Channel Configuration
This guide describes the Channel Configuration in the Workbench. Every channel in Workist (for example an order, invoice, or price-request channel) bundles all the settings needed to process a particular document stream: how documents arrive, how they are processed, and where the fully processed data is exported.
In the Channel Configuration you define, among other things, which team is responsible for the channel, which fields Workist should extract from the document, the confidence at which automation takes effect, which master data is used, and which target system (SFTP, AS2, upload endpoint) the finished output file is sent to.
Because the configuration is extensive, it is split into several topic areas. This page gives you an overview and links to the respective detail pages.
Prerequisites
- A Workbench account with access to the channels of the relevant product (for example Orders, Invoices, Price Requests).
- At least one channel that has already been created. The configuration can only be opened once a channel exists.
Opening the Channel Configuration
In the left navigation, select your product (for example Orders) and open the desired channel. Click the channel name in the top right to open the Channel Configuration area. You will then see the configuration page with the navigation menu in the center.
The center column contains the navigation for the Channel Configuration. The entries are grouped into four areas:
| Area | What is configured there |
|---|---|
| General | Channel name, responsible team, email mailbox address, time tracking. |
| Incoming Documents | How documents enter the channel — by email, via the voice agent, or via self-service forms. |
| Document Processing | What Workist does with the incoming documents — fields, thresholds, agentic extraction, master data, discarding. |
| Exported (Processed) Documents | Where the finished output file is sent — AS2, SFTP, upload endpoint, as well as the format of the generated file. |
Depending on the product and permissions, individual entries may be missing or appear in addition.
Structure of the Individual Configuration Pages
All subpages of the Channel Configuration follow the same pattern:
- At the top is the title of the configuration (for example "Email Configuration", "SFTP Configuration").
- Below it follow the form fields with the settings.
- A Save button writes the changes to the channel. Without clicking Save, changes are discarded as soon as you switch to another page.
Some areas (for example Master Data, Discard, Voice Agent) are optional configurations: they are disabled at first and must be turned on via an Enable button before the form fields appear.
Adjustments to the Channel Configuration apply to newly incoming documents. Documents that have already been processed are not reprocessed retroactively.
Detail Pages per Area
For each of the four areas there is a dedicated guide with a step-by-step description:
- General — channel name, team, email mailbox, processing time.
- Incoming Documents — email reception, voice agent, self-service forms.
- Document Processing — field configuration, confidence thresholds, agentic extraction with AI, master data matching, discard rules. With detailed pages:
- Document — localization, automation, data formatting, unit conversion, validation, document-type-specific settings, filling, document filtering.
- Header Fields — configuring header data fields.
- Line Item Fields — configuring line item fields, with lookup and length options.
- Agentic Header Extraction — AI-assisted extraction of additional header data.
- Agentic Line Item Extraction — AI-assisted extraction and operations at line item level.
- Exported (Processed) Documents — AS2, SFTP, generic upload, output file format.
Most Important Settings at a Glance
When you set up a new channel or review an existing one, the following settings are the most important:
| Setting | Area | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Channel name and Team | General | Who the channel is shown to and who handles requests. |
| Enabled (in Email / Upload / SFTP / AS2) | Incoming / Outgoing | Turns a reception or dispatch path on in the first place. |
| Mailbox name | Incoming → Email | Which email mailbox is automatically read into the channel. |
| Confidence threshold for header data / line items | Processing | The confidence at which a document is processed automatically, without assistance. |
| Automation enabled | Processing | Global switch for the end-to-end automation of this channel. |
| Master data lookup IDs | Processing | Which master data (articles, customers, addresses, …) is used for matching. |
| Validation checks | Processing | Which business checks (total reconciliation, unique order number, …) run. |
| Target folder / recipient (SFTP / AS2 / Upload) | Outgoing | Where the finished output file is sent. |
| Enable output file | Outgoing | Whether the XML/JSON output file is generated at all. |
Help and Support
If a setting in your channel does not have the expected effect, contact your Workist representative and have the following information ready:
- the channel name as well as the product (Orders, Invoices, …),
- the area in which the setting is located (for example Document Processing → Master Data),
- the exact name of the field that is not behaving as expected,
- for processing errors: a sample document and the time of processing.