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

# Overview of Identity Modes

> Learn how to control account usage with direct, auto, and managed identity modes.

Identity modes control how Edges uses your integration accounts when executing actions. You can choose between three modes depending on your needs for control, automation, and cost.

## Available Identity Modes

<ParamField body="identity_mode" type="string">
  The identity mode to use: `direct`, `auto`, or `managed`
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="identity_ids" type="array">
  Array of specific identity IDs to use (required for `direct` mode only)
</ParamField>

## Mode Comparison

| Mode        | Control Level          | Setup Required     | Cost          | Best For                      |
| ----------- | ---------------------- | ------------------ | ------------- | ----------------------------- |
| **Direct**  | Full control           | Manual selection   | Standard      | Specific accounts, compliance |
| **Auto**    | Automatic distribution | Configure accounts | Standard      | High-volume, resilience       |
| **Managed** | No account management  | None               | 1.5x standard | Hassle-free automation        |

<Warning>
  **Managed mode cost:** Using `managed` identity mode costs **1.5×** the standard credit cost for all actions. Calculate your costs with: `current_cost x1.5`.
</Warning>

## Direct Mode

**Full control over which accounts to use**

Use `direct` mode when you need precise control over which integration accounts execute your actions.

### Use Cases

* Actions requiring specific accounts (e.g., [`linkedin-extract-profile-viewers`](/v1/api/actions/linkedin-extract-profile-viewers))
* Using only a subset of your identities (e.g., sales team accounts only)
* Separating company-level calls from user-specific calls
* Compliance requirements for account attribution

### Implementation

```json theme={null}
{
    "identity_mode": "direct",
    "identity_ids": ["identity-1", "identity-2", "identity-3"]
}
```

### Example Request

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.edges.run/v1/actions/linkedin-extract-profile-viewers/run/live \
  --header 'Accept: application/json' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'X-API-Key: <your-api-key>' \
  --data '{
  "parameters": {},
  "identity_mode": "direct",
  "identity_ids": ["id-1", "id-2", "id-3"]
}'
```

<Note>
  In `direct` mode, actions are rotated among the specified identities, with priority given to the identity that has been used the least (lowest usage).
</Note>

<Note>
  Edges will filter out accounts that aren't valid for the current action. For example, using LinkedIn identity IDs for a Sales Navigator action will result in a `NO_VALID_ACCOUNT_CONFIGURED` error.
</Note>

<Warning>
  You must provide at least one valid identity ID when using `direct` mode.
</Warning>

## Auto Mode

**Automatic distribution across all available accounts**

Use `auto` mode for automatic load balancing across all your valid integration accounts.

### Use Cases

* Processing large batches of inputs
* Running parallel actions for better performance
* Actions with strict rate limits (visits, connections)
* Building resilient systems that continue working if some accounts become invalid

### Implementation

```json theme={null}
{
    "identity_mode": "auto"
}
```

<Info>
  You still need to configure identities and integration accounts yourself. Ensure you have at least one account with the right integration and subscription level for the action.
</Info>

<Note>
  If you use `auto` and `identity_ids`, we internally switch to direct (since you’re explicitly selecting identities)
</Note>

## Managed Mode

**Hassle-free automation with Edges's managed accounts**

Use `managed` mode to execute actions without managing any integration accounts yourself.

### Benefits

* **No account setup required** - Works even without any integration accounts
* **Automatic load distribution** - Optimal performance and parallelism
* **No restrictions** - Avoid rate limits and account issues
* **Simplified workflow** - Focus on your business logic, not account management

### Implementation

```json theme={null}
{
    "identity_mode": "managed"
}
```

<Info>
  **Limitation:** You cannot use `managed` mode for actions that require specific accounts (e.g., [`linkedin-extract-profile-viewers`](/v1/api/actions/linkedin-extract-profile-viewers)). For these actions, use `direct` mode with the specific account that owns the data.
</Info>

<Warning>
  **Cost consideration:** Managed mode uses Edges's account pool and costs **1.5x** the standard credit cost for all actions.
</Warning>