Document Understanding Modern Projects User Guide

DELIVERY:

Last updated May 22, 2025

Annotation best practices

Before you begin the annotation process, it's important to create a comprehensive list of all the necessary fields for the particular type of document. Define each field clearly to prevent any confusion. Depending on your preference, you can use a sample document and annotate it as an example, or you can create a detailed table that explains each field.

General guidelines

The annotation process involves a clear understanding of two key field types:

Column fields
Regular fields

Column fields are designed to capture information that is specifically present in the table area, while regular fields pick up information from the rest of the document.

If you notice a field appearing multiple times in the same document and with the same value, make sure to annotate each instance of this field. For instance, if the invoice number appears both at the top and bottom of the document, you should annotate both instances.

In cases where values differ, you should only annotate the correct value. This can also apply to instances where the value varies across different documents from the same vendor or variation. In such situations, always prioritizing vendor consistency is key, even if this means ignoring values that occasionally differ.

An important principle is to maintain consistency when annotating across similar layouts. This ensures clean and uniform data.

Additionally, make sure all annotated data is complete. Double-check to avoid missing words in addresses or other critical information.

Lastly, keep only necessary annotation boxes on fields. For example, if you have annotated Date: 28-11-2022 as the date, make sure to remove Date:. This keeps your information succinct and precise.

Guidelines for tables

If you are working with multiple tables, remember that each column in every table needs its own column field. This process is important to accurately and effectively capturing data.

Figure 1. Column fields associated to each table column

When you annotate tables, make sure to group table rows together. You can do this by selecting the entire row and using the / hotkey. This will tie the fields together and enable more efficient processing of the table.

If you have table rows split across multiple pages, you can still group all cells into a single row. Simply select all fields belonging to a row using CTRL+Left Click, and then select / to achieve this group. This enables the system to read rows seamlessly, even when they span multiple pages.

Figure 2. Table row split across multiple pages