PARSER GUIDES

Field Types Explained

Fields & TablesField Setup

Understand the different field types available

When you add a field, you choose a type. The type tells PARSER what kind of data to extract and how to store it. Picking the right type improves accuracy and makes your data easier to use.

Where you choose the type

In Fields & Tables, when you add a new field or table, you'll see a Type dropdown. The options are:

• Plain text
• Number
• Boolean
• Date
• Multiple Choice
• List
• Table

Plain text

Use for: Names, addresses, descriptions, IDs, emails, phone numbers, URLs, or any text.

Examples:

• Invoice Number, Vendor Name, Bill To Address
• Email, Phone, Website
• Description, Notes

Tips:

• Use for anything that isn't purely a number, date, or true/false.
• Clear names (e.g. "Vendor Name") help the system find the right text.

Number

Use for: Amounts, quantities, totals, prices, counts.

Examples:

• Total Amount, Subtotal, Tax
• Quantity, Unit Price
• Page Count, Order Number (if numeric)

Tips:

• Use for values you'll add up, compare, or use in calculations.
• Currency and percentages are stored as numbers. If another system needs a particular display format, format the value in Post Processing before export.

Date

Use for: Dates such as invoice date, due date, or transaction date.

Examples:

• Invoice Date, Due Date
• Transaction Date, Payment Date
• Start Date, End Date

Tips:

• Dates are stored in a standard format (e.g. YYYY-MM-DD). If another system needs a different format, convert the value in Post Processing before export.
• Use Date when the value is clearly a date; use Plain text only if you need to keep an unusual format exactly as written.

Boolean

Use for: Yes/no or true/false values.

Examples:

• Is Paid, Is Approved
• Has Attachments, Is Recurring

Tips:

• Use when the answer is always one of two options (e.g. yes/no, true/false).

Multiple Choice

Use for: A value that should always be one of a set of choices you provide.

Examples:

• Payment status: Paid, Unpaid, Partially Paid
• Expense category: Travel, Meals, Software, Other
• Priority: Low, Medium, High

Tips:

• Add at least one option when you create the field.
• Keep the choices short and distinct.
• Review the list when your business categories change.

List

Use for: Multiple values of the same kind (e.g. a list of tags or categories).

Examples:

• Tags, Categories
• Multiple phone numbers or email addresses

Tips:

• Each item in the list has the same type (e.g. all plain text or all numbers).
• For rows and columns (e.g. line items), use a Table instead of a List.

Table

Use for: Repeating rows of data, like line items on an invoice.

Examples:

• Line Items (Description, Quantity, Unit Price, Total)
• Transactions (Date, Description, Amount)
• Expense lines (Category, Amount, Notes)

How it works:

• You add a Table field and give it a name (e.g. "Line Items").
• You then add columns (e.g. Description, Quantity, Unit Price, Total) with Add table column.
• Each row in the document becomes a row in the table.

Tips:

• Use Table when you have multiple rows with the same columns.
• See Setting Up Tables and Table Extraction Tips for more.

Choosing the right type

If you want...

Use...

Names, addresses, IDs, emails, etc.

Plain text

Amounts, quantities, totals, prices

Number

Invoice date, due date, etc.

Date

Yes/no, true/false

Boolean

One value from a fixed set of choices

Multiple Choice

Multiple values of the same kind

List

Rows and columns (e.g. line items)

Table

Using the correct type helps extraction accuracy and keeps your data consistent when you export or connect to other tools.

Next steps

• Add/Edit Fields - Add fields and set their types.
• Setting Up Tables - Configure tables for line items and similar data.