Have AI read client receipts and invoices into Xero for review

A Bangkok bookkeeping firm with six bookkeepers and 30 small business clients had n8n and an AI read every receipt and invoice, suggest the account, and queue it for a quick check before it goes into Xero. Time per client fell from 12 hours a month to about 2.5.

How they set it up

1. Give each client a shared folder to drop receipts and invoices in any format (PDF, phone photo, scan, email).
2. Have n8n watch the folders and send each document to an AI that pulls out vendor, date, amount, tax, line items and currency.
3. Put each result in an Airtable review list with a suggested account based on that client's past invoices.
4. A bookkeeper checks the batch, fixes the few mistakes, and approves it into Xero.

Result

80% less invoice time per client per month (12 hours down to about 2.5). About 92% of invoices needed no manual fix, and the firm took on 8 new clients without hiring. (as reported by the source)

Starter prompt

Our own prompt for copying this setup. Swap in your details. Not quoted from the source.

Read this receipt or invoice and return: vendor, date, invoice number, currency, subtotal, tax, total, and each line item. Suggest an account category based on these past entries for this client: [examples]. If anything is unclear or missing, flag it for review instead of guessing.