# Extract and triage PDF documents with Claude and Gmail: n8n workflow

> Started by someone submitting a form, and works across Airtable, Gmail and Slack. 20 steps, 2 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Source: https://millionrounds.com/workflow/extract-and-triage-pdf-documents-with-claude-and-gmail (Millionrounds; every figure on the page links to its filing or article)

[Automation library](https://millionrounds.com/workflows) · [Documents and files](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?category=Documents+and+files#library)

# Extract and triage PDF documents with Claude and Gmail

Started by someone submitting a form, and works across Airtable, Gmail and Slack. 20 steps, 2 branches: a working afternoon to understand properly.

Medium

[Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fextract-and-triage-pdf-documents-with-claude-and-gmail)

**20 steps** Medium: a working afternoon

**2** Branches: places the flow splits

**0** Loops or waits

**3** Services it connects to

## The flow

Starts it 2 Logic 7 Service 11

The steps in the order they run, from what starts it.

- 1 **Upload Document** Form trigger *Starts it*
- 2 **Email Attachment Trigger** Gmail trigger *Starts it*
- 3 **Extract PDF Text (Form)** Extract From File *Service*
- 4 **Get Attachment** Gmail *Service*
- 5 **Normalize Form Input** Set *Logic*
- 6 **Extract PDF Text (Email)** Extract From File *Service*
- 7 **Merge Sources** Merge *Logic*
- 8 **Normalize Email Input** Set *Logic*
- 9 **AI Extract & Validate** Http Request *Service*
- 10 **Parse AI Response** Code *Logic*
- 11 **Needs Review?** If *Logic*
- 12 **Notify for Review** Slack *Service*
- 13 **Log to Needs Review** Airtable *Service*
- 14 **Route by Document Type** Switch *Logic*
- 15 **Store Invoice** Airtable *Service*
- 16 **Store Resume** Airtable *Service*
- 17 **Store Contract** Airtable *Service*
- 18 **Store Application** Airtable *Service*
- 19 **Merge Stored Results** Merge *Logic*
- 20 **Send Success Notification** Slack *Service*

## How it's built

- **Starts on:** Someone submitting a form
- **Steps:** 20, with 2 branches
- **Size:** Medium: a working afternoon
- **Connects to:** Airtable, Gmail, Slack
- **Model:** None. This is plumbing, not judgement

## Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Airtable, Gmail and Slack accounts. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on someone submitting a form.

Does it use AI?

No. Every step is fixed logic or a call to a service, so it does the same thing every time.

How long does it take to set up?

Plan an afternoon. 20 steps is enough that you should read each one before running it.

How do I import it?

Copy the workflow, open a new workflow in n8n and paste. The steps appear on the canvas, ready for your own accounts.

**Before you run it**

Nothing here has been tested by us. It is somebody's working automation, read and described from its own steps. Treat the connections it wants as a list of accounts it will touch, and read the 20 steps before you point it at anything that matters.

## Run it in n8n

- **Create your n8n account** Free to start. n8n is where the workflow runs. [Create an n8n account ↗](https://millionrounds.com/n8n)
- **Download the workflow** Free with a Millionrounds account. [Download free](https://millionrounds.com/login?next=%2Fapp%2Fworkflow%2Fextract-and-triage-pdf-documents-with-claude-and-gmail)
- **Paste it into n8n** Open a new workflow in n8n and paste. Then connect your own accounts.

Stored with the author's traces removed: canvas notes, instance identifiers, saved credential names and any live document they had left behind.

## Connects to

Each opens the other workflows that use it.

[Airtable](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Airtable#library)[Gmail](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Gmail#library)[Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflows?service=Slack#library)

## Workflows like it

Also documents and files, with the same services where possible, closest in size first.

- [**Automated database backup with Google Sheets and Slack** 20 steps · Google Sheets, Slack](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/automated-database-backup-with-google-sheets-and-slack)
- [**Translate PDFs into multiple languages with Google Translate** 20 steps · Gmail, n8n data table](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/translate-pdfs-into-multiple-languages-with-google-translate)
- [**Document-based chatbot with OpenAI and Pinecone** 20 steps · calls a model · Airtable, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/document-based-chatbot-with-openai-and-pinecone)
- [**Financial document extraction from Gmail to Google Sheets** 20 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Sheets](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/financial-document-extraction-from-gmail-to-google-sheets)
- [**Generate DOCX documents from Gmail with OpenAI** 20 steps · calls a model · Gmail, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/generate-docx-documents-from-gmail-with-openai)
- [**Backup n8n workflows to GitHub and Google Drive with Gmail** 19 steps · Gmail, Google Drive](https://millionrounds.com/workflow/backup-n8n-workflows-to-github-and-google-drive-with-gmail)