How-to
How do you forward invoices in by email?
By Tim White · Last updated
Every InvoiceJet account gets a private email ingest address. To bring invoices in by email, forward them to that address, or set an auto-forward rule so invoices from a vendor go there on their own. Attachments are extracted automatically, one record per invoice, with no manual upload.
1. Find your ingest address
In your account settings there is a private address for email ingestion. It is unique to your account, so anything sent there lands in your workspace and nowhere else.
2. Forward an invoice
Forward any invoice email to that address. The attached PDF, JPEG, PNG, or HTML is picked up and extracted. A single PDF holding several invoices is split into one record each.
3. Auto-forward the regulars
For vendors who bill you every month, set a rule in your email client to auto-forward their invoices to the ingest address. After that, those invoices capture themselves.
4. Check the results
Each forwarded invoice shows up extracted, with a confidence level on every field and its source cited on the document. Clean ones auto-verify; the rest wait in the verify queue.
What trips up auto-forward rules
An auto-forward rule is only as good as the filter behind it. Point one at "every email from this vendor" and you also forward their statements and marketing, which then clutter the workspace. Filter tighter: a subject containing "invoice," or only messages that carry a PDF.
Two more snags catch people. Some vendors put the invoice inline in the email body with no attached file, so there is nothing to extract. And some email clients forward the message as a link rather than the actual file. Confirm the attachment rides along before you trust the rule.
Common questions
Can my vendors send invoices straight to the address?
Yes. The ingest address accepts invoices from anyone you share it with, so a vendor can email invoices directly and they capture automatically.
What file types can be forwarded?
PDF, JPEG, PNG, or HTML, up to 15 MB. Scans and phone photos work too, through an OCR fallback.
How do I auto-forward invoices from Gmail or Outlook?
Create a filter or rule in your email client that forwards messages from a given vendor to your ingest address. From then on those invoices capture themselves with no manual step.
Does forwarding work for scanned or photographed invoices?
Yes. Forwarded scans and phone photos are handled through an OCR fallback, so a PDF scan or a JPEG from a phone extracts the same way as a native PDF.
Sources
Keep reading
- How do you organize invoices for a small business?
- How do you extract data from invoices automatically?
- How do you approve invoices without giving everyone a login?
- How do you export invoice data to CSV?
- How do you stop paying the same invoice twice?
- InvoiceJet for property management
- 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.