document-processing

Document Processing

Use this skill when you need to turn unstructured or semi-structured documents (PDFs, scans, images, HTML, emails, DOCX) into structured outputs (JSON/CSV) with validation, provenance, and clear error handling.

First Questions (Fail Fast)

Before proposing an approach, clarify:

• Document types: invoices, contracts, medical records, policies, resumes, reports, etc.
• Input format: native PDF vs scanned images; single vs multi-file batches; average pages.
• Extraction goal: which fields, tables, entities, and relationships matter.
• Output contract: JSON schema or CSV columns; required vs optional fields; nullability rules.
• Quality bar: acceptable error rate; whether human review is required; SLA and throughput.
• Privacy constraints: PII/PHI handling, retention limits, and redaction requirements.

If any of these are unknown, state assumptions explicitly and propose options.

Output Contract (Recommended)

Prefer an explicit schema and provenance so consumers can trust the results.

Suggested JSON shape

{
  "document_id": "string",
  "document_type": "string",
  "source": {
    "filename": "string",
    "page_count": 12
  },
  "extracted": {
    "fields": {
      "vendor_name": "string",
      "invoice_number": "string",
      "total_amount": 123.45,
      "currency": "USD"
    },
    "tables": [
      {
        "name": "line_items",
        "rows": [
          { "description": "string", "quantity": 1, "unit_price": 1.23, "amount": 1.23 }
        ]
      }
    ]
  },
  "provenance": [
    {
      "path": "extracted.fields.total_amount",
      "evidence": "snippet or normalized text",
      "location": { "page": 2, "bbox": [0, 0, 0, 0] },
      "confidence": 0.92
    }
  ],
  "validation": {
    "status": "pass",
    "errors": []
  }
}

Rules:

• Never invent missing facts. Use null or omit optional fields, and add a validation error.
• Normalize units and formats (dates, currencies, decimals) and record the normalization.
• Carry provenance (page/section reference) for high-impact fields.