PaperSync — Paper Form OCR Ingestion

    Overview

    PaperSync allows organisers to submit paper-based entry forms via email for automatic OCR (Optical Character Recognition) processing. Rather than manually re-entering data from printed forms, organisers photograph or scan completed paper forms and email them to a dedicated Horsify ingestion address. The system extracts participant information and creates registrations automatically.

    This feature is available to subscribers on eligible plans.

    Who Uses This

    • Organisers: Submit scanned paper entry forms to avoid manual data entry
    • Show Secretaries: Process large volumes of paper nominations at multi-day events
    • Admins: Monitor ingestion status and review OCR-created registrations

    How It Works

    1. Prepare and Send the Form

    1. Collect completed paper entry forms from participants
    2. Photograph or scan the forms (JPG, PNG, or PDF formats supported)
    3. Email the files to your organisation's PaperSync ingestion address (shown in your organiser dashboard)

    2. Automatic OCR Processing

    Once received, Horsify:

    • Validates the file format and subscription eligibility
    • Runs OCR to extract text from the document
    • Maps extracted fields to the correct event, class, and participant
    • Creates a draft registration for review

    3. Review and Confirm

    Registrations created via PaperSync are marked as OCR Imported and appear in the event's registration management page. Review each entry to confirm accuracy before marking as final.

    Supported File Types

    Format Notes
    PDF Best quality; supports multi-page
    JPG/JPEG Minimum 300 DPI recommended
    PNG Minimum 300 DPI recommended

    Requirements

    • Active Horsify subscription on an eligible plan
    • PaperSync must be enabled for your organisation in the organiser dashboard
    • Organisers must use the designated ingestion email address assigned to their organisation

    Configuration (operators)

    The inbound email webhook (POST /api/papersync/acs-webhook) is a machine-to-machine endpoint and fails closed (September 2026, audit C-13):

    Setting Purpose
    ACS:InboundEmailSecret (Key Vault ACS--InboundEmailSecret) Shared secret the sender must present on X-Horsify-Webhook-Secret (the original X-ACS-Secret header is still accepted). Until it is set every call is answered 503 and logged; a call without it is answered 401.
    PaperSync:AllowedAttachmentHosts Comma-separated extra hosts an attachment ContentUrl may point at. The platform's own storage account is always allowed; any other host is rejected, because the OCR worker fetches attachments with its managed identity.
    PaperSync:MaxAttachmentBytes Per-attachment size limit (default 25 MB).
    PaperSync:PollIntervalSeconds Worker polling interval (default 30 s).

    Tips for Best Results

    • Use a flatbed scanner rather than a phone camera where possible
    • Ensure forms are oriented correctly (portrait) before scanning
    • Avoid handwritten corrections over pre-printed text
    • High-contrast black-on-white printing produces the most accurate OCR results

    Related Features

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