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

# Reference data

> Keep versioned reference lists such as your high-risk countries: create a list, publish a new version with an effective date, end a version, rename labels so historical records read under today's label, and see which version applied on any date.

For AI agents: a documentation index is available at [https://docs.coverbase.com/llms.txt](https://docs.coverbase.com/llms.txt). This page is also available in markdown by appending .md to the URL.

> [!NOTE]
>
> This guide is part of the [User Guides](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/overview.md) collection. It covers **Configuration → Reference Data**. It sits beside [Risk methodology](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/risk-methodology.md), which sets how risk is scored, and [Zero Touch assessments](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/zero-touch-assessments.md), whose country risk check reads your high-risk countries.

A reference list is a named list your organization keeps, such as its high-risk countries. Its items change only through dated versions, so you can always tell which list applied on a past day.

The mistake people make most often is editing a list to fix today's entries and expecting past results to change. A version's items never change. Publish a new version with its own **Effective From** date; earlier versions stay as they were.

## Before you start

Viewing reference data needs organization settings read permission. Creating lists and versions needs organization settings update permission.

Coverbase reads one list by its key today: `high_risk_countries`. A Zero Touch assessment's country risk check treats a country on the version in force on the run date as high risk, and cites the list and version. Any other key is your organization's own list.

## Read a list

Open **Configuration** and choose **Reference Data**. The table lists each list's **Name**, **Key**, **Current Version** (with the date it took effect, or **None in force**) and **Items**. Click a list to open it.

![Reference Data page listing two lists, with High-risk countries open: v2 Scheduled from Nov 21, 2026, open-ended, adding Mali and Nicaragua; v1 In force from Jul 10, 2026 to Nov 21, 2026 with 12 countries; New rename and New version buttons](https://mintcdn.com/coverbase/3fvVTHLhtEeYNQp8/images/user-guides/reference-data-versions.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=3fvVTHLhtEeYNQp8\&q=85\&s=afd2fa5f3a5d0ffa5f416db6f02d1873)

High-risk countries with a version in force and a scheduled version that adds two countries.

**Versions** lists each **Version** with its status (**In force**, **Scheduled** or **Not in force**), **Effective From**, **Effective To** (or **Open-ended**) and **Items**. On any date, the version in force is the one that covers the date and starts latest, so a new version takes over from its start date without rewriting the one before.

## Create a list

Click **New list**. Give the **Key** (lowercase letters, digits and underscores, for example `high_risk_countries`), the **Name** and an optional **Description**, and click **Create**.

## Publish a new version

**1. Start the version**

Open the list and click **New version**. The items start from the version in force today.

**2. Set the dates**

Set **Effective From** and, optionally, **Effective To**. Dates apply as whole UTC days. A version must end after it starts.

**3. Edit the items**

For high-risk countries, add or remove **Countries**. Each is stored as its ISO 3166-1 two-letter code. For other lists, each item has a **Code** and a **Label**; **Add item** adds one and every code must be unique. Add **Notes** on why the version changed.

**4. Save**

Click **Save**. A version with a future start date reads **Scheduled** until that day.

To stop a version applying, choose **Set end date** from its row menu. Its items still never change.

## Rename a label

**Label Renames** lets a record created under an old label display under today's label. Click **New rename** and give the **Old Label**, the **New Label** and the **Effective From** date. **Archive rename** removes one.

## Archive a list

**Archive list**, from the list's menu, stops it applying everywhere it is used. Its versions are kept.

## Troubleshooting

| What you see | Cause | Fix |
| - | - | - |
| **None in force** | No version covers today: the only version is scheduled, or every version has ended. | Publish a version that starts today or earlier. |
| **... is not an ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code** | A country code is not a valid two-letter code. | Use the two-letter code, for example `IR` for Iran. |
| **A version must end after it starts** | **Effective To** is on or before **Effective From**. | Move the end date. |
| A Zero Touch assessment did not flag a country you added | The assessment ran before the new version's start date. | Expected. Run the assessment again after the version takes effect. |

## Related

> [card] [Zero Touch assessments](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/zero-touch-assessments.md)
>
> The country risk check that reads your high-risk countries.

> [card] [Risk methodology](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/risk-methodology.md)
>
> Domain weights, roll-up and simulating a rule change.

> [card] [Promoting configuration from a sandbox](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/promoting-configuration.md)
>
> Moving configuration between organizations.

> [card] [Records retention and legal hold](https://docs.coverbase.com/user-guides/records-retention.md)
>
> How long records are kept.


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