Extract and Save Invoice Data from Google Drive to Google Sheets with Dumpling AI

This n8n workflow automates the process of extracting key information from invoice PDFs uploaded to Google Drive and saving that data into a Google Sheet. It leverages a custom AI service (referred to as "Dumpling AI" based on the directory name, though the specific AI service is abstracted behind an HTTP Request node in the JSON) to intelligently parse invoice details.

What it does

This workflow streamlines invoice processing by:

1. Monitoring Google Drive: It triggers automatically when a new file is uploaded to a specified Google Drive folder.
2. Filtering for PDFs: It checks if the newly uploaded file is a PDF document.
3. Downloading PDF: If it's a PDF, the workflow downloads the file from Google Drive.
4. Extracting Text: It extracts the raw text content from the PDF file.
5. Sending to AI for Extraction: The extracted text is then sent to a custom AI service (via an HTTP Request) to parse and identify specific invoice data fields (e.g., invoice number, date, total amount, vendor).
6. Formatting Data: The response from the AI service is processed and formatted.
7. Saving to Google Sheets: Finally, the extracted invoice data is appended as a new row to a designated Google Sheet.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

• n8n Instance: A running n8n instance.
• Google Drive Account: Configured with credentials in n8n to monitor a specific folder and download files.
• Google Sheets Account: Configured with credentials in n8n to write data to a specific spreadsheet.
• Dumpling AI (or similar AI service): An endpoint for an AI service capable of extracting structured data from invoice text. This service needs to be accessible via an HTTP POST request and return the parsed invoice data in a format that the workflow can process.
• PDF files: Invoice documents in PDF format uploaded to your Google Drive folder.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow:
   • Copy the provided JSON code.
   • In your n8n instance, go to "Workflows" and click "New".
   • Click the "Import from JSON" button and paste the workflow JSON.
2. Configure Credentials:
   • Google Drive Trigger: Configure your Google Drive credentials and specify the folder ID you want to monitor for new invoice uploads.
   • Google Drive (Download File): Ensure your Google Drive credentials are set up for downloading files.
   • HTTP Request (Dumpling AI):
     • Update the URL field to point to your Dumpling AI (or equivalent) service endpoint.
     • Configure any necessary authentication headers or body parameters required by your AI service. The current setup sends the raw PDF text in the request body.
   • Google Sheets: Configure your Google Sheets credentials and specify the Spreadsheet ID and Sheet Name where the invoice data should be saved.
3. Activate the Workflow: Once all credentials and configurations are set, activate the workflow.

Now, whenever a new PDF invoice is uploaded to your specified Google Drive folder, the workflow will automatically process it, extract the data, and add it to your Google Sheet.