Auto-Code Invoices to GL Accounts

To auto-code invoices, save a rule that maps a vendor (or a line-item description) to a GL account or category. DocuClipper applies that mapping to every future invoice from the same vendor, and the mapping persists — so repeat invoices arrive already coded. You set the mapping once.

This is the difference between a tool that only reads invoices and a full AP workflow: extraction, coding, approval routing, PO matching, then a push to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Xero.

What coding an invoice means

Coding (or categorizing) an invoice assigns it to the right GL account or expense category before it posts — for example, an Adobe invoice to Software Subscriptions or a utility bill to Utilities Expense. Done by hand, someone codes every invoice every time, even for the same vendor month after month. Auto-coding teaches the mapping once and reuses it.

Step 1: Code one invoice manually

Open the project's Invoices tab and click an invoice.
Set the Category (for payables) or Product/Service (for receivables) on the line item or document.

This is the manual choice DocuClipper will learn from in the next step.

Step 2: Save your categorization as a rule

Directly under the Document Type dropdown, click Save as a rule for {Vendor Name}. The rule editor opens pre-scoped to the current invoice. Choose:

The field the rule looks at — Vendor, Customer, or Line Item Description.
An operator — Equals, Contains, etc.
What to set when it matches — Category (payables) or Product/Service (receivables).

Save. The rule is stored against your account and runs automatically going forward. For the full editor, see Setting up invoice rules.

Vendor-level mapping ("Vendor equals Acme Hosting → Software Subscriptions") fits vendors that always hit one account.
Line-item mapping fits an invoice that spans multiple accounts — map by line-item description (e.g. hardware vs. support on the same bill).

Step 3: Let the mapping persist

Once saved, the rule runs automatically:

On every newly extracted invoice for the same account — the rule engine matches as soon as extraction finishes.
When you change an invoice's document type — rules re-run against the new type.
When you click Run rules in the invoice editor — useful after editing a rule, or to apply it to invoices uploaded before the rule existed (older invoices are not re-coded automatically).

Over a few cycles, the long tail of recurring vendors becomes fully auto-coded, leaving manual attention for genuinely new or unusual invoices.

Where coded invoices go next

Coded invoices flow through the rest of the AP workflow: approval routing sends them to the right approver with an audit trail, two- and three-way PO matching validates them against the purchase order, and approved invoices sync to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Xero (NetSuite and Sage via CSV). Because the GL account is already set, the invoice posts to the correct account instead of a catch-all.

Tips

Keep rules narrow at first. Vendor equals "ACME Office Supplies" is safer than Line item contains "office", which can sweep up unrelated vendors.
Use Vendor contains when a vendor's name varies slightly across invoices ("ACME Office", "ACME Office Supplies Inc.").
If two rules conflict, the higher-ordered rule wins. Reorder in the rules editor if you see unexpected results.
Rules are scoped to your account. Teammates share rules; a separate account has its own ruleset.

FAQs

How do I automatically categorize invoices in DocuClipper?

Code one invoice manually, then click "Save as a rule" under the Document Type dropdown. The rule maps a vendor or line item to a GL account and runs automatically on every future matching invoice.

Does DocuClipper remember a vendor's GL account?

Yes. Once you save a rule for a vendor, the mapping persists and is applied automatically to every new invoice from that vendor.

Will a new rule re-code invoices I already uploaded?

Not automatically. Rules apply to newly extracted invoices going forward. To apply a rule to older invoices, open them and click Run rules.

Can one invoice be split across multiple GL accounts?

Yes. Use line-item-description rules to map different line items on the same invoice to different accounts.