AI reads receipt emails into your expense sheet
AI pulls the vendor, amount, currency and date out of receipt emails and logs them.
How it works
Trigger: Gmail — new email that looks like a receipt
- Watch Gmail for receipts, invoices and order confirmations.
- Ask an AI model to extract vendor, amount, currency, date and category.
- Add a row to your Expenses sheet.
Diagram
Trigger App Logic Code AI
Code
JavaScript used in the Code step — already included in the template below.
// Mode: Run Once for Each Item
// The AI was asked for JSON like:
// {"vendor": "Uber", "amount": 12.5, "currency": "USD", "date": "2026-10-01", "category": "Transport"}
const match = $json.text.match(/\{[\s\S]*\}/);
const r = match ? JSON.parse(match[0]) : {};
const email = $("Receipt email").item.json;
if (!r.amount) return { json: { skip: true } };
return {
json: {
date: r.date || new Date(email.date).toISOString().slice(0, 10),
vendor: r.vendor || email.from?.value?.[0]?.name || "",
amount: Number(r.amount),
currency: r.currency || "",
category: r.category || "Other",
email_subject: email.subject,
},
};Build it
Pick your tool — same automation, step by step.
Copy and paste straight into an n8n canvas (Ctrl+V), or download and use Import from File. Then connect your own credentials and replace every YOUR_… placeholder. AI steps use a Claude model node — swap it for OpenAI, Gemini or Ollama if you prefer.
Show code (215 lines)
{
"name": "AI reads receipt emails into your expense sheet (Flowngn)",
"nodes": [
{
"parameters": {
"content": "## AI reads receipt emails into your expense sheet\nAI pulls the vendor, amount, currency and date out of receipt emails and logs them.\n\n**Setup**\n1. Open each node and connect your own credentials.\n2. Replace every YOUR_… placeholder.\n3. Test once, then activate.\n\nFree template from Flowngn",
"height": 260,
"width": 340
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Setup notes",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.stickyNote",
"typeVersion": 1,
"position": [
-420,
-60
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"pollTimes": {
"item": [
{
"mode": "everyHour"
}
]
},
"simple": false,
"filters": {
"q": "receipt OR invoice OR \"order confirmation\""
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Receipt email",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.gmailTrigger",
"typeVersion": 1.2,
"position": [
0,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"promptType": "define",
"text": "=Read this email. If it is a receipt or invoice for a purchase, reply ONLY with JSON: {\"vendor\": \"...\", \"amount\": 0, \"currency\": \"USD\", \"date\": \"YYYY-MM-DD\", \"category\": \"Software|Travel|Food|Office|Other\"}. If it is not a receipt, reply with {}.\n\nFrom: {{ $json.from.text }}\nSubject: {{ $json.subject }}\n\n{{ ($json.text || \"\").slice(0, 4000) }}"
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Extract expense",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.chainLlm",
"typeVersion": 1.5,
"position": [
300,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"model": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "claude-sonnet-5",
"mode": "list"
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Claude model",
"type": "@n8n/n8n-nodes-langchain.lmChatAnthropic",
"typeVersion": 1.3,
"position": [
300,
220
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"jsCode": "// Mode: Run Once for Each Item\n// The AI was asked for JSON like:\n// {\"vendor\": \"Uber\", \"amount\": 12.5, \"currency\": \"USD\", \"date\": \"2026-10-01\", \"category\": \"Transport\"}\nconst match = $json.text.match(/\\{[\\s\\S]*\\}/);\nconst r = match ? JSON.parse(match[0]) : {};\nconst email = $(\"Receipt email\").item.json;\n\nif (!r.amount) return { json: { skip: true } };\n\nreturn {\n json: {\n date: r.date || new Date(email.date).toISOString().slice(0, 10),\n vendor: r.vendor || email.from?.value?.[0]?.name || \"\",\n amount: Number(r.amount),\n currency: r.currency || \"\",\n category: r.category || \"Other\",\n email_subject: email.subject,\n },\n};",
"mode": "runOnceForEachItem"
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Read expense",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.code",
"typeVersion": 2,
"position": [
600,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"conditions": {
"options": {
"caseSensitive": true,
"leftValue": "",
"typeValidation": "loose"
},
"conditions": [
{
"id": "c1",
"leftValue": "={{ $json.skip }}",
"rightValue": true,
"operator": {
"type": "boolean",
"operation": "notEquals"
}
}
],
"combinator": "and"
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Is a receipt?",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.if",
"typeVersion": 2.2,
"position": [
900,
0
]
},
{
"parameters": {
"operation": "append",
"documentId": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "YOUR_SPREADSHEET_ID",
"mode": "id"
},
"sheetName": {
"__rl": true,
"value": "Expenses",
"mode": "name"
},
"columns": {
"mappingMode": "autoMapInputData",
"value": {}
},
"options": {}
},
"id": "292cf932-28a7-4296-a76d-5cdfef5c8244",
"name": "Add to Expenses",
"type": "n8n-nodes-base.googleSheets",
"typeVersion": 4.5,
"position": [
1200,
0
]
}
],
"connections": {
"Receipt email": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Extract expense",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Extract expense": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Read expense",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Read expense": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Is a receipt?",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Is a receipt?": {
"main": [
[
{
"node": "Add to Expenses",
"type": "main",
"index": 0
}
]
]
},
"Claude model": {
"ai_languageModel": [
[
{
"node": "Extract expense",
"type": "ai_languageModel",
"index": 0
}
]
]
}
},
"pinData": {},
"settings": {
"executionOrder": "v1"
},
"meta": {
"templateCredsSetupCompleted": false
},
"tags": []
}In Make, create a new scenario and add these modules in order:
- Gmail › Watch Emails (search: receipt OR invoice OR "order confirmation")
- Anthropic Claude › Create a Prompt (or OpenAI › Create a Completion)
- Tools › Set variable / Iterator + Array aggregator (same logic as the Code step)
- Filter on the next route: “Is a receipt?”
- If yesGoogle Sheets › Add a Row
- Every module run uses Make operations — the free plan includes a monthly quota.
- Make's built-in functions (map, sum, formatDate…) can replace most Code steps; for complex logic use a code module.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
In Zapier, create a new Zap and add these steps in order:
- Gmail — New Email Matching Search (receipt OR invoice OR "order confirmation")
- Anthropic (Claude) — Send Message (or ChatGPT — Conversation)
- Code by Zapier — Run JavaScript (paste the code from the Code section)
- Filter by Zapier: “Is a receipt?”
- If yesGoogle Sheets — Create Spreadsheet Row
- Zaps with more than two steps need a paid Zapier plan.
- Webhooks, Filters/Paths and Code by Zapier are premium features on some Zapier plans.
- Code by Zapier runs JavaScript: reuse the code shown above, reading inputs from inputData instead of $json.
- Module and step names can differ slightly as Make and Zapier update their apps.
Tips
- Check the sheet weekly at first — AI is good at this, but not perfect.
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