NetSendo v1.8.5: AI Card Scanner & Batch Uploads
Returning from a conference with a stack of business cards is a sign of success, but the manual data entry that follows can be a productivity killer. You need to get those valuable leads into your CRM and start the conversation while the connection is still warm. What if you could automate that entire process in minutes?
NetSendo v1.8.5 is here to eliminate that bottleneck. We're rolling out a massive upgrade to our AI-powered CardIntel feature, designed to make lead capture and outreach faster, smarter, and more efficient than ever before.
🚀 What's New: The CardIntel Revolution in v1.8.5
This release focuses on turning CardIntel into a high-throughput lead generation engine. We’ve rebuilt the upload experience from the ground up and infused the AI with powerful new capabilities.
Batch Uploads
Process an entire stack of business cards in a single, queued job.
Smarter AI
Generate rich HTML emails and use custom prompts to match your brand's tone.
Deep CRM Sync
Automatically create contacts and log email sending activity in your CRM.
Enhanced UX
A polished, intuitive interface with drag & drop support makes usage a breeze.
Batch Business Card Uploads: From One to Many
The single-file upload was just the beginning. Now, you can switch to "Multiple Files" mode and upload dozens of cards at once. Our new interface gives you full control:
- Drag & Drop: Simply drag your card images directly into the upload area.
- File Management: See a list of your queued files, remove individual ones, or clear the entire batch.
- Progress Tracking: A visual progress bar keeps you informed as your files are uploaded and queued for processing.
ℹ️ Note: "Single File" mode provides immediate processing, while "Multiple Files" mode uses a background queue to handle large volumes efficiently.
Smarter AI, Better Outreach
A plain text email is good, but a well-formatted HTML email is better. CardIntel's AI can now generate professional-looking emails with formatting. You can even control which HTML tags are permitted via the allowed_html_tags setting for security and brand consistency.
More importantly, you can now guide the AI's creativity with Custom AI Prompts. Instruct the AI to adopt a specific tone, mention a particular product, or reference the event where you met. Each generated message now also includes a compelling subject and preheader, ready to grab attention in a crowded inbox.
{
"subject": "Great connecting at MarketingCon 2026!",
"preheader": "Following up on our chat about automation.",
"body_html": "Hi [Name],
It was a pleasure meeting you... etc.
"
}Finally, the entire process is now fully integrated with the NetSendo CRM. When you send an AI-generated email, NetSendo automatically creates a new contact (or links to an existing one) and logs an "Email Sent" activity on their timeline. Full visibility, zero manual work.
🎯 Benefits & Real-World Use Cases
Here’s how you can leverage the new CardIntel features to grow your business.
Sales Teams: Post-Conference Follow-up
A sales representative returns from a 3-day trade show with 50+ business cards. Instead of spending a day on data entry, they:
- Use the batch uploader to scan all cards in one go.
- Set a custom AI prompt: "Reference our conversation about self-hosted solutions at TradeShow 2026 and suggest a 15-min demo call."
- Review and send the personalized emails in under an hour, with all contacts and activities logged in the CRM automatically.
Agencies: Managing Client Leads
A marketing agency manages lead generation for three different clients. With the new CardIntel, they can:
- Process business cards collected for each client separately.
- Use distinct custom AI prompts to match each client's unique brand voice and offering.
- Ensure all leads are correctly entered and tracked in each client's respective CRM space within NetSendo.
🛠️ Step-by-Step Guide: Batch Processing Your First Leads
Ready to try it out? Here’s how to use the new batch upload feature.
-
Navigate to CardIntel
From your NetSendo dashboard, go to the CardIntel section in the main navigation.
-
Select Upload Mode
Click the "Multiple Files" button. You'll see the drag-and-drop upload area appear.
[Image description: Screenshot of the CardIntel interface showing the "Single File" and "Multiple Files" mode buttons, with "Multiple Files" highlighted.]
-
Upload Your Card Images
Drag your scanned business card images (JPG, PNG) into the designated area. You will see a list of your files and a progress bar as they upload.
-
Start the Batch Process
Once all files are uploaded, click the "Start Processing" button. NetSendo will queue the files and begin extracting contact information using OCR and AI.
-
Review and Send
Navigate to the "Scan" tab. As cards are processed, they will appear with AI-generated contact details and email drafts. Review the suggestions, make any edits, and click "Send" to dispatch your follow-up emails.
🎯 Expert Tips for Optimal Results
Be specific in your custom instructions. Include the desired tone (e.g., "friendly and informal" or "formal and professional"), key talking points, and a clear call to action. The more context you give the AI, the better the output.
For the best OCR accuracy, make sure your business card images are well-lit, in sharp focus, and free from shadows or glare. A clean, high-contrast image yields the best data extraction results.
Before you start, create a tag in your CRM named "CardIntel Lead" or similar. As you process leads, assign this tag to them. This makes it incredibly easy to build targeted segments for long-term automated follow-up sequences.
Ready to Automate Your Lead Capture?
Stop wasting time on manual data entry and start engaging your new leads faster. The enhanced CardIntel feature in NetSendo v1.8.5 gives you the power of data ownership combined with cutting-edge AI automation.
Update your instance to the latest version to get started:
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d
