Skip to main content

Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18

Workflow preview

Workflow preview
100%
Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18 preview
Open on n8n.io

1. Workflow Overview

This workflow automates accounts payable : upload a PDF invoice, let Claude AI extract the key fields, and automatically create a vendor bill (incoming invoice) in Odoo 18. Who is this for? Small a...

Best for

  • Invoice Processing automation workflows
  • AI Summarization automation workflows
  • advanced n8n builders looking for reusable templates

Tools used

n8n-nodes-base.stickynote, n8n-nodes-base.webhook, n8n-nodes-base.extractfromfile, n8n-nodes-base.set, n8n-nodes-base.code, n8n-nodes-base.httprequest, n8n-nodes-base.if, n8n-nodes-base.respondtowebhook

Source and attribution

This workflow is cataloged by N8N Workflows and links back to its original n8n.io source page by Florian Eiche.

Original n8n.io source

1.1 Workflow description

Title
Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18
Workflow name
Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18

This workflow automates accounts payable: upload a PDF invoice, let Claude AI extract the key fields, and automatically create a vendor bill (incoming invoice) in Odoo 18.

Who is this for?

Small and medium businesses using Odoo 18 who want to automate invoice data entry. Finance teams, bookkeepers, or anyone processing incoming invoices manually.

How it works

  1. Receive a PDF invoice via webhook (file upload)
  2. Convert the PDF to base64 for AI processing
  3. Claude AI extracts: vendor name, invoice number, date, amounts, tax rate
  4. Authenticate with Odoo 18 via JSON-RPC API
  5. Check for duplicate invoices (by invoice number)
  6. Find or create the vendor (res.partner) in Odoo
  7. Create a draft vendor bill (account.move) in Odoo
  8. Return a structured JSON response with the result

The invoice is created in draft status so you can review and confirm it manually in Odoo before posting.

Extracted fields

vendor, invoice_number, invoice_date, total_amount, currency, net_amount, tax_rate, tax_amount

Setup

  1. Open the Configuration node and enter your Odoo URL, database, user, and password
  2. Create an HTTP Header Auth credential named Anthropic API Key with header name x-api-key and your Anthropic API key as value
  3. Activate the workflow and send a test PDF

Test with curl

curl -X POST https://your-n8n-instance.com/webhook/invoice-process -F "[email protected]"

Requirements

  • Odoo 18 with Invoicing module installed
  • Anthropic API key (Claude Sonnet 4.5 recommended)
  • n8n 2.x (self-hosted or cloud)

How to customize

  • Change the AI model in the Configuration node (e.g. claude-haiku-4-5-20251001 for lower cost)
  • Modify the extraction prompt in Prepare Claude Request to add custom fields
  • Add a file storage step after invoice creation (e.g. Google Drive, S3, WebDAV)
  • Connect an email trigger instead of the webhook for fully automated processing

Note on data privacy

This workflow sends PDF documents to the Anthropic API for data extraction. Ensure you have a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with Anthropic and comply with your local data protection regulations (e.g. GDPR) before processing documents containing personal data.

Author: Florian Eiche — eiche-digital.de

1.2 Logical Blocks

This catalog entry is organized from the workflow JSON. The node-level section below shows the executable blocks available for review before importing the template.

2. Block-by-Block Analysis

Block 1 - Sticky Note

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 2 - Sticky Note1

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 3 - Sticky Note2

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 4 - Sticky Note3

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 5 - Sticky Note4

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote - stickyNote
Config choices
Version 1

Block 6 - Receive Invoice PDF

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.webhook - webhook
Config choices
Version 2

Block 7 - PDF to Base64

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.extractFromFile - extractFromFile
Config choices
Version 1

Block 8 - Configuration

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.set - set
Config choices
Version 3.4

Block 9 - Prepare Claude Request

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 10 - Claude AI Extract

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 11 - Parse Extraction

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 12 - Odoo Authenticate

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 13 - Prepare Duplicate Check

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 14 - Search Duplicate Invoice

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 15 - Duplicate Found?

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2

Block 16 - Handle Duplicate

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 17 - Prepare Vendor Search

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 18 - Search Vendor

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 19 - Vendor Exists?

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.if - if
Config choices
Version 2

Block 20 - Use Existing Vendor

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 21 - Prepare Create Vendor

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 22 - Create Vendor in Odoo

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.httpRequest - httpRequest
Config choices
Version 4.2

Block 23 - Get New Vendor ID

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Block 24 - Prepare Invoice

Type / Role
n8n-nodes-base.code - code
Config choices
Version 2

Showing the first 24 of 29 workflow blocks. Download the JSON for the full node graph.

3. Summary Table

Workflow Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18
Complexity advanced
Nodes 29
Categories Invoice Processing, AI Summarization
Author Florian Eiche
Published 01 Apr 2026

4. Reproducing the Workflow from Scratch

  1. 1. Download the workflow JSON

    Use the JSON export at /data/workflows/14573/14573.json as the source template for this automation.

  2. 2. Import the template into n8n

    Open n8n, import the downloaded JSON, and review each node before activating the workflow.

  3. 3. Configure credentials and variables

    Replace placeholder credentials, API keys, webhook URLs, account IDs, and environment-specific values with your own settings.

  4. 4. Test with sample data

    Run the workflow manually or in a staging workspace, inspect node output, and confirm downstream systems receive the expected data.

  5. 5. Activate and monitor

    Enable the workflow only after testing, then monitor executions, errors, and rate limits during the first production runs.

5. General Notes & Resources

Review imported nodes carefully before activation. This catalog entry is intended to help you inspect the workflow structure, understand required services, and find related templates faster.

Node names, credentials, schedules, webhook paths, and external service limits may need adjustment for your workspace.

Frequently asked questions

What does Extract invoice data from PDF with Claude AI and create vendor bill in Odoo 18 do?

This workflow automates accounts payable : upload a PDF invoice, let Claude AI extract the key fields, and automatically create a vendor bill (incoming invoice) in Odoo 18. Who is this for? Small a...

What do I need before importing this workflow?

Review the workflow JSON, configure any required credentials in n8n, and test the automation in a safe workspace before using it in production.

Can I customize this workflow?

Yes. Use the block-by-block analysis and the downloadable JSON to inspect each node, then adjust credentials, prompts, schedules, filters, or destinations for your Invoice Processing, AI Summarization use case.