n8n Workflow: Receipt Information Extraction and Storage

This n8n workflow provides a robust solution for automatically extracting key information from purchase receipts and storing it. It acts as a backend service that can be triggered by an external system, processes the receipt image using a specialized OCR service, and then prepares the extracted data for storage.

What it does

This workflow automates the following steps:

1. Receives a Trigger: It starts by listening for incoming data via a Webhook. This webhook expects an image of a receipt to be sent to it.
2. Extracts Receipt Data: It utilizes the Mindee node to perform Optical Character Recognition (OCR) on the received receipt image, extracting structured data such as vendor name, date, total amount, and line items.
3. Prepares Data for Storage: The extracted data is then processed by a Set node, which allows for renaming, reformatting, or filtering fields to match the schema of the target storage system.
4. Stores Data: Finally, the processed receipt information is sent to Airtable for organized storage.

Prerequisites/Requirements

To use this workflow, you will need:

• n8n Instance: A running instance of n8n.
• Mindee Account: An API key for Mindee to enable receipt OCR.
• Airtable Account: An Airtable account with a base and table configured to store your receipt data. You will need the Base ID and Table Name.

Setup/Usage

1. Import the Workflow:

   • Download the provided JSON file.
   • In your n8n instance, click on "Workflows" in the left sidebar.
   • Click "New" and then "Import from JSON".
   • Paste the JSON content or upload the file.

2. Configure Credentials:

   • Mindee Node: Click on the "Mindee" node, then click "Create New Credential". Provide your Mindee API Key.
   • Airtable Node: Click on the "Airtable" node, then click "Create New Credential". Provide your Airtable API Key.

3. Configure Nodes:

   • Webhook Node: The Webhook node is pre-configured to listen for incoming data. After saving the workflow, activate it to get the unique webhook URL.
   • Mindee Node: Ensure the "Document Type" is set to "Receipt" or the appropriate type for your use case.
   • Edit Fields (Set) Node: Review and adjust the fields being set to match your desired output format and the fields in your Airtable table.
   • Airtable Node:
     • Select the Airtable credential you created.
     • Specify the "Base ID" of your Airtable base.
     • Specify the "Table Name" where you want to store the receipt data.
     • Map the input fields from the "Edit Fields" node to the corresponding columns in your Airtable table.

4. Activate the Workflow:

   • Once all configurations are complete, click the "Activate" toggle in the top right corner of the n8n editor to enable the workflow.

5. Trigger the Workflow:

   • Send an HTTP POST request to the Webhook URL (found in the Webhook node after activation) with the receipt image data in the request body. The exact format will depend on how you're sending the image (e.g., as a file upload or base64 encoded string). Mindee typically expects a file.

This workflow will then process the receipt, extract the information, and store it in your specified Airtable base.