# Overview

{% hint style="warning" %}

#### <mark style="color:red;">**Important Notice about Participating and Conformance Status**</mark> <a href="#important-notice" id="important-notice"></a>

Please follow these guidelines if you have an active IAF CertSearch account and have a **Non-Conformance status.**&#x20;

* [How to conform to Data Obligations](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/mandatory-document-md-compliance)
  {% endhint %}

## Guide to Using IAF CertSearch as an Accreditation Body

This guide outlines the steps for effectively managing your data in IAF CertSearch as an Accreditation Body.

### **Step 1: Activate your Accreditation Body**

-> [View documentation](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/getting-started/activation)

### **Step 2: Add** the **Standards and Schemes**, and **Technical Sectors**

* [Add Standards and Schemes](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/standards/ab-standards/add-standard-to-library)
* [Add Technical Sectors](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/standards/technical-sectors)

[Helpful article: Understanding IAF CertSearch Data Structure](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/iaf-certsearch-data-structure)

### Step 3: Add the Certification Body records

Adding a Certification Body can be done through different methods, view documentation below:

1. [Manual](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/certification-bodies/add-cb)
2. [File Upload (Excel and XML) ](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/import-certification-body/file-upload)
   * [IAF CertSearch Web Uploader](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/import-certification-body/file-upload)
   * [FTP ](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/import-certification-body/ftp-access)
3. [API](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/api-developer-guide/api-integration/accreditation-body-apis/certification-body-api)

If in any case, you encountered errors while importing your data, go to the [Error Handling](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/error-handling) documentation.

### Step 4 *(Optional)*: Add CB's Certification data&#x20;

{% hint style="warning" %}
For ABs that are also uploading Certification Data, ensure that you already have the CBs data uploaded to the IAF CertSearch database.
{% endhint %}

{% content-ref url="../data-management/certifications/bulk-import-certification" %}
[bulk-import-certification](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/certifications/bulk-import-certification)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="../data-management/import-certification" %}
[import-certification](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/accreditation-bodies/data-management/import-certification)
{% endcontent-ref %}

If you require assistance integrating your data, please reach out to <info@iafcertsearch.org>. We aim to provide helpful, timely support to all our customers.

***

### Continue exploring IAF CertSearch

For further exploration of IAF CertSearch, you can review the following documentation:

<table data-card-size="large" data-view="cards" data-full-width="false"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="files"></th><th data-hidden></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Kickstart your IAF CertSearch journey with our navigation tutorials.</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="https://907136775-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FtxznoqtwGklxZjbTzUrS%2Fuploads%2F3mJSNxYRc4PwFv6c8joN%2Fget-started_no_text.png?alt=media&#x26;token=13e88b40-e4d4-4c65-8e04-d30a9cf99b8b">get-started_no_text.png</a></td><td></td><td><a href="activation">activation</a></td></tr><tr><td>Everything you need to know about IAF CertSearch data.</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="https://907136775-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FtxznoqtwGklxZjbTzUrS%2Fuploads%2F7wC9ReN44D9NhTZqG6yC%2Funderstanding_no_text.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d8089c15-6968-4aee-9ebe-7a214f93eaf7">understanding_no_text.png</a></td><td></td><td><a href="../iaf-certsearch-data-structure">iaf-certsearch-data-structure</a></td></tr><tr><td>Learn how to import and update your data in IAF CertSearch.</td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="https://907136775-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FtxznoqtwGklxZjbTzUrS%2Fuploads%2FPJ4DnGue7FzwuNJTdAQN%2Fdm_no_text.png?alt=media&#x26;token=c92391dc-9df8-4c36-928a-439a3cf42e88">dm_no_text.png</a></td><td></td><td><a href="../data-management">data-management</a></td></tr><tr><td>Upload your user photo, manage your password, and set up notification settings just how you like it. </td><td></td><td></td><td><a href="https://907136775-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FtxznoqtwGklxZjbTzUrS%2Fuploads%2FS5rm6lRsuV7hkxIYUDmE%2FSettings_no_text.png?alt=media&#x26;token=88d43c21-6116-43a5-a4ec-6a31216b5725">Settings_no_text.png</a></td><td></td><td><a href="../settings">settings</a></td></tr></tbody></table>