How do you automate the invoices, receipts and forms coming into your inbox?
Short answer
Send every document to one inbox or folder, pull the details you care about off each one (vendor, date, amounts, names), check them against your rules, enter them in your accounting or business system, and file the original with a consistent name. Anything that doesn't match your rules goes to a person instead of being entered.
The workflow, step by step
- One way in. A dedicated email address or shared folder that every vendor, client and staff member sends documents to.
- Pull the details. Names, dates, amounts, totals and account numbers are read off every page, including scans and phone photos.
- Check against your rules. A total that doesn't add up, a vendor you've never paid, a missing signature or a duplicate is flagged, not entered.
- Enter it. Bills and receipts go into QuickBooks, forms into your CRM or database, with the original attached.
- File the original. Renamed the same way every time (vendor, date, amount) and saved in the right folder.
What gets pulled from what
| Document | Details pulled | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Vendor invoice | Vendor, invoice number, date, due date, line items, total | QuickBooks bill |
| Receipt | Merchant, date, amount, category | QuickBooks expense |
| Intake or application form | Names, contact details, answers | Your CRM or database |
| Signed contract | Parties, dates, amounts, renewal date | Contract folder and a renewal reminder |
Rules worth writing down
- Amounts over a set limit need approval
- New vendors need approval the first time
- Duplicates (same vendor, number and amount) are held
- Anything that can't be read clearly goes to a person
How Midwater sets this up
Midwater builds this as a custom AI agent: set up on your email, folders and QuickBooks with your rules, run for you, and changed when your rules change.
Published
Common questions
- Can it read scanned and photographed documents?
- Yes. Handwriting depends on how legible it is, so test it on your own documents first.
- Does a person still check the work?
- Anything outside your rules waits for a person. You decide what can go straight through.
Use cases behind this answer
Documents by email, read, filed and routed
Email any invoice, contract, form or receipt to your agent. It pulls out the details, enters them where they belong, files it, and tells the right person.
Wholesale orders by PDF and email
The agent reads buyer POs in any format, enters them in Shopify or your order system, checks stock, confirms with the buyer and invoices.
Paperwork to invoice the same day
Rate cons, BOLs and PODs arrive by photo or email. The agent matches them, builds the invoice packet and sends it to your factor the day the load delivers.
More from the blog
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- How do you build a back office AI agent for a small business?
- How do you automate client intake?
- How do you automate invoicing from your team's time and job records?
- How much does an AI receptionist cost?
- Should I use an answering service or an AI receptionist?
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