What Are Fields?
Fields in Parseur define the structure of the data you want to extract from your documents. Each field corresponds to a piece of information you need to capture—whether it’s a name, an email address, or a table of items. Think of fields as the building blocks that organize your extracted data.
When you create templates in Parseur, fields are used to tell the system what information to extract. This allows you to efficiently convert unstructured documents, like emails or PDFs, into structured data that can be sent to your target application (e.g., CRMs, spreadsheets, or APIs).
Using the right combination of fields ensures that your mailbox remains organized and produces accurate, reliable output every time a document is processed.
Types of Fields: Custom Fields and Metadata Fields
Custom Fields
Custom fields are the specific data elements you tell Parseur to extract from each document. These fields reflect the core information you want to capture, such as names, amounts, dates, or order numbers. If you use a predefined mailbox type or use AI-assisted mailbox creation, Parseur will automatically generate a default set of custom fields for you.
These fields are visible on the left-hand side of the Fields page. You’ll also have access to them while editing templates and viewing documents (as long as the AI engine is active for the latter).
With Parseur, you have complete control over custom fields:
Create new fields and table fields as needed.
Create column fields inside table fields
Rename fields to better suit your output needs.
Remove any unnecessary fields.
Metadata Fields
Metadata fields provide additional context and enhance your custom fields with useful information about each document. Some common metadata fields include:
Date and time the document was received.
Source link to the original document.
Document ID or tracking reference.
You can find metadata fields on the right-hand side of the Fields page. These fields are also accessible while editing templates.
To learn more about how to configure metadata fields and extract metadata from emails and documents.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How Can I Delete Fields in Bulk?
If you need to delete multiple fields at once, follow these steps:
Go to the Fields section in your mailbox.
Select the checkboxes next to the fields you want to delete.
Click the red “Delete Selected” button at the top.
If you want to delete all fields at once, click the “Select all fields” button at the top of the list and then the "Delete Selected" button.
You will be asked to confirm your action before the fields are effectively deleted.
Deleting a field from your mailbox will remove it from all templates using it.
How Can I See Which Fields Are Used Across My Templates?
To clean up unused fields, you can review which templates are using each field:
On the Fields page, click on “View field usage per template” at the top.
A table will appear on the next page, with templates listed as rows and fields as columns.
The table will show a checkmark where a field is used. If the field is a static field, it will display an “S” instead of a checkmark.
You can also click on any field column header to sort the table, allowing you to see which templates are using specific fields more easily.