diff --git a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/importing/DocumentImporter.java b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/importing/DocumentImporter.java
index ab693920..5e6e8a6f 100644
--- a/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/importing/DocumentImporter.java
+++ b/backend/src/main/java/org/raddatz/familienarchiv/importing/DocumentImporter.java
@@ -178,39 +178,61 @@ public class DocumentImporter {
                                    String s3Key, String contentType, DocumentStatus status) {
         Document doc = existing != null ? existing
                 : Document.builder().originalFilename(index).build();
+        applyAttribution(doc, row);
+        applyDates(doc, row);
+        applyAuthoritativeAssociations(doc, row);
+        applyFileMetadata(doc, s3Key, contentType, status, index);
+        applyComputedFlags(doc);
+        return doc;
+    }
 
+    // Sender + raw sender/receiver text. The raw cells are always retained verbatim, even
+    // when a person is linked — the load-bearing invariant behind the merge story (ADR-025).
+    private void applyAttribution(Document doc, CanonicalSheetReader.Row row) {
         String senderName = row.get("sender_name");
         String receiverNames = row.get("receiver_names");
         Person sender = resolveSender(row.get("sender_person_id"), senderName);
+        doc.setSender(sender);
+        doc.setSenderText(blankToNull(senderName));
+        doc.setReceiverText(blankToNull(receiverNames));
+    }
+
+    // Date triplet + raw + location. Pure value parsing, no semantic logic.
+    private void applyDates(Document doc, CanonicalSheetReader.Row row) {
+        doc.setDocumentDate(parseIsoDate(row.get("date_iso")));
+        doc.setMetaDatePrecision(parsePrecision(row.get("date_precision")));
+        doc.setMetaDateEnd(parseIsoDate(row.get("date_end")));
+        doc.setMetaDateRaw(blankToNull(row.get("date_raw")));
+        doc.setLocation(blankToNull(row.get("location")));
+        doc.setSummary(blankToNull(row.get("summary")));
+    }
+
+    // Receivers and tags are owned by the canonical row (ADR-025): clear then re-populate so a
+    // shrunk set on re-import prunes stale links rather than accumulating them. The
+    // "preserve human edits" rule does NOT extend to these collections.
+    private void applyAuthoritativeAssociations(Document doc, CanonicalSheetReader.Row row) {
         Set<Person> receivers = resolveReceivers(row.get("receiver_person_ids"));
+        doc.getReceivers().clear();
+        doc.getReceivers().addAll(receivers);
+        attachTag(doc, row.get("tags"));
+    }
 
-        LocalDate date = parseIsoDate(row.get("date_iso"));
-        DatePrecision precision = parsePrecision(row.get("date_precision"));
-        LocalDate dateEnd = parseIsoDate(row.get("date_end"));
-        String dateRaw = blankToNull(row.get("date_raw"));
-        String location = blankToNull(row.get("location"));
-
-        doc.setTitle(buildTitle(index, date, precision, dateEnd, dateRaw, location));
+    // S3 key, content type, status, and the index-derived title.
+    private void applyFileMetadata(Document doc, String s3Key, String contentType,
+                                   DocumentStatus status, String index) {
         doc.setStatus(status);
         doc.setFilePath(s3Key);
         doc.setContentType(contentType);
-        doc.setSender(sender);
-        doc.setSenderText(blankToNull(senderName));
-        // The canonical row is authoritative for receivers/tags (ADR-025): clear then
-        // re-populate so a shrunk set on re-import prunes stale links rather than
-        // accumulating them. The raw sender_text/receiver_text retention is separate.
-        doc.getReceivers().clear();
-        doc.getReceivers().addAll(receivers);
-        doc.setReceiverText(blankToNull(receiverNames));
-        doc.setDocumentDate(date);
-        doc.setMetaDatePrecision(precision);
-        doc.setMetaDateEnd(dateEnd);
-        doc.setMetaDateRaw(dateRaw);
-        doc.setLocation(location);
-        doc.setSummary(blankToNull(row.get("summary")));
-        attachTag(doc, row.get("tags"));
-        doc.setMetadataComplete(doc.getDocumentDate() != null || sender != null || !receivers.isEmpty());
-        return doc;
+        doc.setTitle(buildTitle(index, doc.getDocumentDate(), doc.getMetaDatePrecision(),
+                doc.getMetaDateEnd(), doc.getMetaDateRaw(), doc.getLocation()));
+    }
+
+    // metadataComplete: a document counts as fully described if any of the three "who/when"
+    // pieces is filled. Called last so the upstream setters have already populated the doc.
+    private void applyComputedFlags(Document doc) {
+        doc.setMetadataComplete(doc.getDocumentDate() != null
+                || doc.getSender() != null
+                || !doc.getReceivers().isEmpty());
     }
 
     // The title carries the date at the HONEST precision (never a fabricated day) via the