Core Concepts
Understand the fundamental building blocks of Coherence
Core Concepts
This page explains the key concepts and terminology used throughout Coherence. Understanding these fundamentals will help you get the most out of the platform.
Workspace
A workspace is your team's home in Coherence. It contains all your modules, records, users, and settings. Most organizations have one workspace, but you can create multiple workspaces for separate businesses or divisions.
Think of a workspace like a company account. All your data lives within your workspace.
Modules
Modules are the building blocks of Coherence. Each module represents a type of data you want to track - like Contacts, Companies, Deals, Projects, or any custom type you create.
What Makes a Module?
- Fields - The properties you track (name, email, status, etc.)
- Views - Different ways to display records (table, kanban, calendar)
- Records - Individual entries in the module
Built-in vs Custom Modules
Coherence includes starter modules (Contacts, Companies) that you can customize. You can also create entirely new modules for any data type your business needs.
Records
A record is a single entry in a module. For example:
- A record in your Contacts module = one contact person
- A record in your Deals module = one sales opportunity
- A record in your Projects module = one project
Records have:
- Field values - The data you've entered
- Activity history - Timeline of all changes, emails, and interactions
- Linked records - Connections to records in other modules
Fields
Fields define what information you track on each record. Coherence supports many field types:
| Field Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Single line of text | Name, Title |
| Rich Text | Formatted content with headings, lists, and more | Notes, Descriptions |
| Email address with click-to-send | Work Email | |
| Phone | Phone number with click-to-call | Mobile |
| URL | Website links with preview | Website, LinkedIn |
| Address | Structured location with map integration | Office Address |
| Select | Choose from predefined options | Status, Priority |
| Multi-select | Choose multiple options | Tags, Categories |
| Number | Numeric values | Deal Value, Quantity |
| Currency | Money amounts | Price, Revenue |
| Date | Calendar dates | Due Date, Start Date |
| Attachment | Files and documents | Contracts, Images |
| Reference | Links to other modules | Company, Owner |
| User | Assign to team members | Assigned To |
Views
Views let you see your records in different ways:
- Table View - Spreadsheet-like grid with sorting and filtering
- Kanban View - Drag-and-drop cards organized by status
- Calendar View - Records displayed on a calendar by date fields
- List View - Simple list format for quick scanning
Each module can have multiple saved views with different:
- Visible columns
- Filters
- Sort orders
- Group by options
Relationships
Relationships connect records across modules. For example:
- A Contact belongs to a Company
- A Deal is linked to multiple Contacts
- A Project has an assigned User
These connections create a complete picture of your business relationships.
Activity Timeline
Every record has an activity timeline showing:
- Emails sent and received
- Field changes and updates
- Comments and notes
- Linked records
- Automated actions
This gives you full context on any relationship at a glance.
Automations
Automations let you define rules that execute actions automatically:
- Triggers - What starts the automation (record created, field changed, etc.)
- Conditions - Optional filters to limit when it runs
- Actions - What happens (send email, update field, create record, etc.)
Now that you understand the basics, create your first module or connect your email.