How-to
How do you extract data from invoices automatically?
By Tim White · Last updated
To extract invoice data automatically: send invoices to a tool by email, upload, or API; let it read and verify the fields; review only the fields it flags as uncertain; then export the structured data or push it onward by webhook. With InvoiceJet this takes about 30 seconds per invoice and most clean invoices need zero manual review.
1. Get invoices in
Pick whichever path fits your workflow. Forward invoices to a private ingest address, drag and drop PDF, JPEG, PNG, or HTML up to 15 MB, or send them through the REST API. A PDF holding several invoices is split automatically into one record per invoice.
2. Let it extract and verify
The tool reads vendor, invoice number, dates, tax, totals, and line items. InvoiceJet runs two models and math checks, then assigns each field a confidence level and cites its source on the document.
3. Review only what needs eyes
Do not re-check everything; that defeats the point. A good tool surfaces only the low-confidence fields. InvoiceJet's verify queue is keyboard-driven and ordered by impact, with a 'Confirm all' for one-tap cleanup, and clean invoices skip review entirely.
4. Export or push onward
Export CSV or JSON, filter by entity tag, or send signed webhooks to your own systems. From there the data is ready to reconcile, pay, or file.
Common mistakes
The costliest mistake is exporting before the verify queue is empty. Low-confidence fields stay uncertain until someone confirms them, so a rushed export can carry a wrong total straight into your books. Clear the queue first, then export.
The other frequent slip is re-checking fields the tool already marked high confidence. That is exactly the manual work you were trying to remove. Read the flagged fields, confirm or fix them, and leave the clean ones alone.
Common questions
Can I automate this without writing code?
Yes. Email forwarding needs no code at all: every account gets a private ingest address, and forwarded attachments are extracted automatically. The API is there when you want it.
What file formats can I send for automatic extraction?
PDF, JPEG, PNG, and HTML up to 15 MB, by upload, email forwarding, or REST API. Scans and phone photos work through an OCR fallback.
How does automatic extraction avoid getting fields wrong?
Two independent AI models must agree and math checks must reconcile, line items summing to the subtotal and subtotal plus tax equaling the total, before a field is marked high confidence. Anything less certain is queued for review with its source cited.
Sources
Keep reading
- What is invoice data extraction?
- What is invoice OCR, and why is it not enough?
- How do you stop paying the same invoice twice?
- How do you forward invoices in by email?
- How do you use AI to convert invoices to Excel?
- How do you export invoice data to CSV?
- What is accounts payable automation?
- InvoiceJet for bookkeepers
- InvoiceJet vs Nanonets
- InvoiceJet pricing
Turn your next invoice into verified data
Free for 10 invoices a month, no card. Every field carries a confidence level and cites its source.