OCR (optical character recognition)
Definition
OCR converts scans, photos and PDFs into machine-readable text. It is the entry step of document automation and delivers characters only — the meaning, validation and posting logic are added by the layers above it.
Modern OCR handles layout, tables and mixed languages reliably, but quality still depends on the source: resolution, contrast and scan orientation.
Treat OCR output as raw material that must be validated, never as a verified value.
In practice
- Quality depends on source resolution and layout
- Output requires validation before it is posted anywhere
- One building block of intelligent document processing
Related terms
- Intelligent document processing (IDP)Intelligent document processing extracts structured data from invoices, delivery notes, contracts or forms, validates it against master data and posts it into the target system. It combines OCR for reading with models for interpretation and rules for verification.
- API integrationAn API integration connects two systems through their programming interfaces so data moves automatically and reliably. It is the stable alternative to manual re-entry, CSV exchange and interface robots, and it is the backbone of every serious automation.