← Back to articlesOffice tasks

What is OCR, and what should you check on a receipt?

OCR turns image text into machine-readable text but can misread digits and table structure.

The short answer

Documents also require field interpretation, units and business rules. Preserve source locations for review before creating official records.

Try it in three steps

  • Practice with a fictional receipt image.
  • Attach source locations and uncertainty to extracted fields.
  • Check decimals, negative signs, quantities and units.

A practice prompt

Before you start

Photograph a handwritten fictional receipt or create an image in an editor. The tool needs image input; a text-only exercise is not an OCR test.

Practice material (fictional)

Receipt DEMO-01; washers 12 boxes; unit price 1.50; one deliberately unclear field.

Replace placeholders in the prompt with this material, or append the material if there are no placeholders. Reading time excludes doing the exercise.

Extract item, quantity and unit from this practice receipt. Mark unreadable values unknown, preserve source text and do not infer prices.

What to look for (not a recorded test result)

Check 12, boxes and 1.50, leaving the unclear field unresolved. One correct result does not establish overall accuracy.

If it goes wrong

High recognition confidence can still be wrong; review critical fields according to risk.

Check your result

Critical values trace to the image and unreadable fields are not silently filled.

References and scope

The links below support the concepts or product navigation. The steps and exercises are our teaching suggestions, not official certification or measured customer outcomes. Product interfaces and availability may change. References checked on 2026-10-17.

Start with one task

Describe the current process and its slowest step. The initial conversation is free.

Let’s talk ↗
Need help? See small-scale implementation services ↗

Keep reading