# Hierarchies

> For the complete machine-readable documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://apidocs.chargebee.com/llms.txt).


When a customer belongs to an [account hierarchy](https://www.chargebee.com/docs/2.0/account-hierarchy.html), the `hierarchy` resource represents the customer's position within that hierarchy. The hierarchy provides details about the customer's parent, children, invoice owner, and payment owner.

**Note**

-   A customer can have a maximum of 250 direct children.
-   The hierarchy allows a maximum of 5 levels from the root node to the lowest child node.

**Related Endpoints**

-   [Get hierarchy](/docs/api/customers/get-hierarchy)
-   [Update hierarchy access settings](/docs/api/customers/update-hierarchy-access-settings-for-a-customer)
-   [Link a customer to a hierarchy](/docs/api/customers/link-a-customer)
-   [Delink a customer from a hierarchy](/docs/api/customers/delink-a-customer)

## Sample Hierarchy

```json
{
  "object": "hierarchy",
  "customer_id": "test_AwBq83Tr3XLU0AfLB",
  "parent_id": "test_AwBq83Tr3XL9WAfIB",
  "children_ids": [
    "test_AwBq83Tr3XLprAfNq",
    "test_Azz5ePTp3DWPk4Qh"
  ],
  "payment_owner_id": "test_AwBq83Tr3XL9WAfIB",
  "invoice_owner_id": "test_AwBq83Tr3XL9WAfIB"
}
```

## Hierarchies attributes

## Input Parameters

- `customer_id` (required, string, max chars=50)
  The `id` of the customer associated with this `hierarchy` resource.

- `parent_id` (optional, string, max chars=50)
  The `id` of the immediate parent for the customer identified by `customer_id`. If the customer is the root of the hierarchy, this attribute isn't returned.

- `payment_owner_id` (required, string, max chars=50)
  The `id` of the customer responsible for paying the invoices for the customer identified by `customer_id`. This ID must match either `customer_id` or `invoice_owner_id` .

- `invoice_owner_id` (required, string, max chars=50)
  The `id` of the customer who receives the invoice for charges incurred by the customer identified by `customer_id`. This ID must match either `customer_id` or one of its ancestors.

- `has_children` (optional, boolean)
  Indicates whether the customer has child accounts in the hierarchy.

- `children_ids` (optional, string, max chars=50)
  A list of `id` s representing the immediate children, if any exist, for the customer identified by `customer_id` .