Automation library · Money admin

Process email invoices with OCR and OpenAI

Started by an arriving email, and works across Gmail, Google Sheets and Slack. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI. 20 steps, 2 branches, 1 loop or waits: a working afternoon to understand properly.

MediumCalls a model: OpenAI

Download free
20 stepsMedium: a working afternoon
2Branches: places the flow splits
1Loop or waits
3Services it connects to

The flow

Starts it 1Model 4Logic 9Service 6

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

  1. 1Invoice Email TriggerGmail triggerStarts it
  2. 2OpenAI GPT-4Lm Chat Open AiModel
  3. 3OpenAI GPT-4 for ParserLm Chat Open AiModel
  4. 4Workflow ConfigurationSetLogic
  5. 5AI Invoice ExtractorAgentModel
  6. 6Invoice Schema ParserOutput Parser StructuredModel
  7. 7Capture Invoice MetadataSetLogic
  8. 8Validate and Recalculate TotalsCodeLogic
  9. 9Check File TypeIfLogic
  10. 10Mask PII DataCodeLogic
  11. 11Extract Text from PDFExtract From FileService
  12. 12OCR for ImagesHttp RequestService
  13. 13Check if Review NeededIfLogic
  14. 14Merge OCR ResultsMergeLogic
  15. 15Send Review RequestSlackService
  16. 16Create QuickBooks BillQuickbooksService
  17. 17Wait for Human ReviewWaitLogic
  18. 18Prepare Audit Log EntrySetLogic
  19. 19Log to Audit TrailGoogle SheetsService
  20. 20Send Success NotificationSlackService

How it's built

Starts on
An arriving email
Steps
20, with 2 branches, 1 loop or waits
Size
Medium: a working afternoon
Connects to
Gmail, Google Sheets, Slack
Model
OpenAI

Questions

What does it need to run?

An n8n account, plus your own Gmail, Google Sheets and Slack accounts, and a key for OpenAI. You connect your own accounts after importing it; none are included.

What starts it?

It starts on an arriving email.

Does it use AI?

Yes. It calls OpenAI. Model calls are billed by the provider, not by n8n.

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.