Convert PDF Invoices to Google Sheets Using PDF.co and Make

Step 1: Prepare Google Drive and Google Sheets

Create a Google Drive folder for incoming invoice PDFs and upload a sample invoice.

Create a Google Sheet with these column headers:

• Description
• Quantity
• Unit Price
• Line Total

You can add other columns, such as vendor name, invoice number, and invoice date, if needed.

Step 2: Watch for New Invoice PDFs

Create a scenario in Make and add Google Drive – Watch Files in a Folder.

Select the drive and folder containing the invoices. This module triggers the scenario when a new file is added.

Add Google Drive – Download a File after the trigger. Map the file ID returned by the first module so Make retrieves the actual PDF data.

Run the scenario once and confirm that Make finds and downloads the sample invoice.

Step 3: Parse the Invoice with PDF.co

Add the PDF.co – AI Invoice Parser module.

Connect your PDF.co account and configure the module:

• Import Options: Select Upload a File.
• Data: Map the file data returned by Google Drive.
• Custom Fields: Leave empty unless you need fields outside the standard invoice schema.
• Export Type: Select JSON Output.

The AI Invoice Parser automatically recognizes common invoice information, including vendor details, invoice number, dates, totals, payment information, and line items. It does not require a Document Parser template. See the PDF.co AI Invoice Parser for Make documentation.

Run the scenario again and confirm that the PDF.co output contains a lineItems[] array.

Step 4: Iterate Through the Line Items

Add Flow Control – Iterator after the PDF.co module.

In the Array field, map the lineItems[] array returned by the AI Invoice Parser.

The Iterator creates one bundle for each invoice line item, allowing Make to add each item as a separate spreadsheet row.

Step 5: Add the Items to Google Sheets

Add Google Sheets – Add a Row after the Iterator.

Select the destination spreadsheet and worksheet. Indicate that the sheet contains headers, and map the Iterator values to the appropriate columns:

• Description: description
• Quantity: qty
• Unit Price: unit_price
• Line Total: total

If you added invoice-level columns, map values such as the vendor name, invoice number, or invoice date directly from the AI Invoice Parser output. These values will be repeated for each line item.

Step 6: Test and Activate the Scenario

Run the complete scenario.

Open the Google Sheet and confirm that each invoice line item appears in a separate row with the correct description, quantity, unit price, and total.

Once the results are correct, enable the scenario’s schedule. New invoice PDFs added to the selected Google Drive folder will now be processed automatically.