How to Automate Document Processing with AI

Step-by-step guide

1. 1

   Classify documents

   AI labels each incoming doc by type (invoice, contract, form, etc.).

   Tool: Claude API

   💡 Classification routes the right extraction logic.

2. 2

   Extract structured data

   Run vision AI to extract fields specific to each doc type.

   Tool: Claude Vision

   💡 Use schemas, not free-form prompts.

3. 3

   Route by type

   Send each doc to the right team or system based on type and content.

   Tool: n8n

   💡 Routing logic should be a separate node — easier to debug.

4. 4

   Store with metadata

   Save in DMS with extracted fields as searchable metadata.

   Tool: Google Drive + Airtable

   💡 Metadata > folder structure for findability.

5. 5

   Set retention rules

   Auto-delete after legal retention period to limit liability.

   Tool: Box or SharePoint

   💡 Records retention is a legal requirement, not optional.

Common pitfalls to avoid