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

# Key concepts

> Workspace, objects, records, attributes, views: the vocabulary you need to use Arya.

Arya Nest is built around a configurable data model. Five concepts are enough to use any module — from CRM to HR — with the same vocabulary.

## Workspace

The **workspace** is your company's isolated environment. It contains all data (deals, contacts, projects, invoices, employees), automations, integrations and users. Each workspace is separate: if your company has multiple branches you can either use separate workspaces or a single one with shared objects.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/agevole/BUuJGD62nuns4mJL/images/hero/workspace-structure.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=BUuJGD62nuns4mJL&q=85&s=152ff026cf35105a133319dbf832b8cf" alt="Workspace diagram with objects, records, users and integrations" width="1200" height="720" data-path="images/hero/workspace-structure.svg" />
</Frame>

## Objects

An **object** is a type of entity you can manage in Arya. Standard objects:

| Object   | Represents                            |
| -------- | ------------------------------------- |
| Deal     | Sales opportunity                     |
| Company  | Client or supplier company            |
| Contact  | Individual person linked to a company |
| Task     | Operational to-do                     |
| Project  | Multi-task engagement (*commessa*)    |
| Invoice  | Issued or received invoice            |
| Employee | Staff member                          |

You can create **custom objects** (e.g. `Supplier`, `Asset`, `Policy`) from [settings](/en/settings/custom-objects). A custom object has the same capabilities as a standard one: views, filters, automations, AI.

## Records

A **record** is a single instance of an object. Examples:

* The deal `Acme Corp software renewal` is a record of the `Deal` object.
* The contact `Mario Rossi` is a record of `Contact`.
* The invoice `INV-2026-0042` is a record of `Invoice`.

Every record has a stable URL, an activity history, comments, attachments and links to other records.

## Attributes

An **attribute** is a field on an object. Each object has built-in attributes (name, date, status) and you can add **custom attributes**.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Text">
    Free-form string. Names, descriptions, short notes.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Number and currency">
    Numeric with optional currency (EUR, USD, etc.). Amounts, quantities, percentages.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Date and datetime">
    Day or timestamp. Deadlines, creation, signature dates.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Select (dropdown)">
    Choice from predefined options. Statuses, categories, priorities.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Checkbox">
    True / false. Flags like `is customer`, `invoice paid`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Record reference">
    Link to another record. Deal → company, invoice → project.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Formula">
    Computed from other attributes. Margins, weighted value, totals.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Status">
    Special select with a defined workflow (e.g. `Prospect → Qualified → Won`).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

See [Lesson 3](/en/arya-101/lesson-3-attributes) for a hands-on walkthrough.

## Views and lists

A **view** is a way of looking at a set of records. On the same deals you can have:

* A Kanban view (drag-and-drop by stage)
* A table view (rows and columns like Excel)
* A calendar view (by close date)
* A Gantt view (for projects)

A **list** is a filtered set of records with its own columns. It can be:

* **Static**: you add and remove records manually.
* **Dynamic**: automatically contains all records matching a filter (e.g. `deals > €50k created this year`).

More in [Lists](/en/lists/overview).

## Relationships

Records **link to each other**. Examples:

* A `Deal` has one `Company` and one or more `Contact`s.
* A `Project` has one `Company`, multiple `Task`s and `Quote`s.
* An `Invoice` belongs to a `Company` and optionally to a `Project`.

Relationships enable navigation: open a deal and you instantly see linked contacts, open tasks, sent quotes, recorded calls.

## Users, roles and permissions

**Users** are your team members with access to the workspace. Each user has a **role** that determines what they can do:

| Role      | Can                                                |
| --------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| Admin     | Everything, including settings, billing, team      |
| Manager   | View and edit all team records, create automations |
| User      | View and edit own and shared records               |
| Read-only | Read-only across the workspace                     |

Permissions can be refined per module and per field. See [Roles and permissions](/en/reference/roles-and-permissions).

## Automations

An **automation** (or *workflow*) is a sequence of actions that runs when an event happens. Example: *"When a deal is moved to `Won`, create a project, notify Slack and send a confirmation email"*.

Automations are visual, no code. See [Automations](/en/automations/overview).

## AI and credits

Arya embeds AI in every module via **AryaChat** (conversational), a contextual assistant on each record, and **Arya Report Chat** (natural-language report analysis). AI use consumes **credits**, refreshed monthly with your plan or purchased separately. See [AryaChat and AI credits](/en/arya-101/lesson-10-ai-and-aryachat).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/en/quickstart">
    Put these concepts into practice in 10 minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Arya 101" icon="graduation-cap" href="/en/arya-101/overview">
    Ten lessons to become fully productive.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>