Invoice Inbox

Invoice Inbox automatically extracts invoices from your email. Connect your Gmail account for one-click setup, or forward invoices to your unique Brikly email address. Either way, Brikly extracts the invoice data, matches line items to your ingredients, and creates invoice records - no manual upload needed.

There are two ways to get invoices into Brikly from email:

Method	How it works	Best for
Gmail Direct Connection	Connect your Gmail account and Brikly reads the invoice emails you receive	Gmail users who want a one-click setup
Email Forwarding	Forward invoices to your unique Brikly email address	Any email provider (Outlook, Apple Mail, etc.)

Both methods feed into the same AI extraction pipeline - the only difference is how the email reaches Brikly.

Gmail Direct Connection

The simplest way to get started if you use Gmail. Connect your Google account and Brikly checks the emails you receive for invoices every 30 minutes.

Setting up

Owners, admins and members can connect Gmail, run a sync and dismiss a suggested sender. Owners and admins change the filters (including switching Gmail reading off) and block senders. Viewers see whether Gmail is connected and when it last synced, without the buttons.

1. Navigate to Invoices in the sidebar.
2. Click Inbox Settings.
3. Click Connect Gmail in the Gmail Direct Connection card.
4. Sign in with your Google account and grant read-only access.
5. Brikly immediately runs a first check of your last 30 days of email.

That's it - invoices will start appearing in your invoice list automatically.

info

Brikly only requests read-only access to your Gmail. It cannot modify, send, or delete any emails. PDF and image attachments are read automatically. If an email has no attachments but the invoice is in the email itself (e.g. an HTML table), Brikly turns the email text into a PDF and reads that. This only happens when the subject or text mentions an invoice, receipt, order, credit note or refund. It starts from the moment Gmail is connected: the first check and any catch-up only read emails with attachments, so upload older email-text invoices by hand.

What Brikly reads

Brikly reads emails you receive. It never reads your Sent or Draft mail, spam or trash (mail you send to yourself still counts).

• The first check reads the last 30 days of emails with attachments that mention an invoice, receipt, delivery, credit note, statement or remittance.
• Later checks read received emails that mention one of those words in the subject, a file name or the text. Other emails are left alone.
• Emails from senders on your sender filters are read whatever they say, as long as the sender is still on the list when Brikly reads the email.

Each attachment can be up to 10 MB. A file that is already in Brikly is not imported a second time.

Configuring filters

Only owners and admins see the Filters button. To change what Brikly reads:

1. In the Gmail Connection card, click Filters.
2. Add sender filters (one per line). Once this list has entries, Brikly reads only emails from these senders, whatever they say. Leave it empty to read every invoice email you receive.

@bidfood.co.uk
@brakes.co.uk
invoices@supplier.com

3. Add blocked senders (one per line). Emails from these senders are always ignored, for example a utility company or a newsletter.
4. Use @domain.com to match all emails from a domain, or enter a full email address.
5. Untick Enable automatic scanning if you want Brikly to stop reading your Gmail for now without disconnecting it (Sync Now does not work while it is unticked). Tick it again to carry on.
6. Click Save Filters.

Suggested senders to block

When Brikly keeps skipping emails from one sender because they are not invoices, the Gmail Connection card may suggest blocking that sender. An owner or admin can click Block to add it to the blocked senders; anyone who can run a sync can dismiss the suggestion. Blocking a suggested sender blocks only that exact sender, so other suppliers who send their invoices through the same service (such as Xero or QuickBooks) are still read.

Manual sync

Brikly automatically checks for new emails every 30 minutes. To check straight away, click Sync Now in the Gmail Connection card.

A large mailbox is read 50 emails at a time, one check after another. While emails are still waiting, the card says how many are left, and Last sync only moves on once every email has been read. If Gmail finds more than 5,000 invoice emails to read at once, Brikly reads the newest 5,000, says so on the card and sends you a notification, so you can upload any older invoices by hand from Invoices.

If Brikly cannot read an email, it tries again at each check for up to a day. After that it stops and sends you one notification, Gmail could not read some emails, naming the emails so you can upload those invoices by hand from Invoices.

If an invoice was saved but Brikly could not start reading it, the next check starts it again on the same invoice. After a pause (for example while Gmail reading is switched off), emails still waiting are always tried once more before Brikly gives up on them.

If a whole check could not finish, the card says so and Brikly tries again at the next check. If the card says Gmail stopped accepting Brikly's access and this keeps happening, reconnect Gmail.

When CostingBrik is not active

Gmail is not read while CostingBrik is not active for your business or the business is switched off. When it is back, Brikly catches up on emails with attachments from the last 30 days.

Disconnecting

Click Disconnect to revoke Brikly's access to your Gmail account. This stops all reading immediately. You can reconnect at any time.

Only owners and admins see Disconnect, as with every other integration. Members can still connect Gmail and run a sync.

Email Forwarding

An alternative method that works with any email provider. Forward supplier invoices to a dedicated email address and they are processed automatically.

How it works

1. Your inbox is on as soon as your account has CostingBrik (an owner or admin can switch it off in Inbox Settings).
2. Copy your unique inbox address from Inbox Settings (e.g. your-business-x7k2qm@invoices.brik.ly).
3. Forward supplier invoices to that address.
4. Review the automatically processed invoices in your invoice list.

Supplier email ──▶ your-business-x7k2qm@invoices.brik.ly ──▶ AI Extraction ──▶ Matching ──▶ Invoice created

Behind the scenes, Brikly validates the email, uploads any attachments, runs the same AI extraction used for manual uploads, and auto-matches line items to your existing ingredients. You are only notified when something needs you: an email Brikly did not read, one with nothing it could read, or one that failed to process.

Setting up email forwarding

Your inbox is already on

Your inbox is on as soon as your account has CostingBrik, so there is nothing to switch on. To check, go to Invoices in the sidebar and click Inbox Settings: the Your Inbox Address card shows On.

Only an owner or admin can switch the inbox off or back on, using the On/Off switch on that card. Members and viewers see the setting without being able to change it.

Copy your inbox address

Your unique inbox email address is displayed on the settings page. Click the copy button next to the address to copy it to your clipboard.

New businesses get a private address: your business name followed by six random letters and numbers, for example:

your-business-x7k2qm@invoices.brik.ly

The random ending makes the address hard to guess. For a new business only this address works: mail sent to your business name without the ending does not reach you and does not show in Email Logs, so always copy the address from Inbox Settings.

Businesses that already had an inbox address keep it (your-business@invoices.brik.ly), and it carries on working.

Configure allowed senders (optional)

You can restrict which email addresses or domains are allowed to send invoices to your inbox. Only owners and admins can change the allowed senders (click Save Settings when you are done); members see the lists without changing them.

Allowed sender domains - add domains (one per line) to only accept emails from those domains:

bidfood.co.uk
brakes.co.uk
tesco.com

Allowed sender emails - add specific email addresses for more precise control:

invoices@bidfood.co.uk
accounts@brakes.co.uk

tip

If both lists are empty, emails from any sender are accepted. If either list has entries, only matching senders are allowed. The allowed list is a filter: it checks the address the email says it is from, which a sender can fake. It is useful for keeping out emails that are not invoices.

Forwarding invoices

Supported formats

Format	Extensions	Notes
PDF	.pdf	Best quality - especially PDFs with selectable text
PNG	.png	Screenshots from supplier portals
JPEG	.jpg, .jpeg	Photos of printed invoices
GIF	.gif	Supported but less common
WebP	.webp	Supported but less common

Each attachment can be up to 10 MB, and the whole email up to 30 MB.

If an email has nothing Brikly can read (every attachment is over 10 MB or in a format it cannot read), you get a notification naming the file and what to do: upload a copy under 10 MB by hand from Invoices (a photo of the invoice works), or save it as a PDF, JPEG or PNG and upload it by hand.

Ways to forward

Manual forwarding - forward individual invoice emails from your email client to your inbox address. This is the simplest way to get started.

Auto-forwarding rules - set up email rules so supplier invoices arrive automatically:

• Gmail: Settings → Forwarding → Add a forwarding address → enter your Brikly inbox address. See Gmail forwarding setup below for step-by-step instructions.
• Outlook: Rules → New rule → From specific senders → Forward to your inbox address.
• Apple Mail: Preferences → Rules → Add rule → Forward to your inbox address.
• Titan, Zoho and others: add your inbox address as a forwarding address. If your provider emails a confirmation code, see Other email providers.

CC or BCC your suppliers - add your Brikly inbox address as an additional recipient with your suppliers so invoices arrive directly without any forwarding.

info

Some suppliers send the invoice in the email itself (for example as an HTML table) rather than as an attachment. Brikly reads the email text as the invoice when nothing else in the email could be used (no attachment, or only ones it cannot read, such as a CSV or a Word file), and the subject or text mentions an invoice, receipt, order, credit note or refund. It does not when an attachment was already in Brikly, failed to upload or was over 10 MB. Other emails, such as newsletters, are left alone.

If the email's text cannot be read, it is listed in Email Logs as Failed and you are notified.

The document Brikly makes starts with the email's subject and date. Only the first part of a very long email is read, and the document ends with (The rest of this email was too long to include.) If that cuts off your invoice, upload it as a PDF from Invoices.

Gmail forwarding setup

Gmail requires a verification step when you add a new forwarding address. Gmail sends a confirmation email to your Brikly inbox address, and Brikly catches it and shows you what you need to confirm. You confirm it yourself with one click.

Step-by-step

1. Open Gmail Settings - click the gear icon → See all settings → Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
2. Add forwarding address - click Add a forwarding address and enter your Brikly inbox address exactly as shown in Inbox Settings (e.g. your-business-x7k2qm@invoices.brik.ly).
3. Confirm the forwarding - Gmail sends a confirmation email to your Brikly inbox address. Within a minute or so, Brikly shows:
   • Inbox Settings page - a Gmail Forwarding - Action Required card. Click Confirm Gmail Forwarding to open Google's confirmation page in a new tab, then confirm there.
   • Notifications - a notification in your notification bell pointing you to Inbox Settings. If several confirmation emails arrive, the notification shows the latest one.
4. Set up forwarding - back in Gmail's Forwarding settings, select Forward a copy of incoming mail to and choose your Brikly inbox address.
5. Dismiss the card - click Dismiss on the card in Brikly to clear it.

info

If Gmail sends a confirmation code instead of a link, Brikly shows a Forwarding Confirmation Code card with the code and a copy button. Enter the code in Gmail's Forwarding settings to finish.

tip

You can set up Gmail forwarding at any time; your inbox is already on. Brikly handles the confirmation email even if an owner or admin has switched the inbox off.

Setting up filters (optional)

Rather than forwarding all emails, you can create Gmail filters to only forward invoices from specific suppliers:

1. In Gmail, click the search bar dropdown → enter the supplier's email in the From field.
2. Click Create filter → tick Forward it to → select your Brikly inbox address.
3. Click Create filter.

Repeat for each supplier whose invoices you want to forward automatically.

Other email providers (Titan, Zoho and more)

Some email providers, such as Titan, also check a new forwarding address by emailing it a confirmation code. When that email arrives at your Brikly inbox address, Brikly picks out the code and shows it:

• Inbox Settings page - a Forwarding Confirmation Code card with the code and a copy button.
• Notifications - a notification with the code and who sent it.

Enter the code in your email provider's forwarding settings to finish setup, then click Dismiss on the card. Like Gmail's, the confirmation email is handled even if your inbox is switched off or the sender is not on your allowed list.

tip

Double-check the forwarding address before saving it in your email provider. A confirmation sent to a mistyped address never reaches your business, so no code appears in Brikly.

What happens after forwarding

Validation

Brikly checks every incoming email:

• Does your account have CostingBrik?
• Is the inbox switched on?
• Is the sender in your allowed list (if configured)?
• Is the sending rate within limits?

If any check fails, the email is logged as Rejected with a reason you can review in the email logs. A rejected email is not kept, so once the problem is sorted, forward it again.

When Brikly rejects an email because the inbox is switched off, the sender is not allowed or the hourly limit was reached, you get a notification, one per reason. It names the latest sender and says what to do, and later rejections for the same reason update that notification rather than adding new ones.

If CostingBrik is no longer active, forwarded emails are not read and are listed in Email Logs as Rejected, with the reason "CostingBrik is not active for this business". Each owner and admin gets one notification, Invoice inbox is paused, and is reminded if emails are still being refused a month after they saw it.

Brikly also records whether each email passed its sender's own email checks. This changes nothing you see for now: no email is refused because of it.

Extraction and matching

Each valid attachment is uploaded and queued for AI extraction - the same engine used for manual uploads. The AI first verifies that the document is actually an invoice or receipt. If it is not (e.g. a menu, a newsletter, or an order confirmation with no prices), the document is marked as Not an Invoice and skipped - no line items are created. If it is a valid invoice, the AI extracts the supplier name, invoice number, date, line items, quantities, prices, VAT, and totals. Food and drink invoices are then automatically matched to your existing ingredients using the learning system; utility, service, equipment, premises, and other non-food invoices are marked as expense invoices instead - so emailed energy bills flow through to your accounting platform too.

Duplicate detection

If the same file arrives again (for example you forwarded an email with the same PDF twice), Brikly does not create a second record. The email shows as Duplicate in the email logs, with no notification. A file Brikly has already flagged as a duplicate is also recognised if it arrives again, and shows as Duplicate too.

Invoices sent in the email body work differently. Forwarding the same email again gives a new copy, because the forward has its own date and subject, so it is created as another invoice. Brikly may flag it as a possible duplicate in Invoices, but check there before forwarding an email-body invoice again.

Notification

Brikly only notifies you when something needs you. There is no notification for an invoice created or a duplicate: new invoices simply appear in your invoice list. You get a notification when:

• An email was not read (inbox switched off, sender not allowed, or over the hourly limit), as described under Validation.
• Invoice inbox is paused - CostingBrik is no longer active, so forwarded invoices are not being read. Each owner and admin gets this once, as described under Validation.
• Invoice inbox could not read an attachment - the email had nothing Brikly could read, because every attachment was over 10 MB or in a format it cannot read.
• Invoice inbox could not read an email - processing failed and no invoice was created. Upload the invoice by hand from Invoices, or forward the email again. If the invoice was saved but Brikly could not start reading it, there is no notification: it appears in Invoices as AI Failed instead. Open it and use Re-extract, and do not forward the email again.

Each kind of notification is updated in place while it is unread, so a busy day gives you one notification per reason rather than a flood.

Monitoring email logs

Viewing the logs

1. Navigate to Invoices in the sidebar.
2. Click Email Logs (or use the link in Inbox Settings).

The logs page shows every email received by your inbox:

Column	Description
Date	When the email was received
From	The address the email was sent from
Subject	The email subject line
Attachments	Number of file attachments
Status	Current processing status
Invoices	The invoices created from this email

Status meanings

Status	Meaning
Pending	Email received, waiting to be processed
Processing	AI extraction in progress
Completed	Brikly finished with this email. The Invoices column shows what it created; if it shows none, nothing in the email was read as an invoice (for example the only attachment was too large, or the email had no invoice in it), so upload the invoice by hand from Invoices. Check any note under the badge: if a document was saved but not read yet, open that invoice and use Re-extract; if another document could not be read, upload it by hand from Invoices
Duplicate	Invoice already exists - no new record created
Rejected	Email failed validation; the reason shows under the badge
Failed	Nothing was created; the note under the badge says what to do next
Forwarding Confirmation	A forwarding confirmation email from Gmail or another provider - the link or code is on the Inbox Settings page

A grey note, Brikly stopped part way through reading this email., is for information only: there is nothing you need to do.

Use the status filter at the top of the table to quickly find emails that need attention.

Common rejection reasons

Reason	What to do
CostingBrik is not active for this business	Check your subscription includes CostingBrik
Sender not in allowed list	An owner or admin adds the sender in Inbox Settings, then forward the email again
Sender has no valid email address	The email's sender could not be read, so it could not be checked against your allowed list. Ask the supplier to send it again, or upload the invoice by hand
Email ingestion not enabled	An owner or admin turns the inbox back on in Inbox Settings, then forward the email again
Rate limit exceeded	Forward the email again in about an hour (your notification says so)

Rate limits

Your inbox reads up to 150 emails per hour. This is more than enough for normal usage. Only emails Brikly read count towards the limit: rejected emails and Gmail forwarding confirmations don't.

If you hit the limit:

• Additional emails within that hour are logged as Rejected, and you get a notification saying so.
• A rejected email is not kept, so forward it again in about an hour.

Tips for best results

• Process a few invoices manually first for each new supplier - this helps the learning system build up patterns before you switch to inbox ingestion.
• Use auto-forwarding rules to reduce manual effort once you are confident the system handles your suppliers well.
• Use original PDFs whenever possible - they produce the most accurate extractions.
• Check the logs regularly during your first week to make sure everything is working as expected.
• Restrict senders if you want to prevent accidental processing of non-invoice emails.

Using Inbox alongside other methods

Invoice Inbox works alongside manual uploads and the Chrome extension. Invoices from all three methods appear in the same invoice list - there is no need to choose one method exclusively. Use whichever suits each situation:

Method	Best for
Manual upload	Quick one-off invoices you already have as files
Chrome extension	Capturing invoices directly from supplier portals
Gmail Direct Connection	Gmail users - one-click setup, automatic scanning every 30 minutes
Email Forwarding	Non-Gmail users, or when you want forwarding rules per supplier
Quick Capture	Paper invoices during deliveries - staff snap a photo via QR code, no account needed