How The Sherpa Works
Automated invoice processing from email to QuickBooks
Overview
The Sherpa is a business automation tool that monitors your email for vendor invoices, extracts key data using AI, and helps you attach them to customer invoices in QuickBooks Online. It's designed for businesses that receive vendor invoices via email and need to track reimbursable expenses for their clients.
The Process
Connect Your Email
Sign in with your Google (Gmail) or Microsoft (Outlook) account using secure OAuth 2.0 authentication. We never see or store your password. You grant The Sherpa permission to read emails and manage labels/folders.
Automatic Email Monitoring
The Sherpa automatically checks your inbox every 10-15 minutes for emails with PDF attachments. It looks for emails matching your configured patterns (specific senders, subject keywords, etc.).
PDF Processing & Organization
When an invoice email is found, The Sherpa downloads the PDF attachment and stores it securely. The original email is labeled "RequestSherpa" (Gmail) or moved to a RequestSherpa folder (Outlook) so you know it's been processed.
AI Data Extraction
Using AI, The Sherpa extracts key invoice data: vendor name, invoice number, amount, and date. Each extraction includes a confidence score. High-confidence extractions are marked ready; low-confidence ones are flagged for your review.
Review & Approve
View all processed invoices in your dashboard. Review the extracted data, verify amounts, and approve invoices for attachment to your QuickBooks customer invoices.
QuickBooks Integration
Connect your QuickBooks Online account. The Sherpa can add vendor invoice line items to your customer invoices, ensuring you never miss a reimbursable expense.
What Data We Access
Gmail / Outlook Access
- Read emails: To find invoices matching your patterns
- Download attachments: To extract invoice PDFs
- Manage labels/folders: To mark processed emails
- We do NOT: Store full email content, send emails on your behalf, or access contacts
Security & Privacy
OAuth 2.0
Industry-standard secure authentication. We never see your password.
Encrypted Storage
All data encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest.
Minimal Data
We only store what's necessary for invoice processing.
You Control Access
Revoke access anytime from your account or Google/Microsoft settings.
Ready to automate your invoice processing?
Get StartedHave questions? Contact Support