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Connect a schema to a module

In this article

Connecting tells Merchaint which module an invoice should land in, and which column each extracted field goes to.

  • A walkthrough video, then why Merchaint shows you a plan first
  • Three situations, and what the merge preview looks like in each
  • The five steps, and what to do with a low confidence score
  • What happens to records already in the module

01 · Video

Feature walkthrough

Video · connect a schema · 4:00

02 · Why

Why do we have this?

Extraction pulls out invoice_number. Your module has a column called Invoice Number. Somebody has to say those are the same thing. That is what this does.

Why is it set up this way?

Because it changes live data structure, and guessing wrongly is expensive. So Merchaint proposes a plan and shows it to you before touching anything: here's what I matched, here's what I'd add, here's how confident I am. You approve it.

03 · Use cases

Use case 1
A new module from a template

The columns are already close to the schema's fields, so most rows come back auto-matched at full confidence. Read it and apply.

Use case 2
A module you built by hand

Fewer matches, more new fields. Look at the new-field list carefully — untick anything you don't want as a column.

Use case 3
Changing the schema later

Pick a different one and you get the same preview against the columns you already have. Existing records keep their values.

Use case 4
Which schema should I pick?

The one for the document type this module holds. The subtitle on each row tells you how many fields it has and whether it handles line items.

04 · How

Connect one

  1. Click the CONNECT SCHEMA chip next to the module title. On a new module a prompt offers this too — Connect Now.
  2. Pick a schema from the list. Search if it's long.
  3. Read the merge plan. Auto-matched fields show a confidence score. Anything you don't want, set to Skip.
  4. Check the new fields. Each one becomes a new column. Untick any you do not need.
  5. Press Apply Merge Plan.

If the plan looks wrong, Re-analyze asks it to think again, and Cancel leaves everything alone.

05 · Expected result

The chip changes from CONNECT SCHEMA to the schema's name. The field count goes up by however many new fields you accepted. From now on, documents read with that schema land in this module.

06 · Troubleshooting / notes

What you seeWhat it means
Confidence below 100It's less sure. Check that pair before applying.
A field matched to the wrong columnSet it to Skip and map it by hand afterwards.
More new fields than expectedThe schema has fields your module doesn't. Untick the ones you'll never use.
The module still says CONNECT SCHEMAThe plan wasn't applied. Open it again.

07 · FAQ

Common questions

What happens to records already in the module?

They stay exactly as they are. A merge changes the structure, not the rows.

Can one schema feed two modules?

Yes. Nothing stops you connecting the same schema to more than one.

Can I disconnect a schema?

Connect a different one. The preview will run again against your current columns.

What does the coloured dot next to each schema mean?

It marks how the schema is being used. If you are unsure, the field count and the "Line items" note underneath are the useful part.