What data can Procore automatically populate when uploading files to the Document Management tool?
Background
To help save time and reduce manual data entry, Procore can recognise and populate data for documents uploaded to the Document Management tool with the use of machine learning, naming standards and project settings.
Note
Uploaded documents must have the Name, Type, Status and Revision fields filled out before you can submit them to the All Documents tab. Additional fields may be required in projects, based on configurations set in the following areas:
- Configurable fieldsets and default fields. See Manage Configurable Fieldsets and Default Fields for the Document Management Tool.
- Naming standard. See Edit the Naming Standard for the Document Management Tool.
- Upload requirements. See Edit Upload Requirements for the Document Management Tool.
For more information on fields in the Document Management tool, see What are the different fields in the Document Management tool?
Answer
The Document Management tool can automatically populate data in a variety of ways:
- Automatic Data Entry from File Contents
- Automatic Data Entry from Project Information
- Automatic Data Entry from the Project's Naming Standard
Automatic Data Entry from File Contents
Procore uses a machine learning algorithm in the Document Management tool to scan the contents of PDF files and recognise patterns within a margin of error. The following fields can be detected and automatically populated:
- Type: For drawings and specifications, the Type field populates based off the document. Other document types will have the Type field left blank.
- Description: For drawings, the Description field populates with the description on the drawing sheet.
- Number: For drawings, the Number field populates with the number on the drawing sheet.
- Revision: For drawings, the Revision field populates with the revision number on the drawings sheet. If no revision number is found or the revision value includes special characters, the field is left blank.
- Date Authored: For drawings, the Date Authored field populates with the date that revision was authored, as indicated on the drawing sheet. If no date authored is found, the field is left blank.
To optimise results, see How can I improve the accuracy of data populated in the Document Management tool?
Automatic Data Entry from Project Information
Separate from machine learning, the following fields can be automatically populated based on existing information in the project:
- Name: If the original filename matches the naming standard that has been configured for the project, then Procore will extract the codes and autofill each relevant field used in the naming standard when it detects a known code. See Automatic Data Entry with the Project's Naming Standard section below for more information.
- Revision: If a document with the same name is uploaded again, the Revision field will populate with the next available number or letter, dependent on the last revision number for that document (for example, Revision 1 to 2, A to B or 1.1 to 1.2)
- Project: The 'Project' field will populate based on what is entered in the 'Code' field in the Project level Admin tool. See What is the 'Code' field on the project creation page? However, if the project code segment in the filename differs from the code that was set for the project, the code from the filename will be entered into the Project field. This is intended to help confirm that files are uploaded to the correct project.
Automatic Data Entry from the Project's Naming Standard
If the filename of a document that you upload to the Document Management tool matches the naming standard set for the project, Procore will automatically populate document metadata based on keywords and identifiers within the original filename uploaded. See Edit the Naming Standard for the Document Management Tool.
You will need to make sure that fields with predetermined options (for example, 'L01' as a code for first floor level location in the Locations tool) are set up with appropriate codes prior to uploading documents and that they exactly match the codes in the filenames of the documents. Any fields not detected from the filename or not in the naming standard, will be left blank and must be filled out manually. See Complete Information for Documents in the Document Management Tool.
Note: For automatic data entry to work from the project's naming standard, the naming standard must include the Type field.
Example
Assume that the naming standard for your project is set to: Project - Originator - Volume/System - Location - Type - Discipline - Number
and files have already been named according to these naming standards (see image of a file named VTX-PRO-XX-L01-DR-A-101.pdf
below).
If you upload the above file to the Document Management tool, Procore will automatically fill out the following fields based on the identifiers in the filename.
VTX
for the Project fieldPRO
for the Originator fieldXX
for the Volume / System fieldL01
for the Location fieldDR
for the Type fieldA
for the Discipline field101
for the Number field