What you will find here
When an ABN record changes — a status shifts, a GST registration drops, or a name is added or removed — what does it actually mean? ABN Signal captures these weekly differences and organises them into readable content: change feeds, guides, and glossary pages.
This page is the starting point. It explains how detection works and helps you find the content that matters to you.
How detection works
Every week, the dataset is refreshed and compared field by field against the prior snapshot. Differences in key fields are recorded as detected changes.
Those changes feed into three types of content:
- Change feeds group detected changes by type — ABN status, GST status, names, and general record updates
- Guides explain what specific changes mean in plain language, with context on how to read them
- Glossary pages define the fields involved in detection, so you know exactly what each value represents
Each piece of content aims to bridge the gap between detecting a change and understanding what it may mean — without overstating what the data supports.
Key fields on ABN records
These are the fields that matter most when reading and interpreting records:
- ABN Status — whether an entity's registration appears active or cancelled. A status change here is often the most significant signal in a record.
- GST Status — whether an entity appears to hold a current GST registration. Changes here may reflect business activity shifts.
- Other Names — trading names and alternate names associated with the entity. Additions and removals can indicate rebranding, business name updates, or registration corrections.
- Entity Type — the legal structure of the entity. Understanding entity types helps interpret other fields on the record. Entity-type change tracking is planned for a future update.
- State and Postcode — the registered location associated with the entity. These fields provide geographic context for the record, though they may not reflect the current trading address.
- ASIC Number — the company or registered body number linking the ABN to an ASIC registration, when present. Helps cross-reference corporate entities across registries.
- Record Last Updated — the date the source registry last modified the record. A recent update without any visible field change may still point to background activity worth noting.
Use the guides and glossary linked below to understand what these fields mean — and where the limits are.
Timing and refresh cadence
The intelligence layer updates weekly. Each detected change reflects a concrete difference between two consecutive data snapshots. The actual source-level change may have occurred at any point during the preceding week — the detection date marks when the site identified it.
The weekly cadence is designed for trend analysis, record monitoring, and change tracking rather than real-time alerting. For the most current data, cross-reference with the Australian Business Register directly.