> Source: https://builder.ema.ai/v2/templates/data-extraction-pipeline-ai-employee
> Title: Data Extraction Pipeline AI Employee

# Data Extraction Pipeline AI Employee

The Data Extraction Pipeline AI Employee is built from the **Data Extraction Pipeline** curated template (category: IT & Ops). It is a form AI Employee (AIE): you submit a document, and it extracts structured data according to a configurable schema. It is the general-purpose extraction starting point — useful for invoices, contracts, forms, receipts, or any document with a repeatable structure. It automates manual data entry, processes documents in seconds, and scales to volume spikes without additional staff.

## Workflow

The template ships a single-agent workflow:

Node

Agent type

What it does

Extract Data

`extraction`

Extracts structured data from the document according to the configured output schema, returning the exact value for each field and flagging any field that is ambiguous or missing.

A `start` node feeds the document into the graph, and a `publish` node exposes the extracted data. The edges run `start → extract → publish`.

The Extract Data node ships with a general-purpose output schema in its `type_config`, which you replace with the fields you need. The default schema captures common document attributes:

```json
{
  "output_schema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "document_type": { "type": "string", "description": "Type of document (invoice, contract, receipt, report, etc.)" },
      "document_date": { "type": "string", "description": "Date on the document" },
      "parties":       { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Names of parties or organizations mentioned" },
      "key_values":    { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object",
                          "properties": { "field": { "type": "string" }, "value": { "type": "string" } } },
                         "description": "Key field-value pairs extracted from the document" },
      "amounts":       { "type": "array", "items": { "type": "object",
                          "properties": { "label": { "type": "string" }, "value": { "type": "number" }, "currency": { "type": "string" } } },
                         "description": "Monetary amounts found in the document" },
      "summary":       { "type": "string", "description": "Brief summary of the document content" }
    },
    "required": ["document_type", "key_values"]
  }
}
```

## Starting configuration

The template clones in with this configuration, which you can change in the builder:

-   **Model selection** — Let Fusion Pick (EmaFusion™ chooses the model per request).
-   **Optimization priority** — Most accurate.
-   **Conversation context** — disabled (this is a single-submission form workflow, not a chat).
-   **Feedback** — enabled, with thumbs-up / thumbs-down reasons and free-text comments.

This template does not ship with a recommended-data-sources note, because it works directly on the documents you submit rather than on a connected Knowledge base. Where the documents you process reference internal terms or codes, you can attach a Knowledge base to improve interpretation.

## How to use

After you select **Use template** and the AI Employee opens in the builder:

1.  **Define your extraction schema.** Edit the output schema in the Extract Data node with your field names, types, and descriptions.
2.  **Test and refine.** Submit sample documents to check extraction accuracy and tighten the schema and Instructions where the agent is uncertain.
3.  **Connect output Tools.** Add Tools to push the extracted data to your downstream systems — a database, spreadsheet, or API. See [Tools](/builder/v2/agent-reference).
4.  **Publish and submit.** Publish the workflow, then submit documents and receive structured output.

> [TIP]
> If your documents are a specific, well-known type, start from a purpose-built template instead — [Invoice Extraction](/builder/v2/templates/invoice-extraction-ai-employee) and [KYC Document Review](/builder/v2/templates/kyc-document-review-ai-employee) ship with tuned schemas and a validation step. Use this general pipeline when no specialized template fits.

## Example inputs

-   A vendor purchase order PDF, extracting PO number, line items, and totals.
-   A signed contract, extracting parties, effective dates, and renewal terms.
-   A scanned expense receipt, extracting merchant, date, and amount.

## Related

-   [Agent reference](/builder/v2/agent-reference) — the [Data Extractor](/builder/v2/agent-reference/extraction) agent type and its output-schema contract.
-   [Invoice Extraction](/builder/v2/templates/invoice-extraction-ai-employee) and [KYC Document Review](/builder/v2/templates/kyc-document-review-ai-employee) — purpose-built extraction templates with validation.
-   [Templates overview](/builder/v2/templates) — the full curated template list and the clone flow.