Automation library · Money admin

Read receipts and write into Google Sheets with OpenAI

Started by an event in a connected app, and works across Google Drive and Google Sheets. It hands the judgement calls to OpenAI. 16 steps, 1 branch: a working afternoon to understand properly.

MediumCalls a model: OpenAI

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16 stepsMedium: a working afternoon
1Branch: places the flow splits
0Loops or waits
2Services it connects to

The flow

Starts it 1Model 1Logic 9Service 5

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

  1. 1Google Drive Trigger (New Receipt)Google Drive triggerStarts it
  2. 2Google Sheets: Read Last NrGoogle SheetsService
  3. 3Download ReceiptGoogle DriveService
  4. 4Merge (Receipt JSON + Last Nr)MergeLogic
  5. 5Normalize MetadataSetLogic
  6. 6Create Sheet Rows (1 per item)CodeLogic
  7. 7IF: Already PDF?SwitchLogic
  8. 8Google Sheets: Append RowsGoogle SheetsService
  9. 9Convert to PDF (Drive Export)Google DriveService
  10. 10Mark PDF Binary (already PDF)SetLogic
  11. 11Mark PDF Binary (from Export)SetLogic
  12. 12Merge (PDF Path)MergeLogic
  13. 13OCR (HTTP) → TextHttp RequestService
  14. 14Normalize OCR OutputSetLogic
  15. 15AI Extract (Receipt → JSON)Open AiModel
  16. 16Parse AI JSONCodeLogic

How it's built

Starts on
An event in a connected app
Steps
16, with 1 branch
Size
Medium: a working afternoon
Connects to
Google Drive, Google Sheets
Model
OpenAI

Questions

What does it need to run?

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

What starts it?

It starts on an event in a connected app.

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. 16 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 16 steps before you point it at anything that matters.