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

# Linking Overview

> What linking is, why it matters, recommended order, and how the Links tab is structured

## What is Linking?

**Linking** is the process of mapping Royaltyport data to the corresponding records in Curve before you sync. Curve uses its own entities (payees), catalog (releases and tracks), and contracts. The integration needs to know which Royaltyport entity matches which Curve payee, which release or track matches which Curve release or track, and which Royaltyport contract matches which Curve contract. Until those links exist, syncs cannot reliably push or compare data.

## Why Linking Matters

* **Entities** — Royaltyport parties (entities, artists, writers, relations) must be linked to Curve payees so contract and royalty data is associated with the right party in Curve.
* **Catalog** — Royaltyport recordings and products must be linked to Curve tracks and releases so participation and sales terms line up correctly.
* **Contracts** — Each Royaltyport contract you want to sync must be linked to a Curve contract (or the system will create one using your contract name format). Linking also allows the integration to detect **differences** between Royaltyport and Curve (see [Contract Alerts](/projects/settings/integrations/curve/contract-alerts)).

Without complete linking, preflight checks can fail and sync runs may skip or misassign data.

## Recommended Order: Entities → Catalog → Contracts

Complete linking in this order:

1. **Entities (payees)** — Link all relevant Royaltyport parties (entities, artists, writers, relations) to Curve payees first. Many contract and catalog links depend on payee links.
2. **Catalog** — Link releases and tracks so contract terms can be mapped correctly.
3. **Contracts** — Link contracts and resolve any [contract alerts](/projects/settings/integrations/curve/contract-alerts) (differences) before starting new sync runs.

Linking in this order reduces unmatched items and makes contract linking and difference checks more accurate.

## Links Tab Structure

In **Curve** → **Links** you’ll see:

* **Top-level tabs**: **Contracts** | **Catalog** | **Entities** — each shows the links (and unlinked items) for that type.
* **Catalog** has sub-tabs: **Releases** and **Tracks**.
* **Sidebar**: **Link** (manage links) and **Alerts** (only when **Contracts** is selected) — Alerts show differences between linked Royaltyport and Curve contracts.

For entities and contracts, there are **Linked** and **Suggested** views: linked pairs, unlinked Royaltyport items, unlinked Curve items, and suggested matches you can approve or reject. Catalog has a single list with statuses (matched, only in Royaltyport, only in Curve).

## Automatic Linking (Initial Scan and Weekly Sync)

When you **activate** the connection, an **initial scan** runs and attempts to match and suggest links for entities, catalog, and contracts. After that, a **weekly background job** (reverse flow) runs for projects with valid Curve credentials. It:

1. Links payees (entities)
2. Pulls and links catalog
3. Links contracts
4. Checks contract differences (feeds into Alerts)

So you’ll see new suggestions and links over time, but for a reliable first sync it’s best to complete linking manually in the recommended order, then start [syncing contracts](/projects/settings/integrations/curve/syncing-contracts).

## Link vs Suggested

* **Linked** — A confirmed mapping between a Royaltyport item and a Curve item. Used for syncs and difference checks.
* **Suggested** — The system has proposed a match (e.g. by name, ISRC, assignor + catalog). You can **approve** (turn it into a link) or **reject** (leave both sides unlinked or try manual linking later).

Review suggestions in the **Suggested** tab for entities and contracts; catalog linking does not have a separate suggestions tab, only matched vs unlinked statuses.

## Next Steps

<Card title="Linking Entities" icon="users" href="/projects/settings/integrations/curve/linking-entities">
  Link Royaltyport parties (entities, artists, writers, relations) to Curve payees.
</Card>

<Card title="Linking Catalog" icon="music" href="/projects/settings/integrations/curve/linking-catalog">
  Link releases and tracks.
</Card>

<Card title="Linking Contracts" icon="file-text" href="/projects/settings/integrations/curve/linking-contracts">
  Link contracts and handle suggestions.
</Card>