
Kili helps teams extract data from unstructured files like PDFs, images, documents and excel files. We ensure data is always consistent an validated. Users can get started without writing a single line of code.

Boards help teams extract data from documents. A board consists of a set of columns that you want to extract from one or more documents. We recommend setting up atleast one board for each type of document. For example, to extract data from vendor invoices, your invoices board will contain data from invoices such as an invoice number, the due date and total amount.

To get started quickly:

1. Sign up for an account [here](https://app.kili.so/auth/signup)
2. Set up your first board by uploading a document
3. Upload files to start extracting data

The next few articles will cover how you can set up a board, import files into your board and automate actions.


Getting started


A board is a set of fields that you want to extract from a particular document. For example, your customer orders board will extract data from customer orders such as an order number, the date it was submitted and the customer who submitted it.

Click [here](https://app.kili.so/boards/new) to set up a new board. You can set up a board by uploading a file or setting up the columns manually. If you choose to upload a file, we'll recommend columns you should extract and let you edit the columns as you see fit. Alternatively, if you know the columns you want to extract, we recommend setting up the columns manually.

When setting up columns for a board, pay attention to the following:

- Name: provide a clear name for your column. Our AI engine uses this when extracting information.
- Description: provide a description for your column. This guides our AI engine when extracting data.
- Display data type: select the type of field you want for the column. We'll ensure that data is extracted to match this format.
- Required: turn this on for fields that must always be present. If we cannot find a value for this field, we will flag this to you so that you are aware of missing information.
- Unique: if the field needs to have a unique value, turn this on. This is useful for fields like an invoice number or a customer order number. If we find a duplicate entry, we will flag this to you on your board.


Setup your board


Now that you've set up your board, it's time to start extracting data from files.

There are a few ways to add files to your board:

1. Bulk upload: on your board, upload the files in bulk and we'll start processing each one.
2. Email: you can email files to the email address provided and we'll import them into your board.
3. API: use our API to send files programatically. We'll process each one and notify you once the files are processed. Check out our API [docs](https://docs.kili.so) here for more information.

Your board will automatically update when documents have been processed. If you want to receive an email whenever a new document has been processed, you can set this up on the settings for your board.


Importing files


In some cases, you might need to edit the data that has been extracted from a board. This might happen because the data was:

1. Missing from the document
2. Extracted inaccurately
3. Updated outside of the document

Kili provides an easy interface for teams to update the values extracted from a document. To do so, click the 3 dots at the end of the row you want to edit and click "Edit".

You will see a modal with the file on the left and the fields on the right. Update the fields you need and hit 'Save'.


Editing extracted data


We know that business process can change often. You might find yourself needing a new field from your documents. Kili allows teams to add a new column and backfill the column using their documents

To add a new column, click "Add column" and choose the "Add data column" option.

Provide a name and description for the column. The description is important as it provides context for our AI engine to extract data from your documents. The more context you can provide the better.

Once you have provided these details, you can choose to extract data for all documents, a subset (three rows) or add the column without backfiling. We recommend extracting the data for 3 rows before extracting it for all rows. This allows you to ensure that the description works as it should before implementing the column across all documents.


Adding columns


Kili provides the ability to automatically run actions when a new row is added to your board, or a row has been updated. This feature is currently in an open beta for all customers.

Here are some the actions you can take:

1. Send an email whenever a new row is added
2. Conduct research on a person, company or entity whenever a new row is added
3. Push extracted to a destination whenever a new entry is added or updated

To set up an action, click 'Add column' and select the action you want to run.

When you create an action, you can link it to existing columns in your board by using "/" for the input of any action. For example, if you want to run research on a company using the 'Company name' column, hit '/' and then choose the 'Company name' column from the list. Once you've set up your action, you can choose to run it on the first 3 rows, all rows or add it without running it at all. We recommend running it on 3 rows to ensure it works as expected and then running it on all your documents.

Your actions will run whenever a new row is added or when linked columns are updated. For example, if your action is linked to a 'Customer name' column, the action will be triggered whenever you update the 'Customer name' for a row.


Help center

Getting started

Setup your board

Importing files

Editing extracted data

Adding columns

Automating actions (Beta)