Automate invoice processing with Gmail, OCR.space, Slack & Xero

How It Works

1. Trigger: Watches for new emails in Gmail with PDF/image attachments.
2. OCR: Sends the attachment to OCR.space API (https://ocr.space/OCRAPI) to extract invoice text.
3. Parsing: Extracts key fields:
   • Vendor
   • Invoice number
   • Amount
   • Currency
   • Invoice date
   • Due date
   • Description
4. Validation Logic:
   • Checks if amount is valid
   • Ensures vendor and invoice number are present
   • Flags high-value invoices (e.g., over $10,000)
5. Routing:
   • If invalid:
   • Sends a Slack message highlighting issues
   • Labels email as Rejected
   • If valid:
     • Logs the invoice into Google Sheets
     • Sends a Slack message to the finance team for approval
     • After approval, creates a draft invoice in Xero
     • Labels the email as Processed in Gmail

Set up steps

• Estimated setup time: 45-60 mins • You’ll need connected credentials for Gmail, Slack, Google Sheets, and Xero • Replace the default API key for OCR.space with your own (in the HTTP Request node) • Update Slack channel IDs and label IDs to match your workspace • Adjust invoice validation rules as needed (e.g. currency, red flag conditions)

All detailed explanations and field mappings are provided in sticky notes within the workflow.