Introduction
If you’ve ever thought, “Why do I need to match fields at all?” — this article is for you! Mapping is what helps your data flow smoothly between uploaded OCR documents, saved Field Groups, and the final templates you want to generate. Think of it like connecting the dots between what the system reads, what you’ve saved, and what should be filled in.
Whether you’re pulling info from an invoice, a contract, or a scanned ID, mapping ensures everything ends up in the right place — without you having to retype it.
Let’s break it all down in a friendly, beginner-proof way!
What is Mapping?
Mapping means telling Formtify which pieces of information from one source should be linked to which fields in another place.
For example:
The OCR field {full_name} should go into the template field {Client.Name}
The Field Group value {Business.Phone} should be used to fill {ContactInfo.PhoneNumber}
You can think of it as creating shortcuts. Once things are mapped, Formtify remembers it — and auto-fills your template for you the next time.
When Does Mapping Happen?
Mapping typically comes into play at three key points in your workflow:
- After OCR data is extracted and you want to fill a template
- When you have existing Field Group data and want to reuse it in a new template
- When OCR is used to populate Field Group entries automatically
Each direction has its own little logic, but the goal is always the same: save you time and make sure the data lands in the correct spot.
The 3 Main Mapping Directions
1. OCR → Template
This happens when you upload a document, let Formtify extract text using OCR, and then want to fill out a template automatically.
You’ll choose which OCR field maps to which template field.
Example:
{ocr_company_name} → {BusinessDetails.Name}
Formtify shows a matching popup to help you confirm the field links before applying the values.
2. OCR → Field Group
Sometimes you want to save the OCR values into a Field Group first. Maybe you plan to reuse that data later for multiple documents. This mapping process is almost identical to OCR → Template but targets Field Group fields instead.
Example:
{ocr_address_line_1} → {ClientAddress.Street}
3. Field Group → Template
Once you’ve got data stored in a Field Group, you can reuse it to quickly fill out a template — no need to upload the same OCR file again.
Formtify lets you link values from the Field Group to template fields. If the field keys match exactly, they’ll be auto-mapped.
Example:
{Representative.Name} in Field Group → {Rep.Name} in Template
If they don’t match, you’ll be able to manually choose what maps where.
How Does Auto-Matching Work?
Formtify tries to auto-map for you based on:
- Exact field key matches: If the source and target field keys are the same, they’re linked instantly.
- Smart suggestions: If labels are similar or have the same meaning, the system offers suggestions (especially helpful with OCR labels).
Example:
{full_name} might suggest a match with {Client.FullName} or {User.Name}
You can accept, adjust, or skip the suggestions.
What If the Field Types Are Different?
Great question! Formtify is smart enough to warn you when the types don’t match. For example, if you try to link a number to a date field, you’ll see a note and can fix it.
That way, your documents stay clean and error-free.
Where You’ll See the Mapping Tools
You’ll interact with the mapping popup in these three main situations:
When filling a template with OCR data
When filling a Field Group with OCR data
When filling a template with Field Group data
In each case, Formtify will show you a list of source fields (from OCR or Field Group), suggest matching target fields (in the template or Field Group), and let you fine-tune or confirm the mapping before applying it.
What About Complex Fields?
If a field is an address, object, or group of sub-fields, don’t worry! Formtify breaks it down for you. You’ll be able to map each subfield individually — like street, city, or name of a representative.
{Address.City} from OCR → {ClientLocation.City}
{Shareholder.Name} from Field Group → {Board.Shareholder1.FullName}
Can I Reuse My Mappings?
Yes — and this is one of the best time-saving features in Formtify!
Formtify remembers your mappings based on the combination of OCR Document Type, Field Group, and the Field Group inside your Template Set.
Here’s what that means in practice:
✅ If you map an OCR Document Type to a Field Group used inside a Template Set,
✅ Or map a Field Group to another Field Group inside a Template Set,
✅ Or map an OCR Document Type to a Field Group (not tied to a template),
Then the next time you use that same combination, Formtify will automatically reload your previous mapping table.
This works across all templates that share the same Field Group inside the same template set — so you don’t have to repeat the setup every single time. It just picks up where you left off.
And don’t worry — if anything changes, you can still update or override the saved mapping whenever you need to.
Summary
Mapping is the glue that holds your document automation together.
It tells Formtify:
“Hey, this data from here should go over there.”
Once mapped, the system takes care of the heavy lifting — making your workflows smoother, faster, and less error-prone.
Don’t worry if it feels a bit new at first. You’ll get the hang of it in no time!
👉 Next up: You can check out Auto-fill from OCR → Template or Auto-fill from Field Group to Template when you’re ready to try it out.