A source check is a single verification step within an Evidence Pack. It represents one query to one Australian register or data source at one specific point in time. An Evidence Pack typically contains multiple source checks: for example, a counterparty verification might include a PPSR check, an ABN check, and an AFSA insolvency check as three separate source checks.
What a source check contains
- Source identifier: which register or data source was queried (PPSR, ABR, NPII, and others)
- Timestamp: when the query ran, in ISO 8601 format
- Status: pass, fail, inconclusive, or not available
- Raw result summary: what the source returned, summarised without interpretation
- Risk flags: any discrepancies or anomalies identified in this source's result (see Risk flag)
- Certificate reference: where the source returned an official artefact such as an AFSA search certificate
Why source checks are separate from the verdict
The verdict in an Evidence Pack is a synthesis. Source checks are the underlying evidence. Keeping them separate means an agent or reviewer can inspect exactly what each source said, when it was queried, and what anomalies it raised. It also means a check on one source does not affect the result of another.
Why agents need this
Agents need to be able to trace an Evidence Pack result back to its sources. If an agent escalates a risk flag to a human reviewer, the reviewer needs to know which source raised the flag and when. Source checks provide that audit trail at the component level. They also let an agent reason about partial results: if one source is temporarily unavailable, the agent can see which checks completed and which did not, rather than treating the whole Evidence Pack as failed.
How Hoist uses this
Every Evidence Pack Hoist returns contains a sourceChecks array. Each element corresponds to one source query. At S1-gate, source checks are backed by fixtures. At S2-gate, each source check will reference a live register query and, where applicable, an AFSA certificate or ABR record. The audit chain records every source check that runs.
What Hoist does not infer
A source check reports what one source said. It does not combine results across sources. It does not apply business rules to determine whether the result is acceptable for a given transaction. That synthesis is the Evidence Pack verdict, and even the verdict does not make a compliance or credit decision. Source checks are evidence, not conclusions.
Related terms
- Evidence Pack: the bundle that contains all source checks for a given verification request.
- Risk flag: a discrepancy or anomaly a source check may surface.
- PPSR: one of the Australian registers a PPSR source check queries.
- ABN: business identifier verified in an ABN source check.
- NPII: AFSA insolvency index queried in counterparty source checks.
- AFSA: the authority that issues search certificates referenced in PPSR source checks.
- Audit chain: the append-only log that records every source check Hoist runs.
- Due Diligence Record: the PDF that summarises the source checks for a PPSR or ABN verification.