) with User Profile Matching
• Customer receives and stores CLEAR userID to employee record
• Employee gains access to systems

Week 2 - Laptop Provisioning (Known User Key):

• Employee requests new laptop
• Takes 3-5 second selfie to verify identity
• Laptop provisioning approved and logged

Week 4 - Building Access Setup (Known User Key):

• Employee requests badge for secure facility
• Takes quick selfie to verify identity
• Physical access badge issued

Month 3 - Password Reset (Known User Key):

• Employee forgets password
• Takes quick selfie to verify identity
• Password reset authorized

Month 6 - High-Risk Login Alert (Known User Key):

• System detects login from new location
• Employee takes selfie for step-up authentication
• Access granted after verification

All of these verifications—both digital and physical—use the same customer-specific CLEAR userID received on Day 1.

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Network vs. Ecosystem: Key Differences

Critical Distinction: A user's customer-specific CLEAR userID issued by Company A does not grant access to Company B's systems, nor does it work at CLEAR network nodes like airports. Each customer ecosystem is isolated and has unique userIDs for each user relationship.

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Why This Matters for Integration

As a partner building a CLEAR integration, you are enabling Ecosystem Identity for your customers. Your integration will:

1. Create customer-specific ecosystems where users complete their first verification and then verify quickly across multiple touchpoints
2. Issue customer-scoped userIDs that work only within each customer's environment
3. Enable progressive enhancement where first-time verification leads to fast re-verification on all subsequent interactions

This guide focuses exclusively on building Ecosystem Identity integrations for enterprise customers.

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