Process invoices automatically from Gmail to Xero

Reads invoice attachments from Gmail, extracts the details, checks them, and creates a draft invoice in Xero.

How the work actually flows

A straight line. A person has to approve before it continues.

Pattern: Sequence (1)

flowchart TD trig>"invoice email received"]:::trig s0["extract invoice details"]:::task s1["validate and flag high value"]:::task s2[("log to tracking sheet")]:::store s3["create draft invoice"]:::svc trig --> s0 s0 --> s1 s1 --> s2 hg(("finance approves via slack")):::human s2 --> hg hg -->|"approved"| s3 hg -. "sent back" .-> s2 out[/"approved draft invoice in xero"/]:::out pay{{"eliminates manual invoice entry"}}:::pay s3 --> out out --> pay classDef task fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#34b8f0,color:#2c2a29 classDef svc fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#7c8795,color:#2c2a29 classDef mi fill:#e7f6fe,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29,stroke-width:2px classDef human fill:#fff,stroke:#0079a8,color:#0079a8 classDef store fill:#f6f8fa,stroke:#0079a8,color:#2c2a29 classDef trig fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigtime fill:#00a4eb,stroke:#0079a8,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef trigdata fill:#8ad4f5,stroke:#0079a8,color:#06314c,font-weight:bold classDef gate fill:#fff,stroke:#e8a23d,color:#6b4708,font-weight:bold classDef out fill:#1f9d6b,stroke:#167a53,color:#fff,font-weight:bold classDef pay fill:#06314c,stroke:#021f33,color:#fff
Starts itA stepAn outside serviceA personA record or sheetResultPayoff
Build size
Advanced

A larger build with multiple systems, AI reasoning, and custom rules.

Business functions
Email AutomationMessaging & NotificationsDocument Processing & OCRImage & Media ProcessingSpreadsheet & Database OpsFinance & Accounting
Connects
GmailGoogle SheetsSlackXero

The problem it solves

Invoices land in your inbox all day, and typing each one into your accounting system by hand is slow and invites mistakes. High-value or incomplete invoices are easy to approve without a second look.

Who it fits

Finance teams and small business owners who receive vendor invoices by email.

How it works

  1. Watches your Gmail inbox for new emails with invoice attachments
  2. Extracts the vendor, amount, dates, and invoice number from the attachment
  3. Checks that the details are complete and flags high-value invoices
  4. Logs valid invoices to a tracking sheet and sends a Slack message for approval
  5. Creates a draft invoice in Xero once approved and labels the email as processed
What you get

Invoices ready for a quick approval tap

Vendor invoices from Gmail are extracted, checked, and turned into a draft invoice in Xero for approval.

What you get

A logged, validated invoice record and a draft invoice ready for review in Xero.

What you need

A Gmail account, an OCR service account, a Google account, Slack, and a Xero account.

We can build this. But should you?

The hard question is not how to build it. It is whether this is the right thing to build first.

That is what a Fractional Chief AI Officer figures out with you, before anyone writes a line of code.

Let's Talk Strategy

Related automations

Match invoices to purchase orders automatically before you pay

Compares each invoice against its purchase order and delivery receipt, then flags mismatches before money goes out.

Advanced

Pull invoice data from Gmail PDFs into Sheets and Airtable

Invoices arriving in Gmail are read by AI, logged to a spreadsheet, and flagged for review if something looks off.

Advanced

Catch duplicate invoices from Gmail before they get paid twice

Scans invoice emails automatically and alerts you in Slack before a duplicate invoice slips through.

Advanced

Turn emailed invoices into QuickBooks bills automatically

Reads invoice emails, pulls out the numbers with AI, checks the math, and creates the bill in QuickBooks for you.

Advanced
Back to the AI Playbook