How to Parse Email Attachments Automatically

TL;DR

-Email attachment parsing automates extracting data from invoices, receipts, and reports that arrive as email attachments.
-Manual download-open-copy doesn't scale beyond a few emails per day.
-Email forwarding rules can route attachments to extraction tools automatically — zero manual intervention.
-Parsli's email forwarding assigns a unique email address per parser, extracting data as soon as attachments arrive.
-Connect to Google Sheets or Zapier to push extracted data directly into your workflow.

Your inbox is full of invoices. Vendor invoices as PDF attachments, receipt confirmations, monthly reports from your bank. Each one contains data you need in a spreadsheet or ERP — but getting it there means downloading the attachment, opening it, finding the data, and typing it in manually.

Email attachment parsing eliminates every step of that process. Set it up once and extracted data flows from your inbox to your systems automatically.

80%

Of B2B documents arrive via email

11 min

Avg time to process one attachment

0 min

With automated parsing

24/7

Parsli processes attachments

What is email attachment parsing?

Email attachment parsing is the automated process of extracting structured data from files attached to emails — typically PDFs, images, or spreadsheets. Instead of manually opening each attachment, a parsing tool reads the file, extracts the fields you care about, and outputs structured data.

How to set up automatic email parsing

Create a parser with your extraction schema

Define the fields you want to extract — invoice number, vendor, line items, total, date — using Parsli's no-code schema builder.

Get your unique forwarding email address

Each Parsli parser has a unique email address. Any attachments sent to this address are automatically queued for extraction.

Set up email forwarding rules

In Gmail, Outlook, or your email client, create a rule that forwards emails from specific senders (your vendors) to your Parsli forwarding address. Attachments are extracted automatically.

Connect your output destination

Route extracted data to Google Sheets, your ERP, or any system via Zapier, Make, or Parsli's API. Data flows from email to spreadsheet without you touching it.

Free Invoice Parser

Try parsing an invoice attachment right now. Upload a PDF and see structured data in seconds.

Try it free

Tired of downloading and opening email attachments manually? Parsli extracts data from forwarded emails automatically.

Try it for free

I set up email forwarding for our top 15 vendors in about 20 minutes. Now invoice data lands in our Google Sheet before I even open my inbox in the morning.

AP Specialist

E-commerce company

Common email parsing use cases

Vendor invoice processing — Forward supplier invoices to Parsli, extract line items and totals, push to your AP system.
Expense receipt collection — Employees forward receipts, data is extracted and categorized automatically.
Bank statement processing — Forward monthly statements, extract transactions into your reconciliation spreadsheet.
Order confirmation tracking — Extract order numbers, amounts, and delivery dates from confirmation emails. For high-volume inboxes, combine email parsing with batch document processing to handle hundreds of attachments automatically.

From inbox chaos to automated data flow

Email attachment parsing turns your inbox from a bottleneck into a data source. Set up forwarding rules once, and structured data flows from vendor emails to your spreadsheets and systems automatically — no downloading, no opening files, no manual data entry.

Stop copying data out of documents manually.

Parsli extracts structured data from PDFs, invoices, and emails — automatically. Free forever up to 30 pages/month.

Try it for free Book a demo

No credit card required.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does email forwarding for document parsing work?

You get a unique email address for each parser. When you forward an email to this address (or set up auto-forwarding rules), the attachments are automatically extracted using your predefined schema. Results appear in your Parsli dashboard and can be exported or pushed to connected systems.

What file types can be parsed from email attachments?

Parsli processes PDF, PNG, JPG, TIFF, Word documents, and Excel files attached to emails. The AI extraction handles both digital and scanned documents.

Can I parse emails from Gmail automatically?

Yes. Set up a Gmail filter that forwards emails matching your criteria (sender, subject, label) to your Parsli forwarding address. Attachments are parsed automatically as they arrive.

Where does the extracted data go?

Extracted data is available in your Parsli dashboard. You can export to CSV, Excel, or JSON, or set up automatic routing to Google Sheets, Zapier, Make, or your own systems via API.