# Creating Semi-structured Layouts

After you add a Semi-structured layout to Hyperscience, you will use the Layout Editor to define what information the system should extract from the processed pages that match the specific layout.

Unlike fields in Structured documents, fields in Semi-structured documents do not require bounding boxes because their location on the page may vary.

However, metadata information is required for fields defined in Semi-structured layouts. Similar to Structured fields, metadata includes the names used to label the information to be extracted from the fields, as well as any specific settings to help the system read and process the field value.

## Create a Semi-structured layout

1. Go to **Library** > **Layouts**.

2. Click **Add Layout**.

3. Click **Semi-structured Layout**, and then click **Next**.

4. In the **Layout Name** text box, enter a name for your layout.

5. Under **Language**, click on the drop-down list, and select the language you expect people to use when entering information in this layout’s documents.

- If you know that specific fields or table columns will contain text in different languages than the document’s main language, you can select languages specific to those fields or columns in the Layout Editor. In the Layout Editor, selecting the **Not in** option allows you to select a language for each of those fields or columns. You can choose from any of the languages we support. You should _only_ select this option if you know the text in a field or column will be in a different language than the language assigned to the layout.

6. Click **Create**.

By following these steps, you will create a layout with a single variation. To make edits to your layout, you’ll need to go to the Layout Editor as described in the next section.

## Navigating the Layout Editor

You can specify the information that should be extracted from submitted pages that match the layout by defining the field metadata in the Layout Editor.

### Access the Layout Editor

To access the Layout Editor:

1. Go to **Library** > **Layouts**, and click on the name of the layout you want to edit.

2. Click **Layout Variations**, and then, click on the name of the variation.

### Defining field metadata

Add a new field by clicking the **Add Field** button at the bottom of the "Fields" card. Then, fill out the following metadata for each field:

- **Name** - labels the field throughout the product and is intended to be human-readable.

- **Data Type** - designates the type of data that is expected for the given field, specifying the kinds of characters expected and any formatting that should be expected.

- Note that for Semi-structured documents, you now define signature fields with the "Signature" data type. Signatures are compatible with all Semi-structured models.

- **Output Name** - allows users to provide a programmatic name for each field, in addition to the human-readable display name.

- **Transcription Supervision** - allows you to specify the field’s transcription handling. The possible values and their meanings are:

- **Autotranscribe** - a field with this setting will not generate manual transcription tasks and will instead output the machine’s transcription value.
  - **Default** - the field will undergo machine transcription unless the machine’s confidence level on its transcription is below a set threshold.
  - **Always** - the system will always send the field to Supervision as a manual transcription task.
  - **Consensus** - the system does not record a value for the field until it receives the same post-normalization transcription value twice.

- **Identification Supervision** - allows you to specify the field’s identification handling. The possible values are:

- **Auto-identify** - a field with this setting will be identified automatically by the machine.
  - **Default** - a field will undergo Field ID Supervision based on confidence levels.
  - **Always** - a field will always generate Field ID tasks.

- **Notes (optional)** - allows notes to be added to a field’s definition.

Additional settings can improve machine performance:

- **Multiline** - should be enabled for any field where more than one line of text is expected.
- **Required** - should be marked for fields that must exist on the document.
- **Not in** - select this option if you know a field will contain text in a language different from that selected during the layout-creation process.

## Defining table column metadata

Add a new table by clicking the **Add Table** button at the bottom of the "Tables" card.

To add a new column, click the **Add Column** button and enter the following metadata:

- **Name** - labels the table column throughout the product.
- **Data type** - designates the type of data expected for the column.
- **Output Name** - allows users to provide a programmatic name for each column.
- **Notes (optional)** - allows notes to be added for supervision data clerks.

Additional settings for columns:

- **Multiline** - enables processing for columns expecting more than one line of text.
- **Not in** - similar to fields, use this to specify a differing language.

## Reordering and deleting fields

Fields can be reordered by clicking and dragging in the Layout Editor. You can also delete a field by clicking the trash can icon next to it.

## Saving and exiting

All working versions auto-save. You can commit changes by clicking **Commit Changes** at the top of the page. To leave without committing, click the **X** in the upper-right corner.