> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.abbyy.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Machine-readable forms

> What makes a form machine-readable: matching the Document Definition layout and designing fields so ABBYY FlexiCapture can separate data from form markup.

To read information on forms, a form-processing application has to:

1. Determine the location of form elements.
2. Separate field contents from field borders, text marking, backgrounds, explanatory text, etc.

Machine-readable forms enable the program to carry out these tasks.

For the first task to be carried out successfully, **the forms must correspond to the form pattern or Document Definition**, i.e. the location of all form elements must be identical on all forms of the same type.

For the second task to be carried out successfully, **the forms must be designed with automated input in mind**, i.e. so that the program can easily distinguish between the data to be captured and such non-recognizable form elements as field borders, text marking, backgrounds, or explanatory text.