Plumbing Company Shop Wiki

Receipt Log

Shop Wiki / Operations / Receipt Log

Receipt Log

Automatically capture data from receipt images emailed to the shop inbox.

Note: This document covers an automation created for demonstration purposes. Some of the information in this document is implied or inaccurate due to the fictional business scenario.

Plumbing Company van open at a residential job, copper coil and tool bags packed for the day.
Who uses it Techs & office
Trigger New shop email
Writes to Job Receipts sheet
Confirms by Return email

Work order

What this replaces

Plumbing Company office staff used to manually enter receipt data into a Google Sheet. This automation eliminates the need for this task, saving time and reducing errors.

How It Works

A live Make.com scenario watches the dedicated Gmail inbox, pulls the attached image, reads the receipt with optical character recognition (OCR), then both adds a new row to the Google Sheet and sends a confirmation email back to the sender.

  1. 1

    Gmail watches the inbox

    Every new message to the receipts address starts a run, ignoring emails that do not have an attachment and the word "receipt" in the subject line.

  2. 2

    Attachments are listed

    The scenario collects images and other media on the email so each photo can be processed on its own.

  3. 3

    OCR reads the receipt

    Make's receipt extractor pulls merchant, date, tax, subtotal, and total from the photo.

  4. 4

    Router splits the job

    One path adds a row to the Job Receipts spreadsheet. The other sends a Gmail confirmation that the ticket was filed.

Make.com scenario: Gmail watch emails, list attachments, OCR extract a receipt, then a router to Google Sheets add a row and Gmail send an email.
Live scenario: Receipt Automation on Make.com

Sending a Receipt

This is the field procedure. If the photo is readable and the job number is in the subject, the sheet should have a new row within a few minutes.

1. Get Receipt Photo

  • Lay the receipt on a flat, well-lit surface.
  • Ensure that the text details are clear in the photo.
  • If the image is blurry or the text is not readable, retake the photo.
  • Only include one receipt per photo.

2. Send the Email

  • To: receipts@plumbingcompany.com
  • Include the word "receipt" in the email subject line.
  • Attach the photo. Do not paste it only in the body.
  • Send from your Plumbing Company Gmail, not a personal account.

3. Wait for the ping

  • You should get a confirmation email after the row is written.
  • If nothing comes back, check Common Issues before resending.
  • If there are no clear issues, contact the office with the approximate time that the receipt was sent.

What belongs in this inbox

Send these

  • Receipts showing the purchase tools or raw materials
  • Receipts showing the purchase of damaged items replaced at a job site

Do not send these

  • Fuel, lunch, or personal purchases
  • Vendor invoices that already go to accounting
  • Customer invoices or estimates
  • Anything that is not a receipt

What Gets Logged

OCR fills the Job Receipts spreadsheet. Office staff can correct a row if the reader missed a faded total. Do not delete a row until the week is closed.

Column Source Notes
Date Automation timestamp When the scenario wrote the row
Merchant OCR Supply house or store printed on the receipt
Subtotal / tax / total OCR Details are pulled from the receipt
Sender Gmail Which tech mailed the photo

Common Issues

Start here before calling the office. Most misses are photo quality or a missing attachment.

No confirmation email came back

Give it five minutes, then check:

  • Was the photo attached as a file, not only dropped into the message body?
  • Is the word receipt included in the email subject line?
  • Did you send to receipts@plumbingcompany.com?
  • Look in spam and the Promotions tab in your email.

If the sheet also has no new row, resend once with a clearer photo. Do not send four copies.

The sheet row is blank or the merchant looks wrong

OCR cannot read a curled thermal slip or a photo taken through a windshield. Reshoot on a flat seat or the tailgate, crop to the ticket, and send again. Office will merge the duplicate if both rows land.

I sent two receipts in one email

The scenario lists every attachment, so two photos can produce two rows. If both tickets are on one picture, split them — the reader often grabs only the first total.

Who to call

Office dispatcher for job numbers and sheet corrections. If the inbox itself is down, that is an owner/admin issue — do not keep mailing personal Gmail.

Additional Features

This demo automation is built on a fictional business scenario. I have listed some features below that are not implemented in this scenario but can be based on customer preference and/or business needs.

  • Line Items: Both the OCR and Google Sheet can be configured to pull and capture each line item from the receipt.
  • Duplicate Check: We can create a queue that temporarily stores data for comparison and eliminates duplicate entries before they are added to the Google Sheet.
  • Policy Checks: The office can be notified for purchases that exceed spending allowances or the purchase of items that have not been approved.
  • Adjustments: The automation flow can be changed or expanded to perform additional tasks or conform to your current business flow.