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FAQ: How do Keyword Coding rules work?

Keyword Coding Rules (configured in Settings > Document Coding) allow you to automatically apply specific coding values to documents based on whether certain keywords appear in specific fields.

Purpose:

To automate coding based on recognisable text patterns found during document extraction, often used as an early step before supplier or item defaults are applied.

How it Works:

  1. Configuration: Administrators define rules specifying:
    • Field to Search: Which field on the transaction/line should be checked for keywords (e.g., Line Description, Supplier Name, Reference).
    • Keywords: The specific word(s) or phrase(s) to look for within the search field. Multiple keywords can often be entered. Matching is usually case-insensitive.
    • Target Field: Which field on the transaction/line should be updated if a keyword is found (e.g., Account Code, Tax Rate, Department).
    • Target Value: The specific value to apply to the Target Field (e.g., Account Code "4500 - Freight", Tax Rate "GST Free"). See Keyword Coding Rules.
  2. Execution: Keyword rules run very early in the Enrichment process, typically right after data extraction.
  3. Matching: For each rule, Zudello checks the content of the specified "Field to Search" on the document.
  4. Action: If any of the specified "Keywords" are found within that field, Zudello applies the configured "Target Value" to the "Target Field".

Example:

  • Rule: If Field Line Description Contains Keyword Freight, set Target Field Account Code to Target Value 4500 - Freight Expense.
  • Outcome: If an invoice line has the description "Overnight Freight Charge", this rule would automatically set the Account Code for that line to "4500 - Freight Expense".

Key Points:

  • Early Execution: Runs before most other Enrichment steps like Supplier/Item linking and default coding.
  • Potential Overwrites: Coding applied by keyword rules might be overwritten later by more specific rules like Allocation Auto-Fill, but generally takes precedence over standard defaults (Item, Supplier) if they target the same field.
  • Specificity: Relies on consistent keywords appearing in predictable fields. Less reliable if keywords vary significantly or appear in unexpected places.

Keyword rules are useful for applying standard coding based on common terms found across various documents.