Document Metadata Fields
Document Metadata Fields let a sheet capture details straight from an uploaded file itself, instead of asking the person uploading to type them in. A field like Author, Invoice Number, or a fixed label can be filled in automatically the moment a file is uploaded, and it shows up alongside the rest of the imported data as a regular column.
Up to 20 of these can be configured per sheet, each sourced a different way depending on what kind of information is needed. Configuration is stored on Sheet.pdf_metadata_config; extraction is handled by App\Services\PdfMetadataExtractor, called from AnalyzeController.
Why Use Document Metadata Fields
Invoices & receipts — capture the invoice number or vendor name straight from the document, instead of asking the uploader to re-type it into a form field.
Applications & forms — tag every submission with who authored the file or what it's titled, useful for sorting and follow-up later.
Batch labeling — stamp every import from a particular source or partner with a fixed label, so downstream reports can filter by it.
Field Sources
Each Document Metadata Field is filled in one of three ways:
Static Value
A fixed value typed in once. It applies to every upload processed through this sheet — useful for labels and tags that never change.
Example: Batch Label = "Q3 Vendor Import"
Native Document Property
Most documents quietly carry their own properties, such as who created them or what they're titled. This source reads that value straight from the file.
Example: Author = whoever created the PDF or Word document
Document Key-Value (Smart Match)
Give the field a name to look for — like Invoice Number — and CSVbox finds the value printed next to that label on the page.
Example: field name Invoice Number finds "INV-4471" on the page
Supported File Types
Yes
Yes
Yes
Word document (.docx)
Yes
Yes
Yes
Image (.jpg, .png)
Yes
—
Yes
Note: If a value can't be found for a field, it is simply left blank for that upload. This never blocks or fails the import — the rest of the file still comes through normally.
Enabling Document Metadata Fields
Open the sheet to configure and go to
Import Steps>File Upload.Scroll to the Document Metadata Fields section.
Add a field and give it a name — this becomes the column name people will see once data is imported.
Choose how it should be filled in: Static Value, Native Document Property, or Document Key-Value, and provide whatever it needs (a value to use, or a label to look for).
Repeat for each detail to capture, then click Save Metadata Fields.
Note: Up to 20 metadata fields are allowed per sheet, and each field name must be unique.
From that point on, every matching upload gets these fields filled in automatically — no extra steps for the person uploading.
Example
A sheet set up to receive vendor invoices, with three metadata fields configured, processing an upload named invoice_4471.pdf:
Batch Label
Static Value
Q3 Vendor Import
Author
Native Document Property
J. Alvarez
Invoice Number
Document Key-Value
INV-4471
All three values are captured the moment the file is uploaded — nobody had to type any of them in. This happens automatically as part of processing the file, with no extra wait for the person uploading.
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