# Receipt extraction setup: receipt photos to Google Sheets rows with an n8n agent > A free one-page cheat sheet: attach a receipt photo in n8n chat, and an AI agent pulls the date, vendor and amount into a Google Sheets row. Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/receipt-extraction-setup · Updated 2026-10-01 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com) [Lesson cheat sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets#kind-lesson) · One page · US letter · [n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/tool/n8n) By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about) · Published October 1, 2026 · From the free lesson [AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-receipt-extractor-n8n-google-sheets) A free one-page cheat sheet: attach a receipt photo in n8n chat, and an AI agent pulls the date, vendor and amount into a Google Sheets row. [Download the free PDF (79 KB)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/receipt-extraction-setup.pdf)Print this sheet Free, no sign-up and no email needed. It prints on one letter-size page; the whole sheet is below. *▶*StepthroughFree printable cheat sheet · learn.ynteractive.com Receipt extraction setup: receipt photos to Google Sheets rows with an n8n agent Drop a receipt photo into an n8n chat. An AI agent reads it, pulls out the date, vendor and total, picks a category and adds a row to your sheet. ## What you need - n8n and the OpenAI credential from the n8n AI agent lesson, or an OpenAI API key with some credit on it. - A Google account with Drive and Sheets. A sheet called **Invoices** with headers Date, Category, Vendor and Amount. - A clear photo: flat, well lit and in focus. ## Build it 1. **Create workflow**, **Add first step**, **On chat message**. n8n's chat lets you attach files. 2. Click **+**, search **agent**, add **AI Agent**. 3. **Chat Model**: **OpenAI Chat Model**, credential **OpenAI account**, model **gpt-4o** so it can read images. 4. **Memory**: **Simple Memory**. It remembers the last 5 messages of each chat session. 5. **Tool**: **Google Sheets Tool**. **Create new credential**, leave **Managed OAuth2**, **Sign in with Google**. 6. Change **Operation** to **Append Row**, pick **Invoices** and **Sheet1**, and click **✦** next to each column. ## The system message Copy ```text You are a helpful assistant. You will receive a receipt. Extract the date, vendor, and amount. Come up with a category. Use the google sheets tool to add the receipt to the sheet. ``` Open **AI Agent**, **Add Option**, **System Message**. It never says which value goes where: the column names do that. ## Test and check - Click **Open chat**, type **Heres a receipt.**, attach the photo with the **paperclip** and send. - Compare the new row with the receipt. In the lesson: Corner Mart, 31.57, filed as Groceries without being told. - AI can misread a blurry photo. Check the rows before you use totals for taxes. **Remember:** Clear column names do the mapping for you. Check every row against its receipt at first, before you trust the totals. **Have a professional review it.** This prompt helps you draft and organize, not give tax advice. Tax rules change and depend on the client, so have a CPA or enrolled agent review anything about taxes before it goes out. Practice it free: [AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/receipt-extractor) at learn.ynteractive.com/modules/receipt-extractor. This sheet: learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/receipt-extraction-setup. Businesses in the lesson examples are made up. By Robert Breen, October 1, 2026. ## Practice it in the free lesson **AI Receipt Extractor: Receipts to Google Sheets with n8n**. Drop a photo of a receipt into an n8n chat. An AI agent reads it, pulls out the date, vendor and amount, picks a category, and adds a row to Google Sheets. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of n8n, it checks your work as you go, and “Do it for me” finishes any step you get stuck on. Free, and nothing touches your real accounts. [Start the free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/receipt-extractor) [Or read the full step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-receipt-extractor-n8n-google-sheets) ## Related terms Plain-English definitions, each with an example from a free lesson. [Chat Trigger](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/chat-trigger) · [Multimodal AI](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/multimodal-ai) · [Chat model](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/chat-model) · [Credential](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/credential) · [Data extraction](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/data-extraction) · [Field mapping](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/field-mapping) · [Append row](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/append-row) · [Audit trail](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/audit-trail) [The full AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary) ## Related prompts - [Receipt details extraction prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/receipt-details-extraction-prompt): Pull date, vendor, tax, total and job from receipt photos into a table, with "Unreadable" instead of guesses and a check that… - [Expense categorization prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/expense-categorization-prompt): Sort a batch of expenses into your own categories, with a short note each and a Needs Review bucket for anything unclear… - [Expense report summary prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/expense-report-summary-prompt): Summarize a month of expense or reimbursement rows for the owner: totals by category and status, what's waiting, and flags to… - [Google Sheets columns plan prompt](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts/sheet-columns-plan-prompt): Plan the Google Sheets columns for an n8n automation: header names, what goes in each, who fills it, and which must match your… [All free prompt templates](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/prompts) ## More cheat sheets - [AI Quick-Start for Accounting Firms: Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/ai-quick-start-accounting): A free one-page cheat sheet for accounting firms: the free AI lessons in order, a tone-fix prompt and what AI must never promise a client. - [AI Quick-Start for Finance Teams: Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/ai-quick-start-finance): A free one-page cheat sheet for finance teams: the free AI lessons in order, an invoice dispute prompt and what AI must never approve. - [AI Email Responder in n8n Cheat Sheet](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets/ai-email-responder-n8n): A free one-page cheat sheet: n8n watches Gmail, an AI agent reads each customer email and saves a reply as a draft in the same thread. [All free cheat sheets](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/cheat-sheets) · [All free tutorials](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content)