Short Answer
A fully automated pipeline where documents uploaded to Wondershare Cloud/Google Drive are processed by PDFelement, extracted via n8n's expression engine, and converted into draft Bills or Contacts in Xero with the original file attached for compliance.
The Problem
Manual entry of supplier invoices and receipts into Xero is time-consuming and prone to human error. PDF invoices often require manual extraction of dates, totals, and line items before they can be recorded in accounting software.
The Outcome
A fully automated pipeline where documents uploaded to Wondershare Cloud/Google Drive are processed by PDFelement, extracted via n8n's expression engine, and converted into draft Bills or Contacts in Xero with the original file attached for compliance.
Step-by-Step Guide
1. **Establish the Trigger**: Add a 'Google Drive' or 'Dropbox' node (configured to watch the folder where PDFelement saves its cloud/OCR outputs). Set 'Watch for' to 'File Created'.
2. **Configure Credentials**: In n8n, click 'Credentials' > 'Add Credential' to set up OAuth2 for both your Cloud Storage and Xero. Ensure 'Business.Transactions' and 'Files' scopes are selected for Xero.
3. **Extraction Logic**: Use a 'Code' node or 'AI Agent' node to receive the OCR text. If using PDFelement's AI Summary, pass the summary text into an n8n 'Set' node to define variables: `invoice_total`, `vendor_name`, and `due_date`.
4. **Format Dates**: Use the expression `{{ DateTime.fromFormat($json.extracted_date, 'dd/MM/yyyy').toISODate() }}` in a 'Set' node to ensure Xero accepts the date format (YYYY-MM-DD).
5. **Check for Contact**: Add a 'Xero' node, select the resource 'Contact' and operation 'Get All'. Use a filter expression: `{{ $json.name == $node["Set"].json.vendor_name }}`.
6. **Conditional Routing**: Add an 'If' node. If the Contact exists, proceed to Step 8. If not, proceed to Step 7.
7. **Create Contact**: Add a 'Xero' node, resource 'Contact', operation 'Create'. Map the `vendor_name` from your extraction node.
8. **Create Draft Bill**: Add a 'Xero' node, resource 'Bill', operation 'Create'. Map the `Total`, `Date`, and `ContactID`. Set 'Status' to 'DRAFT' for manual review.
9. **Upload PDF Attachment**: Add another 'Xero' node with the operation 'Upload File'. Use the binary data from the initial trigger node and link it to the `PurchaseOrderID` created in the previous step.
10. **Error Handling**: Create an 'Error Trigger' node connected to a 'Slack' or 'Email' node to alert you if a PDF fails to parse or a Xero API limit is hit.
Data Mapping
| Source Field (PDFelement) | Xero Destination | n8n Expression / Transformation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Extracted Vendor Name | Contact Name | `{{ $json.vendor.trim() }}` |
| OCR Total Amount | Amount | `{{ parseFloat($json.total.replace(/[^0-9.]/g, '')) }}` |
| OCR Date | Date | `{{ $today.toISODate() }}` (or parsed YYYY-MM-DD) |
| File Binary Data | Attachment | Use the `$binary.data` property |
| AI Summary Text | Reference/Note | `{{ $json.ai_summary.substring(0, 255) }}` |
Gotchas & Failure Modes
* **Rate Limiting**: Xero has a limit of 5,000 API calls per day. If processing bulk historical PDFs, use the n8n 'Split In Batches' node (set to 40 items) to avoid hitting concurrency limits.
* **Binary Data Loss**: n8n nodes often lose binary data after a 'Code' or 'Set' node. Use the 'Merge' node in 'Pass-through' mode to bring the original file binary forward to the Xero Upload node.
* **Date Mismatches**: Xero is strict about YYYY-MM-DD. Always use n8n's luxury `DateTime` library instead of raw string mapping.
* **Currency Logic**: Ensure your n8n workflow identifies the currency code (USD, EUR, etc.); otherwise, Xero will default to your organization's base currency.
Verification Checklist
- [ ] **Node Execute Test**: Manually trigger the Cloud Watcher node with a sample PDF.
- [ ] **Binary Check**: Verify the 'Binary' tab in n8n shows the file content before the Xero Upload step.
- [ ] **Contact Lookup**: Confirm the 'If' node correctly identifies existing Xero contacts to prevent duplicates.
- [ ] **Draft Validation**: Ensure the bill appears in Xero under 'Purchases' > 'Draft' with the correct total.
- [ ] **Execution Log**: Check n8n 'Executions' tab to ensure no 401 (Auth) or 400 (Validation) errors occurred.
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