How does the API handle messy or inconsistent entity names?

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Cobalt automatically applies a “waterfall” matching strategy:

1. Try exact match with the submitted name.
2. Strip punctuation and entity suffixes (LLC, Inc).
3. Return alternatives with confidence scoring and addressMatch flags.

This helps catch common input issues, such as missing punctuation, wrong suffixes, or typos. Clients can layer their own thresholds (e.g., ≥0.80 auto-accept; 0.60–0.79 → review).

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