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Accounts Payable Agent

Automate AP intake process from email to QuickBooks

The Accounts Payable Agent automates your entire invoice-to-bill workflow. It monitors your AP inbox, extracts invoice details, validates vendors in QuickBooks Online and create bills. Use the AP Agent to:

  • Extract invoice details automatically from your AP inbox — no manual downloading or keying

  • Flag invoices with missing required field for quick review

  • Create new vendors in Levvy and sync them to QBO instantly during review

  • Keep an organized folder of all invoices, renamed and sorted by processed date

  • Sync all unpaid bills into a Google Sheet, just like the unpaid bill report in QBO

How to Use the AP Agent

Add the AP Intake Automation template to your company library

  • In Levvy, go to Workflow Library in the left-hand navigation menu

  • Click Levvy Prebuilt Library and search for the template called AP Intake Automation

  • Check the checkbox to save it to your company library as a draft, then click Publish so everyone at your firm has access

Configure workflow in the client profile

  • From the company library, add the AP Intake Automation workflow to the relevant client

  • Click Edit Task to open the configuration. You can update the task name and budgeted hours here

  • Set the automation owner — this is the person who will review invoices and approve the task

  • Connect the AP inbox (the email account where invoices are received) and the client's QBO account

  • Connect a Google Sheet for syncing unpaid bills — select an existing sheet from the resource list, or click Add New Sheet to create one

  • Click the copy icon next to the email address and share the Google Sheet with it so the agent has permission to update the sheet

  • Once all connections are set (all boxes turn green)

  • Configure the recurrence and activate the workflow

Open the AP Agent task on your workspace

  • In Levvy, go to your Workspace

  • Find the AP Agent task — it has a rainbow ring around it to distinguish it from regular tasks

  • Open the task to see the assigned approver, the scheduled run time (bottom right), and a task description listing every step the agent will take

  • The Task Progress section shows the status of each step — if the task hasn't run yet, all steps will show Upcoming

To test the agent right away before the scheduled date, click the trigger now button. It only appears when the task is (1) scheduled to run today (2) the first occurence of a newly activated workflow.

Review what the agent extracted from your inbox

  • When the agent finishes scanning and extracting invoices, the task status changes to Approval Pending and the approver receives a notification in Levvy

  • Click the Folder & Files tab — the agent has automatically created an Email Attachments subfolder, with invoices organized by the date they were extracted

  • To see the source emails, click the Inbox tab in the client profile — the agent pulls only invoices from attachments, ignoring non-invoice files like reports

The first time the agent runs, it scans the last 30 days of email. After that, it scans only emails received since the previous run.

Review invoices that need your review

  • When the task is pending approval, click the Review New Invoices button to start the review

  • Invoices are flagged as Need Review when a required field is missing. Missing required fields are highlighted

  • Correct any field directly in the form. If the vendor doesn't exist in QBO yet, creating it in Levvy will sync to QBO automatically

  • To skip an invoice entirely, use the Exclude option. The original file stays saved in Levvy but won't be sent to QBO or Google Sheets

Before approving the task, click the Success tab to review invoices the agent extracted successfully. You can overwrite any field before it posts to QBO.

  • Once you've reviewed all flagged invoices, the Approve Task button appears

  • Click Approve Task to allow agent to proceed to the next step: creating bills in QBO and syncing to Google Sheets

  • Once finished, the task is automatically marked Complete

Check your organized files, bills in QBO and Google Sheet

  • In the Folder & Files tab, approved invoices are moved into a Processed Invoices subfolder, renamed with the vendor name and invoice date

  • Review your connected Google Sheet by accessing it in the Resources tab.

    • A new tab will be created and named with the current date. That tab contains all the unpaid bills as of the current date, just like the unpaid bill report in QBO.

    • A link to each QBO bill is included in the Google Sheet.

    • The renamed invoice is attached to the bill.

  • For existing vendors, the agent automatically applies the category from the vendor's most recent bill. The invoice is also attached to the bill in QBO

For bills with categories assigned to an item detail (rather than a category detail), automatic categorization won't apply. New vendors are categorized as Uncategorized Expense until updated.

FAQ

What invoices get routed to review?

Invoices go to review when a required field is missing. You'll see exactly which required fields are missing so you know what to fix.

How does the agent handle duplicate invoices?

The agent checks QBO for existing bills matching the invoice number and vendor. If a match is found, it attaches the new invoice to the existing bill instead of creating a duplicate.

Can I skip an invoice I don't want processed?

Yes. During review, use the Exclude option on any invoice. The file stays saved in Levvy for your records but won't be sent to QBO or Google Sheets.

How far back does the agent scan each time it runs?

On the first run after a workflow is activated, the agent scans the last 30 days of email. After that, it scans only emails received since the last time it ran.

Can I change when the agent runs?

You can change future occurrences by updating the recurrence settings in the client profile. You can't change the run time for a specific occurrence, and moving a task to a different date in the scheduling tab won't affect when the agent actually runs.

How does the agent categorize transactions?

It applies the category from the most recent bill for that vendor that has a category detail. New vendors are categorized as Uncategorized Expense. Note that bills with categories assigned to an item detail (rather than a category detail) aren't detected.

How are invoices organized in Levvy after processing?

The agent creates an Email Attachments subfolder for raw extractions and a Processed Invoices subfolder for approved invoices. Approved invoices are renamed with the vendor name and invoice date and organized by the date it was processed.

What happens if two corrected versions of the same invoice arrive?

If two emails contain attachments with the same invoice number, the agent processes the attachment from the most recently received email, assuming the latest version is the accurate one.

Can I create a new vendor in QBO during the review process?

Yes. If a vendor doesn't exist in QBO, you can create it directly in the Levvy review panel. It syncs to QBO immediately, so the bill can be created without leaving the task.

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