Zapier + Google Gemini = Zero-Touch Invoice Processing for Meta Ads
Streamline your Meta ad invoice processing with Zapier and Google Gemini for zero-touch automation and real-time reporting without manual data entry
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Uncontroversially, there are a few finance processes we love, like seeing a deal or payment come in come in. But as a small business ourselves, we’re keenly aware that the win sits on a the back of a dozen annoying, repetitive finance processes and admin. Finance tasks are notorious for being both critical and a complete time suck.
So as a self-respecting automation business, we’ve built a system to get around spending our time buried in receipts and spreadsheets. The good news- you could easily implement these, and we have some ideas for solutions you could implement to solve common time sucking finance tasks so that you can get back to actually running your business.
Compiling invoices and receipts
The problem
As a company who tries All The Software, we receive our fair share of receipts and invoices-sometimes this feels a bit like going through a wallet full of crumpled receipts that swore we would keep for later. Staying on top of all these receipts and invoices meant spending time scrolling through the inbox and trying to identify the right invoice- manually, like animals.
Our fix
We built a Zapier Agent that automatically detects and stores receipts from our email into Google Drive, allowing us to keep easily accessible in a folder so we’re not scrambling at the end of the month.
Organising invoices
The problem
We’ve been there - searching for
invoice08112024_final.pdf, or possibly wf230524_invoice.pdf, or perhaps it was 37wyw632ps.pdf. Every receipt and invoice comes with a different naming convention, and this inconsistency makes it difficult to find the one we’re looking for without having to click into each and every one.Our fix
Rather than right-clicking and renaming each one manually, like animals, we use AI to reads invoices saved into our Google Drive folder and updates the name in a standard format.
Previously, we did this using another Zapier Agent, but more recently, we’ve discovered an even easier way: NameQuick, an indie macOS app that does the one job of renaming files on your Mac based on rules that you can define in natural language. It’s a one-time purchase if you have your own OpenAI or Gemini API key, making it super cost-effective.
Matching invoices to transactions
The problem
Even with all our invoices in the right folder, matching them to each transaction that comes in through Xero becomes a bit of a time sink. It became clear that manual searching and uploading was a very automatable task.
Our fix
We built a Zapier Agent that matches these receipt saved in Google Drive to reconciled transactions when they hit Xero, and uploads the receipt to the corresponding transaction. Because we’re using AI to rename each receipt with the date and vendor name via the previous workflow, it’s easy for this Agent to find the right receipt for each transaction.
Other Small Wins
We have a couple more ideas on streamlining finance processes, and we’d love to build these out to solve finance pain points that you’re facing:
1. Pulling up reports for cash flow, taxes, or just a peace of mind
The problem
Every time you need a report for your stakeholders, your accountant, or your own sanity - it’s a scramble to find the right numbers.
Our fix
We love a good dashboard - one that gives a clear overview of exactly what’s happening. We’ve built easy-to-read, automated dashboards on Tableau Pulse that give a snapshot view of what’s happening with any part of the business-especially with finance.
Why it matters
Better decisions, faster. And way fewer “Where did all the money go?” moments.
2. Generating and sending invoices
The problem
It’s a happy problem - having new orders come in. Though we’ve all been there- you finish a project or ship an order, promise yourself you’ll “send the invoice tomorrow,” and… life happens. Weeks later, you realise you haven’t been paid; and worse, you forgot to bill for part of it.
Our fix
Automatically generate and send invoices as soon as a deal is marked “Closed Won” in your CRM. With Zapier, accounting tools like QuickBooks or Xero can pull in client info and assign product line items based details already in your CRM - no more copy and pasting.
Why it matters
Consistent invoicing means faster payments and less stress. Bonus: it makes you look super professional.
3. Gentle pushes for late payments
The problem
You’ve done the work, sent the invoice… and now you’re stuck in awkward follow-up mode. “Just circling back on this!” becomes your go-to line.
Our fix
Set up gentle, automatic payment reminders. Most invoicing tools can email clients before the due date, on the due date, and at regular intervals after. No more guilt-tripping or forgetting to follow up. With Zapier, you can also send reminders through other channels, such as WhatsApp.
Why it matters
You get paid faster, and your clients respect your boundaries. Win-win.
Ready to make finance process headaches a thing of the past?
Are you interested in reviewing your finance processes and exploring possibilities for automation? Our team specialises in creating custom automation workflows, built with low-code tools like Zapier, that streamline operations and enhance productivity. We can tailor any system to your specific needs and integrate it with your existing tools.
Get in touch today to discuss how we can help make finance processes easy for your team!
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