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# Customer and account context

> Build governed customer and account context from user activity, conversations, CRM records, support data, and business events.

An agent cannot understand a customer's situation when account records, conversations, and events are separate. Zep can combine these sources into Context Graphs that preserve the correct user, customer, or account scope.

## Choose the graph model

Use the graph scope that matches data ownership and access:

| Context                                                          | Recommended scope                                             |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A person's conversations, activity, and preferences              | A user graph addressed with `user_id`                         |
| Shared account records, cases, contracts, or organization events | A Context Graph addressed with `graph_id`                     |
| A task that needs personal and account context                   | Retrieve from the user graph and the authorized account graph |

Do not copy shared account data into every user graph. Keep shared data in an account Context Graph and retrieve it only for authorized callers.

## Implementation path

#### Create users for personal context

[Create a Zep user](/quick-start-guide#create-a-zep-user-for-each-of-your-users) for each application user whose conversations or activity must persist.

#### Create a Context Graph for shared account context

[Create a graph](/create-graph) with a stable `graph_id` for the customer or account.

#### Ingest each source into the correct graph

Add conversations through threads. Add user-owned business data with `user_id`. Add shared records and events with the account `graph_id`.

#### Retrieve the context required for the task

Use [`thread.get_user_context`](/retrieving-context) for the user context. For the account context, use [`graph.search`](/searching-the-graph#auto-search) with `scope="auto"` for one low-latency call, or give the agent tools that pin the authorized account `graph_id`. Combine the results in the application. See [Build an Agent with Zep](/build-an-agent-with-zep).

#### Apply access controls and preserve provenance

Use [policy-based access control](/policy-based-access-control) for shared graphs. Retain source episode references when the application must show where a retrieved fact came from.

See [Add User-Specific Business Data](/how-to-add-user-specific-business-data-to-user-graphs) and [Share Context Across Users](/how-to-share-context-across-users-using-graphs) for implementation examples.

## Application responsibilities

Zep controls access to context in Zep. Your application remains responsible for customer authorization, action permissions, model instructions, and the validation of changes in external systems.