Before you start

n8n (Cloud or self-hosted)
Google account: Gmail + Sheets
OpenAI API key
Your categories and home currency (Config)

1. Pick where it runs

n8n Cloud

Log in to your n8n Cloud workspace.
Workflows → Import from file.
Pick the file(s) in workflow/.

n8n self-hosted

Open your n8n (Docker or npm, v1.x/2.x).
Workflows → Import from file.
Same files; nothing else changes.

ChatGPT or Claude

Create a Custom GPT or Claude Project.
Paste gpt/INSTRUCTIONS.txt.
Upload your sheet or paste rows in.

2. Setup checklist

Download the files from your welcome emailUnzip. You'll use the workflow/, templates/ and guide/ folders.
Import expenses-template.csv into Google SheetsExpenses tab headers
Import ai-bookkeeper-capture.n8n.json into n8nWorkflows → Import from file (n8n Cloud or self-hosted).
Import ai-bookkeeper-weekly-summary.n8n.json into n8nWorkflows → Import from file (n8n Cloud or self-hosted).
Connect Google SheetsUsed by: Append to Expenses, Get Expenses.
Connect OpenAIUsed by: Extract Fields, Write Summary.
Connect GmailUsed by: Get Emails with Attachments, Label Processed, Email Summary to Me.
Fill in the Config nodeCapture: company_name, home_currency, categories, gmail_query, processed_label_id, review_below_confidence. Weekly: report_to (your own address), days, language.
Run it on 3 real rowsCheck the drafts and the status column before you raise the batch size.

3. Connect your tools

Service	Nodes that use it
Google Sheets	Append to Expenses, Get Expenses
OpenAI	Extract Fields, Write Summary
Gmail	Get Emails with Attachments, Label Processed, Email Summary to Me

In each node, choose Create new credential and sign in (Google uses OAuth; OpenAI takes an API key). n8n stores credentials in your instance, not with us.

Run budget (n8n executions)

n8n Cloud counts one execution each time a schedule fires, even when nothing is new. Runs you start with Execute workflow in the editor don't count. n8n Cloud Starter includes 2,500 a month.

Workflow	Default schedule	Cron	Executions
Capture	Weekdays 09:00, 13:00, 17:00	`0 9,13,17 * * 1-5`	3 a day, 60-69 a month
Weekly Summary	Mondays 08:00	`0 8 * * 1`	4-5 a month

This employee at the defaults: about 70 (64-74) a month. All five AI employees on Workforce at their defaults: about 790 a month (724-833 depending on the number of weekdays), about a third of Starter's 2,500.

Schedules run on weekdays in business hours, in the workflow timezone (Workflow → Settings → Timezone) or your n8n instance timezone. To change the interval, edit the cron expression in the Schedule Trigger node, save, and publish the workflow again (n8n only applies a new schedule on publish). For example */15 8-18 * * 1-5 is every 15 minutes on weekdays, about 1,000 a month. Estimate: runs per day × 22 weekdays.

What the statuses mean

Status	Meaning	Your next step
`extracted`	Fields extracted and checks passed	Spot-check, then export to your accounting tool
`needs_review`	Low confidence, maths mismatch or not an invoice	Open the email and correct the row
`error`	See the error column	Fix and remove the processed label to re-run

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Nothing found	Adjust `gmail_query` (e.g. add your language: factura, Rechnung, facture) or extend `newer_than`
Weekly email empty	`issue_date` missing or not YYYY-MM-DD → the summary falls back to captured_at; check the Expenses headers

Guardrails

This is data entry, not tax or accounting advice. Your accountant/gestor files taxes.
Spot-check totals before exporting. Never pay an invoice based only on extracted data (invoice fraud often arrives by email).
Financial documents go to your LLM provider. Check this fits your data policy.

Set up the AI Bookkeeper