AMO CertVault — Complete Documentation

AMO CertVault is a production-grade certificate management system designed for aviation AMOs. It uses AI to extract, validate, and organise aircraft spares certificates — EASA Form 1, FAA 8130-3, COC, CRS, and more.

Introduction

AMO CertVault digitises the certificate management workflow for Aircraft Approved Maintenance Organisations. Upload a PDF certificate, and the AI engine automatically extracts part numbers, serial numbers, suppliers, dates, and certificate types — even from multi-item documents with dozens of line items, including kit/overhaul sub-components.

Why CertVault? Aviation AMOs handle hundreds of certificates monthly. Manual data entry is slow, error-prone, and non-auditable. CertVault automates extraction with 92%+ accuracy using Gemini AI, with a regex fallback ensuring zero data loss.

Built for:

Quality Managers reviewing incoming spares documentation
Store Personnel receiving and cataloguing parts
Auditors verifying compliance trails
Administrators managing user access and system configuration

Quick Start

Create Your Account

Navigate to /auth and create an account with your email and password. You will receive a Visitor role by default.

Use your company email — administrators can identify and approve your account faster.

Await Admin Approval

An administrator will review your account and assign an appropriate role (Quality Manager, Store Personnel, or Auditor). You will be redirected to a Pending Approval screen until activated.

Do not create multiple accounts — duplicate sign-ups will be flagged and may delay approval.

Upload Your First Certificate

Go to Upload Certificate from the sidebar. Drag and drop a PDF or use the Camera Scanner to capture a physical certificate directly from your device.

Supported formats: PDF (text-based or scanned). Maximum file size: 10MB per document.

Review AI Extraction

The system will automatically extract certificate data using Gemini AI. Review the extracted fields — part number, serial number, description, supplier, certificate type, and date. Edit any inaccuracies and save.

The confidence score (0–100%) indicates extraction reliability. Scores below 70% warrant manual verification.

Search and Manage

Use the Certificates page to search by part number, description, serial number, or supplier. Full-text search is powered by PostgreSQL tsvector with trigram fuzzy matching.

Features

AI-Powered Extraction

Gemini 2.5 Flash extracts structured data from PDFs using tool-calling. Supports EASA Form 1, FAA 8130-3, COC, CRS, and 37+ certificate type mappings. Regex fallback ensures zero data loss.

Multi-Item Certificates

Certificates with multiple line items are parsed into individual records — each with its own part number, serial number, quantity, and condition. Supports 100+ items per certificate.

Kit Sub-Item Extraction

Overhaul kits, gasket sets, and assembly items with sub-components are automatically detected. Sub-items use decimal line numbering (14.1, 14.2) to preserve parent-child relationships.

Role-Based Access (RBAC)

Five-tier RBAC: Admin, Quality Manager, Store Personnel, Auditor, and Visitor. Row-Level Security (RLS) enforced at the database level — no client-side bypasses possible.

Camera Scanning

Capture certificates directly from your device camera with real-time preview, crop overlay, and flash toggle. The image is uploaded and processed through the same AI extraction pipeline.

Batch Upload

Upload multiple PDFs simultaneously. Each file is processed independently with live progress tracking, error reporting, and searchable batch history.

Certificate Cart and Bulk Print

Add certificates to a cart from search results or the duplicates page. Bulk print PDFs or export selected certificates as CSV for external reporting and audits.

Duplicate Detection

Dedicated duplicate management page groups certificates by part number across the entire system. View, compare, delete, or add duplicates to cart with role-restricted actions.

AI Chat Assistant

Streaming AI chat assistant for aviation certificate questions. Renders responses with Markdown formatting — headers, tables, code blocks, bold/italic, and clickable links.

PDF Compression

Structural PDF compression using pdf-lib’s object stream optimisation. Anomaly detection automatically flags suspiciously high compression ratios (below 0.2).

Complete Audit Trail

Every create, update, and delete action is logged with user ID, certificate ID, timestamp, and action details in JSON format. Fully queryable and exportable.

Full-Text Search

PostgreSQL tsvector-based search across certificates and items. Trigram similarity matching handles typos and partial matches. Debounced input for responsive UX.

System Architecture

The application is a React SPA backed by Lovable Cloud, providing authentication, PostgreSQL database, file storage, and serverless edge functions — no separate backend to manage.

Certificate Processing

Extraction Pipeline

The extraction pipeline is fully automated — upload a PDF and the system handles file storage, AI extraction, type normalisation, duplicate checking, and database persistence without manual intervention.

Extraction Algorithm

AI Path (Primary)
Regex Fallback

The primary extraction path uses Gemini 2.5 Flash with structured tool-calling:

Download PDF from storage → base64 encode
Call Gemini 2.5 Flash with extraction tool schema
Parse tool_calls response → structured JSON
Normalize certificate_type against 37 pattern mappings
Normalize all dates to ISO 8601 format
Detect kit/overhaul items by keyword matching
Sort kit sub-items by decimal line_number (14.1, 14.2...)
Re-sequence to integer line numbers for storage
Validate part numbers with aviation regex patterns
Compute per-item confidence score (0.0 – 1.0)

The AI prompt explicitly instructs Gemini to extract unnumbered rows beneath kit/overhaul/set items as sub-components with decimal line numbers.

When AI extraction fails (rate limits, malformed PDFs), the system falls back to pattern-based extraction:

1. Parse BT/ET (Begin Text / End Text) blocks from raw PDF bytes
2. Detect aviation keywords against 36 known patterns
3. Require >= 2 keyword matches to classify as certificate
4. Extract fields via tiered regex patterns:
   - Part Number:   8 patterns (P/N, PN, Part No., etc.)
   - Serial Number: 6 patterns (S/N, SN, Serial, etc.)
   - Supplier:      7 patterns (MFR, Manufacturer, etc.)
   - Description:   5 patterns (DESC, Item, etc.)
   - Date:          6 patterns with ISO normalisation
5. Multi-item detection via repeating pattern groups
6. Tiered confidence: High (>=0.8), Medium (0.5–0.79), Low (<0.5)

Regex extraction typically achieves 60–75% accuracy compared to AI’s 92%+. Always review regex-extracted certificates manually.

Kit Sub-Item Extraction

Kit certificates (overhaul kits, gasket sets, hardware assemblies) contain a parent item with multiple sub-components listed beneath it. CertVault automatically detects and preserves these relationships.

Detection Keywords: kit, set, overhaul, assembly, hardware kit, gasket set Example Extraction:

Line	Part Number	Description	Type
14	SL12034-SC	GASKET SET SINGLE CYLINDER	Kit Parent
15	SL66732	GASKET	Sub-component
16	SL67193	GASKET	Sub-component
17	SL71481	RING, OIL SEAL	Sub-component

Visual Display:

Kit parent rows — teal gradient background with KIT badge pill
Sub-component rows — indented with teal connector line and junction dot
Hover highlights the entire kit group

Certificate Type Mapping

Supported Certificate Types (37+ input patterns)

The system normalises dozens of input variations to standardised types:

Input Pattern(s)	Normalised Type	Common Sources
EASA Form 1, JAA Form 1, TCCA Form One	`easa-form-1`	European / Canadian MROs
FAA 8130-3, FAA Form 8130-3, Airworthiness Approval	`8130-3`	FAA-certified facilities
Certificate of Conformity, COC, C of C	`coc`	Manufacturers and distributors
Certificate of Release to Service, CRS	`crs`	Maintenance organisations
Test Report, Inspection Report	`test-report`	Testing laboratories
Shipping Document, Packing Slip	`shipping`	Logistics and supply chain
CAAC Form, ANAC Form, DGCA, Serviceable Tag	`other`	Other national authorities

If a certificate type is not recognised, it defaults to other. You can manually update the type in the certificate detail view.

Cart and Bulk Operations

Add to Cart

From the Certificates page or Duplicates page, click the cart icon on any certificate item. The cart state persists via React Context across navigation.

You can add items from multiple certificates — the cart is not limited to a single document.

Review Cart

Navigate to the Cart page to see all selected items with part numbers, descriptions, and source certificate references. Remove unwanted items individually or clear the entire cart.

Bulk Print PDFs

Click Print All to open all selected certificate PDFs in new tabs for printing. Each PDF links to the original uploaded document in storage.

Export to CSV

Click Export CSV to download a spreadsheet containing part number, description, serial number, quantity, condition, and source certificate for each selected item.

The CSV export is compatible with Excel, Google Sheets, and most ERP/inventory systems.

Duplicate Management

The Duplicates page identifies certificates that share the same part number across different uploads, enabling quick review and cleanup.

Destructive Action: Deleting a duplicate removes the certificate item permanently from the database. This action is restricted to Admin and Quality Manager roles and is logged in the audit trail with full details.

Detection Algorithm

FUNCTION detectDuplicates():
    groups   <- GROUP certificate_items BY LOWER(part_number)
    duplicates <- FILTER groups WHERE COUNT > 1

    FOR EACH group IN duplicates:
        SORT items BY upload_date DESC
        DISPLAY with certificate metadata:
            - Part number, description, serial number
            - Source certificate ID and type
            - Upload date and uploader
            - Available actions (View, Cart, Delete)

    RETURN duplicates WITH search filtering

Duplicates are matched by part number only (case-insensitive). Different serial numbers with the same part number are flagged as duplicates — the same part from different batches should be reviewable together.

AI Chat Assistant

The AI Assistant provides streaming responses about aviation certificates and compliance, rendered with full Markdown formatting.

The chat uses the cert-ai-chat edge function connecting to Gemini AI via the Lovable AI Gateway. No API key configuration is required — it works out of the box.

Capabilities

Certificate Knowledge

FAA Form 8130-3 field explanations, EASA Form 1 block descriptions, certificate status types, traceability requirements.

Compliance Guidance

Regulatory requirements for parts documentation, release-to-service criteria, certificate validity periods.

System Help

OCR extraction process explanation, batch upload guidance, search tips, role-based access questions.

General Aviation

Part number formats, supplier identification, condition codes (NE, OH, SV, AR), quantity and unit conventions.

Response Formatting

The AI assistant renders responses with rich Markdown:

Headers (##, ###) with teal accent styling
Bold and italic text for emphasis
Inline code and fenced code blocks with monospace font
Tables with borders and header highlighting
Ordered and unordered lists with proper nesting
Clickable links to external references

Try these starter prompts: “What fields are on FAA Form 8130-3?”, “Explain certificate status types”, “How does OCR extraction work?”

User Roles and Permissions

Permission Matrix

Permissions Grid
Role Lifecycle
Security Model

Permission	Admin	Quality Manager	Store Personnel	Auditor	Visitor
View certificates	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Upload certificates	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Edit certificates	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Delete certificates	✅	✅	❌	❌	❌
Batch upload	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
Camera scanning	✅	✅	✅	❌	❌
View audit logs	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Manage users	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌
Certificate cart	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
Duplicate management	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
AI Assistant	✅	✅	✅	✅	❌
System settings	✅	❌	❌	❌	❌

Principle of Least Privilege: Each role has only the minimum permissions required. The admin dashboard includes an interactive permissions matrix for visual reference. Actual enforcement is at the database level via RLS policies.

Row-Level Security (RLS) is enforced on every table:

-- Only active, non-visitor users can view certificates
CREATE POLICY "Authenticated users can view certificates"
ON public.certificates FOR SELECT TO authenticated
USING (
  public.has_role(auth.uid(), 'admin') OR
  public.has_role(auth.uid(), 'quality_manager') OR
  public.has_role(auth.uid(), 'store_personnel') OR
  public.has_role(auth.uid(), 'auditor')
);

The has_role() function is defined as SECURITY DEFINER to prevent recursive RLS evaluation. Never store roles on the profiles table — they are isolated in user_roles to prevent privilege escalation.

User Management Dashboard (Admin)

Stats Overview

Summary cards showing total users, active accounts, pending visitors, and role distribution with animated counters.

Interactive Permissions Matrix

Visual reference grid with toggle checkboxes showing what each role can do. Labeled as reference-only — actual enforcement is via RLS.

User Table

Avatar initials, coloured role badges, activation toggle switches, time-ago join dates, and role assignment dropdowns.

Role Summary Cards

Per-role cards with custom icons, colour coding, and permission count — quick overview of the access hierarchy.

Data Model

All tables use UUID primary keys, automatic timestamps, and Row-Level Security. The search_vector columns enable PostgreSQL full-text search with automatic updates via triggers.

API Reference

Edge Functions

extract-certificate — AI Certificate Extraction

Method: POST
Authentication: Bearer token (anon key)Extracts structured data from a PDF certificate using Gemini AI with regex fallback.Request Body

{
  "filePath": "userId/timestamp_filename.pdf"
}

Success Response (200)

{
  "certificate": {
    "part_number": "7A-2841-MFG",
    "description": "Turbine Blade Assembly",
    "serial_number": "SN-2024-8847",
    "certificate_type": "easa-form-1",
    "certificate_date": "2024-03-15",
    "supplier": "Rolls-Royce Aerospace",
    "items": [
      {
        "line_number": 1,
        "part_number": "7A-2841-MFG",
        "description": "Turbine Blade Assembly",
        "serial_number": "SN-2024-8847",
        "quantity": "1 EA",
        "condition": "NE",
        "confidence": 0.95
      }
    ]
  },
  "confidence": 0.92,
  "duplicates": [],
  "method": "ai"
}

Error Response (500)

{
  "error": "Extraction failed",
  "message": "PDF could not be parsed"
}

The method field indicates whether "ai" or "regex" was used. Regex extractions typically have lower confidence scores.

compress-certificate — PDF Compression

Method: POST
Authentication: Bearer token (anon key)Compresses a PDF certificate using structural optimisation with pdf-lib.Request Body

{
  "filePath": "userId/timestamp_filename.pdf"
}

Success Response (200)

{
  "compressed_url": "userId/compressed_filename.pdf",
  "original_size": 524288,
  "compressed_size": 312500,
  "ratio": 0.596,
  "flagged": false
}

A flagged: true response indicates the compression ratio is suspiciously high (below 0.2), meaning 80%+ size reduction. The original is always preserved.

cert-ai-chat — Streaming AI Chat

Method: POST
Authentication: Bearer token (anon key)Streaming AI chat for aviation certificate questions using Server-Sent Events (SSE).Request Body

{
  "messages": [
    { "role": "user", "content": "What fields are on FAA Form 8130-3?" }
  ]
}

Response (SSE Stream)

data: {"choices":[{"delta":{"content":"FAA Form 8130-3 contains..."}}]}

data: {"choices":[{"delta":{"content":" the following blocks:\n\n"}}]}

data: [DONE]

The response follows the OpenAI-compatible delta streaming format. The frontend uses ReadableStream with chunk-by-chunk parsing for real-time display.

Application Routes

Route	Page	Access Level	Description
`/`	Landing / Dashboard	Public / Authenticated	Marketing page (unauthenticated) or interactive dashboard (authenticated)
`/auth`	Login and Sign Up	Public	Email/password authentication with form validation
`/pending`	Pending Approval	Visitor	Displayed after sign-up while awaiting admin activation
`/certificates`	Certificate List	Authenticated	Searchable, paginated list with status filters
`/certificates/:id`	Certificate Detail	Authenticated	Full certificate view with items table and kit indicators
`/upload`	Upload Certificate	Upload roles	Single PDF upload with AI extraction preview
`/batch-upload`	Batch Upload	Upload roles	Multi-file upload with progress tracking
`/batch-history`	Batch History	Authenticated	Historical batch upload records and item details
`/scan`	Camera Scanner	Upload roles	Device camera capture with crop overlay
`/cart`	Certificate Cart	Authenticated	Selected items for bulk print / CSV export
`/duplicates`	Duplicate Management	Authenticated	Part-number-grouped duplicate review and cleanup
`/ai-assistant`	AI Chat	Authenticated	Streaming AI assistant for certificate questions
`/audit-logs`	Audit Logs	Admin / QM / Auditor	Paginated audit trail with action filtering
`/settings`	User Settings	Authenticated	Profile and preference management
`/admin/users`	User Management	Admin only	User activation, role assignment, permissions matrix
`/privacy-policy`	Privacy Policy	Public	Data handling and privacy information

Tech Stack

Frontend

React 18 + TypeScript + Vite for fast builds. Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui component library. Framer Motion for animations.

State Management

TanStack Query for server state with intelligent caching. React Context for client-side state (auth, cart).

Backend

Lovable Cloud — PostgreSQL, Authentication, File Storage, and Edge Functions. Zero-config serverless deployment.

AI and Processing

Gemini 2.5 Flash via Lovable AI Gateway. pdf-lib for compression. react-markdown + remark-gfm for rendering.

Layer	Technology	Purpose
Framework	React 18, TypeScript	Component architecture, type safety
Build	Vite 5	Fast HMR, optimised production builds
Styling	Tailwind CSS 3, shadcn/ui	Utility-first CSS, accessible components
Routing	React Router v6	Client-side routing with protected routes
Server State	TanStack Query v5	Data fetching, caching, mutations
Backend	Lovable Cloud (PostgreSQL, Auth, Storage)	Full-stack serverless platform
AI	Gemini 2.5 Flash	Certificate extraction, chat assistant
PDF	pdf-lib	Structural compression, byte parsing
Charts	Recharts	Dashboard visualisations
Markdown	react-markdown + remark-gfm	AI chat response formatting
PWA	vite-plugin-pwa	Offline support, installability
Search	PostgreSQL tsvector + pg_trgm	Full-text and fuzzy search

Progressive Web App (PWA)

AMO CertVault is a Progressive Web App — installable on mobile and desktop with offline caching and a native-like experience. Configuration:

Install Prompt: Automatic on supported browsers (Chrome, Edge, Safari)
Icons: 192×192 and 512×512 PNG (including maskable)
Apple Touch Icon: Configured for iOS home screen
Theme Colour: Teal (#1a9e8f)
Display: Standalone (no browser chrome)
Orientation: Portrait-primary
Service Worker: Auto-update strategy via Workbox
Viewport: width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0, viewport-fit=cover

On iOS, open the app in Safari, tap the Share button, and select Add to Home Screen to install CertVault as a native-like app.

SEO and Performance

Meta and Structured Data

OpenGraph tags, Twitter Cards, JSON-LD (SoftwareApplication + Organization), canonical URLs, comprehensive meta descriptions.

Image Optimisation

loading="lazy" on non-critical images, explicit width/height to prevent CLS, alt text on all images, role="img" with aria-label on SVGs.

Font Performance

Google Fonts preconnect and preload for JetBrains Mono. font-display: swap to prevent FOIT.

Core Web Vitals

Minimised CLS via explicit dimensions, optimised LCP via font preloading, efficient FID via code splitting.

Troubleshooting

AI extraction returns no data or low confidence

Possible causes:

PDF is password-protected or image-only without embedded text
Document is not a recognised aviation certificate type
AI rate limits triggered fallback to regex extraction

Solutions:

Verify the PDF opens normally in a PDF reader
Check that it contains at least 2 aviation keywords (P/N, S/N, EASA, FAA, etc.)
Try re-uploading — temporary rate limits resolve automatically
For image-only PDFs, use the Camera Scanner which handles image processing

The method field in extraction results indicates whether AI or regex was used. Regex results warrant manual review.

Duplicate detection shows unexpected results

By design, duplicates are matched by part number only (case-insensitive):

Different serial numbers with the same part number are flagged as duplicates
The same part from different certificates is flagged as a duplicate
This is intentional for inventory reconciliation

Use the Duplicates page to review groups and decide which entries to keep, delete, or export.

User cannot access system after sign-up

New accounts receive the Visitor role by default and are placed on a Pending Approval screen. To resolve:

An Admin must navigate to User Management
Locate the user in the table
Change their role from visitor to an operational role
Ensure the Active toggle is enabled

Users with the visitor role or is_active: false cannot access any protected routes. This is enforced by both frontend route guards and database RLS policies.

PDF compression flags an anomaly

Compression ratios below 0.2 (80%+ size reduction) are flagged as potentially suspicious:

May indicate the PDF contains very little actual content
May indicate excessive metadata or duplicate objects
The original PDF is always preserved alongside the compressed version

Flagged compression is informational only — the certificate is still saved and accessible. Review flagged certificates to ensure content integrity.

Batch upload shows errors for some files

Individual files in a batch can fail independently:

Invalid PDF: Corrupted or non-PDF files are rejected
Extraction failure: AI and regex both failed to extract meaningful data
Duplicate detected: A certificate with the same part number already exists (skipped, not error)

Check Batch History for detailed per-file status, error messages, and confidence scores.

Camera scanner not working

Browser permissions required:

Allow camera access when prompted
Ensure HTTPS connection (camera API requires secure context)
On iOS, use Safari — other browsers may not support the camera API

Camera scanning is not supported on desktop browsers without a webcam. Use the standard Upload page for desktop workflows.

Changelog

Version	Date	Highlights
2.6	March 2026	Enhanced Mintlify documentation, SEO optimisation, deployment fixes
2.5	March 2026	Kit sub-item extraction, parent-child visual indicators, AI markdown rendering
2.4	March 2026	Certificate cart, duplicate management page, bulk print and CSV export
2.3	March 2026	AI chat assistant with streaming, batch upload history page
2.2	March 2026	Dashboard redesign with Recharts, user management permissions matrix
2.1	March 2026	Camera scanning, batch upload, PDF compression with anomaly detection
2.0	March 2026	Multi-item certificate support, full-text search with tsvector + pg_trgm
1.0	February 2026	Initial release — single-item extraction, RBAC, audit logging

Additional Resources

EASA Part 21

EASA Form 1 regulatory requirements and authorised release certificate specifications.

FAA Order 8130.21

FAA procedures for completion and use of FAA Form 8130-3, Airworthiness Approval Tag.

Source Code

Open-source repository with full codebase, CI/CD configuration, and contribution guidelines.

Built by Brian KN ·

​Introduction

​Quick Start

​Features

AI-Powered Extraction

Multi-Item Certificates

Kit Sub-Item Extraction

Role-Based Access (RBAC)

Camera Scanning

Batch Upload

Certificate Cart and Bulk Print

Duplicate Detection

AI Chat Assistant

PDF Compression

Complete Audit Trail

Full-Text Search

​System Architecture

​Certificate Processing

​Extraction Pipeline

​Extraction Algorithm

​Kit Sub-Item Extraction

​Certificate Type Mapping

​Cart and Bulk Operations

​Duplicate Management

​Detection Algorithm

​AI Chat Assistant

​Capabilities

Certificate Knowledge

Compliance Guidance

System Help

General Aviation

​Response Formatting

​User Roles and Permissions

​Permission Matrix

​User Management Dashboard (Admin)

Stats Overview

Interactive Permissions Matrix

User Table

Role Summary Cards

​Data Model

​API Reference

​Edge Functions

​Application Routes

​Tech Stack

Frontend

State Management

Backend

AI and Processing

​Progressive Web App (PWA)

​SEO and Performance

Meta and Structured Data

Image Optimisation

Font Performance

Core Web Vitals

​Troubleshooting

​Changelog

​Additional Resources

EASA Part 21

FAA Order 8130.21

Source Code

Introduction

Quick Start

Features

System Architecture

Certificate Processing

Extraction Pipeline

Extraction Algorithm

Kit Sub-Item Extraction

Certificate Type Mapping

Cart and Bulk Operations

Duplicate Management

Detection Algorithm

AI Chat Assistant

Capabilities

Response Formatting

User Roles and Permissions

Permission Matrix

User Management Dashboard (Admin)

Data Model

API Reference

Edge Functions

Application Routes

Tech Stack

Progressive Web App (PWA)

SEO and Performance

Troubleshooting

Changelog

Additional Resources