Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Message Parsing with Gmail and Google Sheets

This n8n workflow automates the process of extracting and organizing data from incoming EDI messages received via email, storing the parsed information in a Google Sheet. It's designed to streamline the handling of structured data sent through email, making it easier to manage and analyze.

What it does

This workflow performs the following key steps:

1. Monitors Gmail for New Emails: It acts as a trigger, constantly checking a specified Gmail account for new incoming emails.
2. Parses Email Content: Upon receiving an email, it extracts the relevant content, likely the body of the email containing the EDI message.
3. Processes EDI Data with Custom Logic: A "Code" node is present, indicating custom JavaScript logic is applied to parse and transform the raw EDI message into a structured format. This is where the core EDI parsing happens.
4. Filters Data (Conditional Logic): An "If" node suggests that the workflow applies conditional logic to the parsed data. This could be used to filter messages based on specific criteria (e.g., message type, sender, content keywords) or to route different types of EDI messages to different processing paths.
5. Splits Out Data: A "Split Out" node indicates that the parsed data is likely an array or a collection of items, and this node separates them into individual items for further processing. This is crucial for handling multiple EDI segments or records within a single message.
6. Prepares Data for Google Sheets: An "Edit Fields (Set)" node is used to format and select the specific data points that will be written to the Google Sheet, ensuring consistency and correctness.
7. Writes Data to Google Sheets: The extracted and formatted EDI data is then appended as new rows to a designated Google Sheet.
8. Merges Data (Potential for Branching): A "Merge" node is present, suggesting that if the "If" node creates different branches, they eventually converge back into a single flow before potentially writing to Google Sheets or for other post-processing steps.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

• n8n Instance: A running instance of n8n.
• Gmail Account: An active Gmail account configured as a credential in n8n to monitor incoming emails.
• Google Sheets Account: Access to a Google Sheets account, configured as a credential in n8n, where the parsed EDI data will be stored. You will need to create a specific spreadsheet and potentially define the header row for the data.
• Understanding of EDI Message Structure: Familiarity with the structure of the EDI messages you intend to parse, as the "Code" node will contain custom logic tailored to your specific EDI format.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow: Download the provided JSON and import it into your n8n instance.
2. Configure Gmail Trigger:
   • Set up your Gmail credential.
   • Configure the "Gmail Trigger" node to listen for emails with specific criteria (e.g., sender, subject line, labels) that correspond to your EDI messages.
3. Customize the Code Node:
   • The "Code" node (ID: 834) is critical. You will need to modify the JavaScript code within this node to correctly parse your specific EDI message format from the email body. This will involve extracting relevant fields and structuring them into a JSON object.
4. Configure the If Node:
   • Adjust the conditions in the "If" node (ID: 20) to filter or route EDI messages based on your business logic.
5. Configure the Edit Fields (Set) Node:
   • In the "Edit Fields (Set)" node (ID: 38), define the fields you want to extract from the parsed EDI data and how they should be named for your Google Sheet.
6. Configure Google Sheets Node:
   • Set up your Google Sheets credential.
   • Specify the "Spreadsheet ID" and "Sheet Name" where the EDI data should be appended.
   • Ensure the column names in your Google Sheet match the output fields from the "Edit Fields (Set)" node.
7. Activate the Workflow: Once configured, activate the workflow to start monitoring for new EDI emails.

This workflow provides a robust foundation for automating EDI message processing, transforming raw email data into actionable insights within Google Sheets.