AI Document Processing
Automatically extract data from scanned documents, PDFs, and images using advanced AI. Digitize paper forms, import data from existing documents, and reduce manual data entry.
Dropie uses AI to analyze documents and extract structured data. This is ideal for digitizing paper processes, importing data from existing documents, or processing incoming documents automatically.
Key Benefits
- 96% accuracy for field detection on structured forms
- Extract data from scanned documents and images
- Support for 200+ languages
- Reduce manual data entry by 90%+
- Process documents in seconds, not hours
Key Features
OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
Convert scanned documents and images into machine-readable text. Support for handwriting recognition on complex documents.
Field Detection
AI automatically identifies form fields, checkboxes, tables, and signature areas with 96% accuracy.
Data Extraction
Extract key-value pairs, tables, dates, amounts, and structured data from documents.
Template Learning
Create templates for recurring document types. Process identical documents at minimal cost after initial template creation.
Tutorials
Tutorial: Digitizing a Paper Form
Convert a paper form into a digital form template using AI
Scan Your Paper Form
- •Scan your paper form at 300 DPI or higher
- •Ensure the scan is straight (not skewed)
- •Save as PDF, PNG, or JPG
- •Make sure all text is readable
- •If the form has multiple pages, scan all pages
Upload for AI Processing
- •Log into your Dropie dashboard
- •Go to 'AI Processing' or 'Document Intelligence'
- •Click 'Upload Document'
- •Select your scanned form
- •Choose processing type: 'Form Digitization'
AI Analyzes the Form
- •AI automatically detects:
- •- Form fields (text boxes, input areas)
- •- Checkboxes and radio buttons
- •- Tables and their structure
- •- Signature areas
- •- Labels and their associated fields
- •Processing takes 5-30 seconds depending on complexity
Review Detected Fields
- •Review the AI-detected fields overlaid on your form
- •Each field shows:
- •- Detected type (text, checkbox, signature, etc.)
- •- Confidence score
- •- Suggested label
- •Fields with low confidence (<70%) are highlighted for review
Correct and Adjust
- •Click on any field to edit its properties
- •Adjust field boundaries by dragging edges
- •Change field type if AI misidentified
- •Add labels if not auto-detected
- •Delete incorrectly detected fields
- •Add fields the AI missed
Create Digital Form Template
- •Click 'Create Form Template'
- •Name your new digital form
- •Review the form structure
- •The digital form is created with all detected fields
- •You can further edit the form in the form builder
Tutorial: Extracting Data from Existing Documents
Extract structured data from uploaded documents like invoices, IDs, or contracts
Choose the Right Document Type
- •Dropie AI works best with specific document types:
- •- Invoices: Extracts vendor, line items, totals, dates
- •- ID Documents: Extracts names, dates, ID numbers
- •- Structured Forms: Extracts field values
- •- Tables: Extracts tabular data preserving structure
Upload the Document
- •Go to 'AI Processing' in the dashboard
- •Click 'Extract Data'
- •Upload your document (PDF or image)
- •Select the document type for optimized extraction
Review Extracted Data
- •AI displays extracted data in a structured format
- •Each extracted field shows:
- •- Field name/type
- •- Extracted value
- •- Confidence score (0-100%)
- •High confidence fields are auto-accepted
- •Low confidence fields are flagged for review
Verify and Correct
- •Click on any extracted field to edit
- •Correct any errors in the extracted data
- •Confirm values for low-confidence fields
- •The original document is shown side-by-side for reference
Use the Extracted Data
- •Export to CSV or JSON for import into other systems
- •Use directly in Dropie workflows
- •Create or update client records with extracted data
- •Pre-fill forms with extracted information
Tutorial: Creating Templates for Recurring Documents
Process identical documents efficiently by creating templates
Understand Template Benefits
- •Templates dramatically reduce processing costs:
- •- First document: Full AI processing (~$0.11)
- •- Subsequent documents: Template-based (~$0.001)
- •Use templates when you receive many identical document formats
- •Examples: Monthly invoices from same vendor, standardized forms
Process the First Document
- •Upload a sample document of the recurring type
- •Let AI process it with full analysis
- •Review and correct all extracted fields
- •Ensure field positions and labels are accurate
Save as Template
- •After reviewing, click 'Save as Template'
- •Name the template descriptively (e.g., 'Acme Corp Invoice')
- •Add description for future reference
- •The template saves field positions and types
Process Future Documents
- •When you receive another document of the same format
- •Upload the document
- •Select your saved template
- •AI uses the template to locate fields instantly
- •Processing is 99% cheaper than full AI analysis
Update Templates When Needed
- •If the document format changes, update your template
- •Open the template in settings
- •Upload a new sample document
- •Adjust field positions if layout changed
- •Save the updated template
Tutorial: Automating Document Processing in Workflows
Process documents automatically when received through forms
Set Up Document Collection
- •Create a form with a file upload field
- •Configure the field to accept PDF and images
- •Example: 'Upload your ID document'
- •Create a receive page for the form
Add AI Processing to Workflow
- •Create or edit a workflow triggered by the form
- •Add an 'AI Extract Data' step after the form trigger
- •Configure which uploaded file to process
- •Select the document type (e.g., 'ID Document')
Map Extracted Data
- •Configure how extracted data is used:
- •- Map to form fields (e.g., extracted name → client name)
- •- Create client record with extracted data
- •- Store extracted values for later steps
Handle Low Confidence Results
- •Configure what happens when confidence is low:
- •- Create review task for manual verification
- •- Send notification to team member
- •- Flag submission for review
- •- Proceed with warning
Test and Activate
- •Test the workflow with sample documents
- •Verify extracted data is accurate
- •Check that low confidence handling works
- •Activate the workflow when testing is complete
How-To Guides
How to Improve Document Scan Quality for Better AI Results
- 1.Use a scanner at 300 DPI or higher resolution
- 2.Ensure documents are flat and not crumpled
- 3.Keep documents straight (not rotated or skewed)
- 4.Ensure good lighting with no shadows
- 5.Clean the scanner glass before scanning
- 6.Use black and white mode for text-heavy documents
- 7.Use color mode for documents with important color coding
How to Extract Table Data
- 1.Upload a document containing tables
- 2.AI automatically detects table structures
- 3.Review the detected table boundaries
- 4.Adjust row/column boundaries if needed
- 5.Review extracted cell values
- 6.Export as CSV to preserve structure
- 7.Or import directly into spreadsheet applications
Tip: Tables with clear borders are detected with highest accuracy. Borderless tables may need manual adjustment.
How to Process Handwritten Documents
- 1.Scan handwritten document at 300+ DPI
- 2.Upload and select 'Handwriting' document type
- 3.AI uses Hybrid OCR for handwriting recognition
- 4.Review all extracted text carefully
- 5.Handwriting accuracy varies by clarity
- 6.Correct any misread characters
How to Process Multiple Documents
- 1.Go to AI Processing and click 'Batch Upload'
- 2.Select multiple documents (same format)
- 3.Choose a template if processing similar documents
- 4.Start batch processing
- 5.Monitor progress in the processing queue
- 6.Review results and flag any needing attention
- 7.Export all extracted data as CSV
Tip: Batch processing with templates is extremely cost-effective for large volumes
AI Capabilities
Text Extraction
Extract all text from documents with high accuracy
Use case: Digitizing paper archives, searching document content
Field Detection
Identify form fields, input boxes, and their positions
Use case: Converting paper forms to digital forms
Table Extraction
Extract tabular data while preserving row/column structure
Use case: Processing invoices, financial documents, spreadsheet data
Handwriting Recognition
Read handwritten text using Hybrid OCR
Use case: Processing handwritten forms, notes, signatures
Checkbox Detection
Identify checked vs. unchecked boxes
Use case: Processing survey forms, checklists, applications
Signature Detection
Locate signature areas in documents
Use case: Identifying signed documents, locating signature fields
Document Classification
Automatically categorize document types
Use case: Sorting incoming documents, routing to correct workflows
Supported Document Formats
Flat and fillable PDFs. Native text extracted directly; scanned PDFs processed with OCR.
PNG
Image files. Common for screenshots and scans.
JPG/JPEG
Photo images. Common for phone camera captures.
TIFF
High-quality image format. Often used for professional scans.
Specifications
Not Supported
- Word documents (DOCX) - convert to PDF first
- Excel spreadsheets (XLSX) - convert to PDF first
- Password-protected PDFs - remove protection first
Template-Based Processing
Save significant costs by creating templates for recurring document types.
How It Works
Cost Comparison Example: 1,000 Documents
Without Template
1,000 pages × $0.11 = $110.00
Every document requires full AI processing
With Template
1 × $0.11 + 999 × $0.001 = $1.11
Only first document needs full AI; rest use template
99% cost reduction ($108.89 saved)
Confidence Scoring
Each extracted field includes a confidence score (0-100%) indicating AI certainty.
High Confidence
AI is very confident in the extraction
Auto-accepted
Medium Confidence
AI is fairly confident but verify if critical
Accepted with warning
Low Confidence
AI is uncertain - manual verification required
Flagged for review
Factors Affecting Confidence
- •Image quality and resolution
- •Document clarity (faded, crumpled, etc.)
- •Text font (unusual fonts score lower)
- •Handwriting clarity
- •Field overlap or crowding
- •Language complexity
AI Technology
Dropie uses enterprise-grade AI services for document processing:
Google Document AI
Primary provider for structured forms and general document processing
Azure Document Intelligence
Alternative provider with strong coordinate accuracy
Provider selection is automatic based on document type and quality for optimal results.
Use Cases
Digitize Paper Forms
Upload paper forms and automatically convert them to digital form templates. AI detects all fields and their types.
Import Existing Documents
Extract data from existing documents to populate your database. Ideal for digitizing archives.
Process Incoming Documents
Automatically extract data from documents submitted through receive pages or uploaded to datarooms.
Invoice Processing
Extract vendor details, line items, totals, and dates from invoices for automated data entry.
ID Document Verification
Extract and validate information from identification documents like driver's licenses and passports.
Best Practices
Use High-Quality Scans
Scan at 300 DPI or higher. Clear, straight documents produce the best results. Avoid shadows, creases, and blurry text.
Create Templates for Recurring Documents
If you process the same document format regularly (invoices from same vendor, standard forms), create a template to dramatically reduce costs.
Review Low Confidence Fields
Always verify fields with confidence below 70%. AI flags these for a reason - don't assume they're correct.
Clean Up Documents Before Processing
Remove staples, flatten folds, ensure all pages are complete and in order before scanning.
Use Appropriate Document Types
Select the correct document type when processing. AI is optimized differently for invoices vs. forms vs. IDs.
Limitations
- Word/Excel documents (DOCX, XLSX) are not supported - convert to PDF first
- Handwriting accuracy varies significantly based on clarity and style
- Very low-resolution scans (below 150 DPI) may have reduced accuracy
- Complex multi-column layouts may require manual template adjustment
- Heavily stylized or decorative fonts may not be recognized
- Documents with significant damage (tears, heavy stains) may not process correctly
Troubleshooting
Low accuracy on text extraction
- Check scan quality - should be 300 DPI or higher
- Ensure document is not skewed or rotated
- Use a flatbed scanner instead of camera
- Increase contrast if text is faded
- Try processing the document as a different type
Fields not detected correctly
- Manually adjust field boundaries after processing
- Add missing fields manually
- Create a template if processing multiple similar documents
- Check if form has unusual field layouts that confuse AI
Template not working on similar documents
- Verify documents are truly identical in layout
- Check if document format has changed
- Update template with a new sample document
- Ensure documents are scanned at similar resolution
Processing taking too long
- Large files take longer - consider compressing
- Multi-page documents take longer per page
- Check internet connection stability
- Try processing during off-peak hours
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the accuracy of AI document processing?
Text extraction is 99%+ accurate on clear printed documents. Field detection is 96% accurate on structured forms. Handwriting recognition varies from 70-95% depending on clarity. Each extracted field includes a confidence score so you know when manual verification is needed.
How much does AI processing cost?
Full AI processing costs approximately $0.11 per page. However, with templates for recurring documents, cost drops to about $0.001 per page - a 99% reduction. Check your plan for included AI processing credits.
Can AI read handwriting?
Yes, using Hybrid OCR technology. Accuracy depends on handwriting clarity - clear print-style writing achieves 90%+ accuracy, while cursive may be 70-80%. All handwritten extractions are flagged for review.
What languages are supported?
Dropie AI supports 200+ languages for OCR and text extraction. However, some languages may have slightly lower accuracy than English, especially those with complex scripts.
Can I process PDFs created from Word documents?
Yes. PDFs with native text (not scanned) are processed directly without OCR, which is faster and more accurate. The AI can still detect form fields and extract structured data.
What happens if the AI makes a mistake?
All extracted data can be reviewed and corrected. Low-confidence extractions are automatically flagged. You always have the opportunity to verify and edit before using the data.