Available in the Pro and Complete subscriptions.
With a custom recognition field at header level, you retrieve one specific value or list of values from the entire document. Not values per individual invoice line, but a single piece of data that applies to the invoice as a whole. Think of a customer reference, an order number, a period, or a specific amount that is not available in the standard recognition.
This article walks you through the following steps:
Creating a custom recognition field at header level (reference)
Creating a custom recognition field at header level (amount)
Using the recognised value in a Financial transaction template
Viewing the result in the transaction screen
Step 1 – Creating a recognition field: reference
Navigate to Manage > Company (or Organisation) > Custom recognition fields and click the green New custom recognition field button in the top right.
Fill in the fields as follows:
Field | Input |
Name | Give the field a recognisable name, for example: Customer reference. |
Name translations | Only applicable when there are users who work in another language. If filled in, this overrides the Name field, making the translation visible under the recognised data. |
Level | Select Header. The field is then applied to the entire document. |
Data type | Select Text. A reference or order number is typically a combination of letters and numbers. |
Mode | Select Simple or Advanced. Simple: enter the text that appears literally on the invoice in the Field name field. Zenvoices then automatically searches for the corresponding value. Advanced: write a prompt if the reference does not have a fixed field name or column heading on the invoice. |
Make available as transaction variable | Enable this option if you want to use the recognised value in a transaction description. If this is not needed, you do not need to enable it. |
Tip: Is the result not matching what you are looking for? Adjust the prompt and try again. The more specific the instruction, the better the result.
Click Save.
Step 2 – Creating a recognition field: amount
Do you want to recognise a specific amount that Zenvoices does not automatically pick up, such as a subtotal, a deposit amount, or an allowance? Create a custom recognition field for this.
Fill in the fields as follows:
Field | Input |
Name | Give the field a recognisable name, for example: Travel expense allowance. |
Name translations | Only applicable when there are users who work in another language. If filled in, this overrides the Name field, making the translation visible under the recognised data. |
Level | Select Header. |
Data type | Select Decimal. Amounts contain decimals. |
Mode | Select Simple or Advanced. Simple: enter the text that appears literally on the invoice in the Field name field. Zenvoices then automatically searches for the corresponding value. Advanced: write a prompt if the amount does not have a fixed field name or column heading. Describe as precisely as possible where the amount appears on the invoice. See also the example prompts below. |
Make available as transaction variable | Enable this option and choose a variable name, for example: travelexpenseallowance. This is required if you want to use the recognised amount in a transaction line. |
Example prompts:
Recognise the total amount in the line after the word "Reiskostenvergoeding" under the column heading "Berekening vergoeding".
Add together the amounts listed after "Reiskostenvergoeding" and "Reistijdvergoeding" in the column "Berekening vergoeding" and return the sum.
Please note: A maximum of five calculations per prompt are supported. Supported calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, making numbers absolute, number of days in a month, days between two dates, and adding or subtracting days from a date.
Click Save.
Step 3 – Using recognised values in a Financial transaction template
Now that the recognition fields have been created, you can use them in a Financial transaction template or at relation level.
Using a reference as a variable in the description
Go to Manage > Company > Relations > pencil icon > Transaction proposals. Scroll down, disable Default value, and add the variable. You can also set this up in a Financial transaction template via the Description field.
In the description field of a transaction line, type an opening brace {. Zenvoices will then automatically show the available variables. Select for example {customerreference} to automatically include the recognised reference in the description.
Using an amount to post to
Use a Financial transaction template for this. Add a transaction line and set the Recognised amount field. Then select the Travel expense allowance field and configure the remaining fields.
You can add this at relation level via the transaction proposals or via a transaction method assignment rule. The recognised value is then automatically posted to the linked general ledger account, cost centre, or cost driver.
Please note: If the Recognised amount type has no recognised value, a line will be created with an amount of zero.
Step 4 – Viewing the result in the transaction screen
After processing an invoice, the recognised values are visible in the transaction screen under Recognised data. Click the three dots in the top right of the transaction to open this.
Are the values not showing immediately? Apply the Financial transaction template or change the relation. The recognition will then be run again.
You may encounter three situations:
The field does not appear in the lines: apply the template again. If the field still does not appear, contact Zenvoices at support@zenvoices.com.
The field appears but without a value: the prompt or simple mode is not returning a result. Adjust the custom recognition field and re-import the document to view the result.
The field appears in the lines with a value: the recognition was successful. If the value is incorrect, adjust the custom recognition field as described in step 1 or 2.
Frequently asked questions
What if the reference appears in a different location on each invoice?
Describe multiple possible locations in your prompt: "The reference appears after the label 'Uw referentie', 'Klantreferentie', or 'PO number'." Zenvoices will then select the value that best matches.
Can I recognise multiple references?
Yes, select Text list as the data type. Zenvoices will then recognise multiple values and display them as a list.
Can I use the recognition field in approval or automation rules?
Yes, enable the option Available in transaction automation rules or Available in authorisation schemes when creating the field. Please note: the field will then be recognised for every transaction.
Does this also work for e-invoices (UBL)?
Yes. Prompts supported for e-invoices (UBL) without an attached PDF.
How do I write a good prompt?
Describe literally which information needs to be extracted from the invoice. The clearer and more specific the prompt, the better the result. Read more here.