Introduction
In this guide, we will learn how to set up an automated data extraction process from bank statements to Google Sheets using Bitskout and Zapier. This automation will enable you to extract data from an email attachment containing a bank statement PDF and transfer the data into a Google Sheet, streamlining your financial record-keeping.
Video Instruction
Step 1: Start a new Zap
Create a Zap in Zapier or use the Bitskout Zap template. Choose Gmail as the first app if you receive bank statements via email. If you receive bank statements as file uploads, you can choose Dropbox or any other supported tool. The goal is to catch the file that will be analyzed.
Step 2: Create a Bank Statement Automation Plugin
Go to Bitskout templates and choose the Bank Statement plugin.
Then press Use Template and the plugin will be immediately created. Press Close to close the success screen.
Step 3: Add Bitskout as an Action
Next, add Bitskout as an action in Zapier. Choose the action called "Run Plugin for a File." This will enable you to extract data from the bank statement attachment.
Step 5: Select the Plugin in Zapier
Search for the Bitskout plugin in the Plugin field. Then, in the file URL choose Attachment. This way the attachment from an email will be passed to Bitskout.
Step 6: Test the Action
Test the Bitskout action to ensure it's extracting the correct data from the bank statement. You should see the extracted information, including transactions and other key data.
Step 7: Write Data to Google Sheets
Next, create an action in Zapier to write the extracted data into a Google Sheet. Choose the "Create Spreadsheet Row" action and select your desired spreadsheet.
Step 8: Map Data to Google Sheets
Map the data from the Bitskout action to the appropriate columns in your Google Sheet. You can add more columns if needed to capture all relevant information.
Conclusion
Using this scenario you can set up automated data extraction from Bank Statements. You can change a trigger from being a new email in Gmail to a New File in Folders from Dropbox. The same situation with saving the extracted data - Google Sheet in this case is an example. Using Zapier you can set up other apps to receive the data.