Index fields
Define the metadata a template captures — field types, sources, and Required vs Mandatory.
Index fields are the metadata your template captures for every document — the columns of your export. Each field has a data type, a source that fills it, validation rules, and flags that decide whether an empty value can leave the build. This page lists every option and value.
Open the Index Fields section of the Designer. The header reads Index Fields (N), and the table has these columns:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Field Name | The field's name and the metadata key it exports under. |
| Type | The field's data type (see below). |
| Source | Where the value comes from. |
| Linked Zone / Default | The OCR zone (or MRZ) that fills it, or its default value. |
| Req. | Whether the field is Required or Mandatory. |
Each row also has a settings (expand) control to reveal the full options, and a delete control.
Add fields
You build the list two ways:
- Add Field — creates an empty field you name and configure by hand.
- Import from Zones (N) — creates index fields from zones that aren't yet linked to one, so the values you drew on the page become export columns in one click.
When a field's source is an OCR zone or MRZ, set its Linked Zone so the captured value flows into the field.
Data types
A field's Type sets how its value is formatted and validated. There are nine canonical index-field types.
| Type | Captures | Type configuration |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Any text | — |
| Number | A numeric value | Decimal places, allow negative |
| Currency | A monetary amount | Currency code, decimal places |
| Date | A calendar date | Date format hint |
| Date+Time | A date with a time | Date format hint |
| Yes / No | A true/false (boolean) value | — |
| An email address | — | |
| Phone | A phone number | Phone country |
| Dropdown | One value picked from a fixed list | Dropdown options (one value per line) |
Type configuration falls back to your locale
The per-type extras (decimal places, currency code, date format hint, phone country) default to your Locale & Formats settings when you leave them blank, so most fields need no extra configuration.
Older types are migrated automatically
Templates built with programming-style types such as Integer or Decimal load as Number automatically — you don't need to change anything.
Sources
A field's Source decides where its value comes from. Set the Linked Zone when the source reads from the page.
| Source | Fills the field from | Needs a linked zone |
|---|---|---|
| Manual | An operator typing it on the review screen | No |
| OCR Zone | The text read from a zone you drew | Yes — pick the zone |
| MRZ | A passport or ID's machine-readable zone | Yes — pick the MRZ zone |
| Auto-Increment | A counter that advances per document | No |
| Date Stamp | The date the document is processed | No |
| User ID | The operator who processed it | No |
| Dropdown | A value chosen from the field's fixed list | No |
Required vs Mandatory, and the other flags
Four flags control how a field behaves on the review screen and at export. Required and Mandatory both gate export when the value is empty — the difference is whether an operator can push past it.
| Flag | Effect | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Required | An empty value blocks export, but the operator can override it and export anyway. | Off |
| Mandatory | An empty value blocks export and cannot be overridden — for compliance fields that must never ship blank. | Off |
| Read-only | The operator can't edit the value on the review screen. | Off |
| Hidden | The field is processed silently and never shown. | Off |
Required can be overridden; Mandatory can't
Use Required when a missing value should stop and ask the operator but a human may still decide to proceed. Use Mandatory when a blank value must never reach export under any circumstances — there is no operator override.
Validation regex
Each field can carry a Validation Regex the captured value must match. Choose a named preset from the combobox or type your own pattern. When a field's type implies a preset (for example Email → Email, or a Date type → a date preset) the matching preset is filled in for you — and a pattern you type yourself is never overwritten.
These presets are shared by zones and index fields:
| Category | Presets |
|---|---|
| Numbers | Integer, Positive integer, Decimal (point), Decimal (comma) |
| Text | Alphanumeric, Letters only |
| Phone | Phone (any), Phone — E.164, Phone — US / NANP, Phone with extension |
| Date | Date — ISO (YYYY-MM-DD), Date — US (MM/DD/YYYY), Date — EU (DD/MM/YYYY), Date (any common) |
| Other | Email, URL (incl. www.), US ZIP, IBAN, GUID |
Per-field options
Expand a row to reach every option for that field.
| Option | What it does | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Display Label | The operator-facing label on the review screen. | Same as the field name |
| Default Value | The value used when nothing is captured. | — |
| Validation Regex | The pattern the value must match (preset combobox or custom). | Auto-suggested by type |
| Dropdown Options | One value per line, for a Dropdown field. | — |
| Type configuration | Per-type extras: decimal places, currency code, allow negative, date format hint, phone country. | Locale & Formats defaults |
| Required | Empty blocks export; operator can override. | Off |
| Mandatory | Empty blocks export; cannot be overridden. | Off |
| Read-only | Operator can't edit it on the review screen. | Off |
| Hidden | Processed silently, never shown. | Off |
| Label color / Zone overlay color | Visual hints for operators; the export is unaffected. | Blue / orange |
| Lookup source | Fill or check the value from an outside source: None, Web service, Database query, or Keyword list. | None |
External lookups
The Web service and Database query lookup sources are available in the field options. Confirm them against your own environment before relying on them in production.
Screenshot
The Index Fields section with one row expanded — showing Type, Source, Linked Zone, the Validation Regex preset combobox, and the Required / Mandatory / Read-only / Hidden flags. — shot templates-index-fields-01
Where index fields go
Every index field value is written to your metadata export — XML, CSV, JSON, and the other formats — and shown on the review screen for each document. Required and Mandatory decide whether an empty value can be overridden by the operator at export, or blocks it outright. For how each value is read off the page and reviewed per page, see Data capture.
Next steps
Zone settings
Draw and configure the OCR zones that feed your index fields.
The Designer
The full template editor where you build zones, fields, and anchoring.
Data capture
How values are read from the page, typed, and reviewed per document.