Purpose
Document Classification identifies what type of document SmartVendor has detected from an incoming email attachment—most commonly an Invoice, but sometimes Other (non-invoice, unsupported, or out-of-scope documents).
Classification is critical because it determines:
Whether SmartVendor will extract header and line-item data
Whether the document can be written to the System of Record (SoR)
How the document appears and is handled in the Documents workflow
This article explains how classification works, where it is shown, and what happens when a document is classified as Invoice vs Other.
1. Where You See Document Classification
You can view the classification in two main places:
Documents Tab (table view)
Column: Doc Classification
Each record shows an icon and a label (e.g., Invoice, Other).
Clicking the document icon opens the Document Information Page.
Document Information Page (header section)
Field: Classification
Shows the current document type (e.g., Invoice, Credit Memo, or Other).
You may be able to change this classification (depending on configuration/permissions).
2. Classification Types and Their Impact
2.1 Invoice (and Other Invoice-Type Documents)
When a document is classified as Invoice (or other supported invoice-like types):
SmartVendor attempts to extract:
Header fields (Vendor, Date, Invoice Number, Currency, Amounts, etc.)
Line items (Description, Quantity, Price, Amount, Service Dates, PO, Contract, etc.)
The record appears in the Documents tables (Active Data / Written to SoR / Dismissed) with populated invoice fields.
Confidence Level is calculated and displayed.
Write to SoR is available (subject to validation checks and vendor status).
This is the standard, fully supported path for AP invoice processing.
2.2 Other (Non‑Invoice / Unsupported Documents)
When Doc Classification = Other:
SmartVendor skips invoice extraction.
Header and line-item fields remain empty/blank.
No invoice totals, taxes, or line details are populated from the file.
Confidence Level is not applicable and not shown for invoice data.
Write to SoR is unavailable because the record is not treated as an invoice.
These records are typically:
Dismissed from invoice processing, or
Reclassified (if they are actually invoices and were misclassified).
Note: Documents classified as Other commonly appear in Dismissed Documents, since they cannot be written to SoR as invoices.
3. Changing Document Classification
You can update classification when SmartVendor has misidentified a document type.
3.1 How to Change Classification
On the Document Information Page:
Locate the Classification field in the header.
Click the classification value (e.g., Invoice, Other) to open the selection control.
Choose the correct classification (e.g., change Other → Invoice, or Invoice → Other), based on the actual document type.
The system behavior depends on the direction of the change:
3.2 Changing from “Invoice” to “Other”
If you change a document from Invoice to a non-invoice type (Other):
The dialog includes a Reason to Dismiss field:
You can enter an explanation (recommended for audit, but may be optional).
Click Dismiss to confirm, or Cancel to abort.
Effects:
The document is dismissed from active invoice processing.
It moves to the Dismissed Documents tab.
It is clearly traceable with the dismissal reason in audit/history.
3.3 Changing from “Other” to “Invoice”
If a document was misclassified as Other but is actually an invoice:
Change the Classification to Invoice.
Once reclassified, you can:
Trigger or perform data population (depending on product behavior)
Complete header and line fields manually if needed
Eventually Write to SoR after review and validation
This path is typically used as part of manual exception handling when unsupported/“Other” documents actually require invoice treatment.
Best Practice: When reclassifying “Other” to “Invoice,” carefully review and populate header and line details, since the original extraction may not exist or may be partial.
4. Classification and the Documents Workflow
Classification directly affects where and how a document flows through the Documents lifecycle:
Active Data
New records appear here as Invoice or Other.
Invoice: fully extractable, reviewable, and can be written to SoR.
Other: non-extractable; typically candidates for dismissal or reclassification.
Written to SoR
Only invoice-classified records can be written to SoR.
Documents classified as Other never appear in Written to SoR.
Dismissed Documents
Contains records dismissed directly or dismissed as part of changing classification from Invoice → Other.
Frequently includes Other documents that are not part of the active AP process but are kept for audit.
5. How Classification Interacts with Other Key Fields
5.1 Confidence Level
Invoice:
Confidence Level is calculated at both:
Document level (overall confidence score and color indicator)
Field level (high/medium/low highlighting)
Used to prioritize which invoices need manual review.
Other:
No invoice extraction → Confidence Level not applicable.
The Confidence Level column will be empty/not shown for these rows.
5.2 Vendor Status
Classification and Vendor Status often go hand-in-hand for processing:
Known vendor + Invoice classification → candidate for Write to SoR (subject to validation checks).
Unknown/Unenrolled vendor or Other classification → cannot be written until vendor and/or classification issues are resolved.
5.3 Status (Document Status)
Some status values are tightly related to classification:
Record is Not a Vendor Bill – indicates the attachment is not classified as an invoice.
Written to SoR-related statuses only apply to invoice-classified records.
Use the Status filter together with Doc Classification to quickly find:
All invoice-classified documents needing review.
All non-invoice/Other documents for clean-up or reclassification.
6. Best Practices for Managing Document Classification
Review “Other” documents regularly
Dismiss obvious non-invoice content (spam, newsletters, irrelevant attachments).
Reclassify misidentified invoices to Invoice and complete data as needed.
Use classification changes carefully
Changing Invoice → Other triggers a dismissal; always supply a clear Reason to Dismiss for audit.
Avoid using dismissal as a substitute for correcting vendor or amount errors—keep true invoices as Invoice, and fix the data.
Combine with filters
Filter by Doc Classification = Other to manage exception queues.
Combine with Vendor Name, Status, and Received Date to isolate specific scenarios (e.g., all “Other” docs for a high-volume vendor in the last month).