# Workspace modes

With Syntho, you can initialize a workspace by automatically applying suggested generators to all columns based on your workspace mode, speeding up your configuration process.

When creating a workspace, select one of the following modes to control how data is generated.

{% embed url="<https://www.guidejar.com/guides/4a0b2d1e-b093-4910-b550-81c863921bba>" %}

### Initialization modes overview

| Mode             | When to use                                                                                                                                                                 | What happens                                                                                                     |
| ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Synthesize all   | For one or more two related tables. To preserve maximum statistical validity with high privacy.                                                                             | PII columns receive mock generator suggestions, and non-PII columns use AI synthesis.                            |
| Mock all         | Theoretically the most secure, since all data is generated independently of the original data. This is also the best choice if there is no or limited input data available. | All PII and non-PII columns get one or more suggested mock generators.                                           |
| Mock or mask all | Like “Mock all”, except masking generators may be applied in certain scenarios to generate more realistic data.                                                             | All PII and non-PII columns get one or more suggested mock and/or mask generators.                               |
| De-identify      | When only replacement of PII is required, while non-PII columns should remain in-tact, making it suitable for internal test cases.                                          | Suggested generators are applied only to PII columns. Non-PII columns do not receive any generator suggestions.. |
| From scratch     | For custom configurations or when only a few tables need to be configured.                                                                                                  | All tables start excluded by default, and the application doesn't suggest generators.                            |

### PII scan

For all workspace modes (except **From Scratch**), a **PII scan** is automatically run during workspace creation. This scan detects and configures sensitive columns for de-identification, ensuring privacy compliance from the start.

This step is essential for modes that involve synthetization or de-identification to maintain data privacy and security. For more information, please refer to [Automatic PII discovery with PII scanner](/configure-a-data-generation-job/privacy-dashboard/automatic-pii-discovery-with-pii-scanner.md).

### Key generator

Select a **default key generator** to handle primary key (PK) and foreign key (FK) generation, ensuring data integrity and privacy.

1. **Duplicate**: Keeps original key values intact, maintaining relationships between tables.
2. **Hash**: Converts original keys into hashed values, preserving table relationships while obfuscating data for enhanced privacy.

You can adjust this setting later in your workspace configuration. For more information, refer to [Key generators](/configure-a-data-generation-job/configure-column-settings/key-generators.md).

### **Locale settings**

Set a default locale for mockers and PII processors (e.g., Dutch, English, Japanese, etc.), with fallback to English (US) if your locale isn’t supported. You can adjust this later in workspace settings.

### User roles

* **Before workspace creation**:\
  Any user can make full use of this feature.
* **After workspace creation**:\
  Only users with **Editor rights or higher** can make full use of this feature.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.syntho.ai/setup-workspaces/create-a-workspace/workspace-modes.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.