How to Set Up Intelligent AP Automation in Precoro

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• How to Activate Intelligent AP Automation 

  • User Roles
  • Self-Service Activation (Automation Plan)
  • Requesting Activation (Core Plan)
• How to Configure Intelligent AP Automation
  • Settings Enabled by Default
  • Disabled, But Can Be Activated
    
  • Invoice Upload Methods
• How to Keep Track of AP Automation Credits
• How to Stay Updated on Document Processing
• How to Deactivate Intelligent AP Automation

• Frequently Asked Questions

How to Activate Intelligent AP Automation

User Roles

Decide which users will use the AP Automation feature and assign them the following roles in Configuration → User Management:

• Invoice Creator: Allows users to activate AP Inbox or request a trial. Once AP Inbox is active, users with this role can create and edit Invoices.
• AP Inbox: Enables users to view the active AP Inbox, upload documents, and manage recognized documents.
• Configuration: Enables users to open and adjust settings on the Intelligent AP Automation page, and deactivate AP Inbox. 

Self-Service Activation (Automation Plan)

Users with the Invoice Creator role see an AP Inbox item in the left-hand sidebar, marked Activate.

To activate it:

1. Click AP Inbox in the sidebar.
2. On the page that opens, review the feature overview and click Activate AP Inbox.

Activating AP Inbox automatically:

• assigns you the AP Inbox role and sets you as the default invoice issuer for auto-created invoices;
• sets your starting document limit;
• generates your dedicated AP Inbox email address;

Once activated, you can adjust the settings for your company's usage preferences. See the next sections to learn how.

Requesting Activation (Core Plan)

If your company is on the Core plan, AP Automation isn't included by default. To activate it, please upgrade to Automation or reach out to your CS to discuss AP Intelligent Automation as an add-on.

You can also try it out first with 15 demo documents. Users with the Invoice Creator role see a banner on the Invoices page offering this trial, as long as your company hasn't already activated AP Inbox or used a trial before.

How to Configure Intelligent AP Automation

Once Intelligent AP Automation is active on your account, users with the Configuration role can adjust it on the Intelligent AP Automation page.

Settings Enabled by Default

1. Automatically scan your documents through email. Send your documents to the email shown in the field, and Precoro will automatically scan and upload them as Drafts to the AP Inbox page so that you can conveniently continue working on them.

Email is generated during AP Inbox activation. You can edit or copy it later.

2. AI Agent for Invoice Extraction. Precoro's AI Agent in the AP Inbox captures invoices without attachments and prepares them for automatic processing—no manual reformatting required. Learn more here.

3. Invoice from Order Auto Creation. Precoro automatically generates an invoice from the recognized data and matches it to an existing order when possible. Learn more here.

Once turned on, you can configure:

• Initiator of Auto Created Invoices. Choose which user is set as the invoice issuer on auto-created invoices. By default, this is the user who activated AP Inbox or was chosen by CS during setup.
  
  
• Select Invoice Type for Auto Creation. Choose whether auto-created invoices are Standard Invoices, PO-Based Invoices, or both.

For PO-backed Invoices:

• Set the Order Creator as the Initiator, turned off by default. Turn this on to set the order's creator as the invoice issuer instead of the default initiator above.

• Automatically confirm auto-created invoices. Skip manual confirmation for PO-backed invoices created from supplier attachments. Refer to the details here.

4. AI-Enhanced Invoice-to-Order Matching. This functionality automates invoice processing, allowing you to create invoices from AP Inbox documents without manual work and errors.
Learn more in this article.

Disabled, But Can Be Activated

1. E-invoicing. When it’s activated, Precoro recognizes e-invoices. Learn more here.

2. Enter Invoice as one line. Consolidate all items on an invoice into a single line entry with the total amount. This is particularly useful for invoices where item-level detail isn't necessary, such as service invoices or consolidated billing.

If there's a matching purchase order, Precoro links this line to the first item in the PO.

You can manage this feature in two ways:

a) In Intelligent AP Automation Configuration settings. Check the Enter Invoice as one line box to apply it to all invoices processed with Intelligent AP Automation.

b) On the Suppliers page, activate the Enter Invoice as one line box to make it applicable only to invoices from a specific supplier. See the video below for details.

Invoice Upload Methods

In Precoro, you have three options for uploading invoices for AI processing. Pick the one that works best for you:

• via your dedicated Precoro inbox email
• directly on the AP Inbox page
• from the Invoices page

Learn more about each method, document statuses, and how Precoro recognizes suppliers and items in this article.

Precoro can track tax amounts recognized on your invoices as separate line items, matching them against the taxes set up for your company or legal entity where possible. Learn more about how this works and how to configure it in this guide.

How to Keep Track of AP Automation Credits

You can keep track of your Intelligent AP Automation usage in two places:

1. On the Intelligent AP Automation page.

The Usage panel shows:

• Documents left

• Used

• Total documents

2. On the AP Inbox page
The "documents left" tag by the page heading shows the number of documents you can still process. Hover over the tag to view the detailed tracker.

How to Stay Updated on Document Processing

To receive updates on the unprocessed documents, you can configure email notifications.

Follow these steps:

1. Go to Email Preferences → Misc.
2. Check the box for Notification with the List of Unprocessed AP Inbox Documents.

When activated, users with AP Inbox roles will receive a weekly email listing all documents that were not processed.

When activated, users with AP Inbox roles will receive a weekly email listing all documents that were not processed.

Here are some common reasons why a document might not be processed:

• The document is not an invoice.

• It is not in PDF, JPEG, PNG, or TIFF format.

• The file size exceeds 25MB.

• The document is password-protected or encrypted.

Every processed document, including ones Precoro couldn't classify, gets a value in the Type column of the AP Inbox, even when the document isn't an invoice or a credit note.

For documents with the Unable to process status, hover over the status to see a tooltip with the exact reason processing failed.

How to Deactivate Intelligent AP Automation

Users with the Configuration role can deactivate AP Inbox from the Intelligent AP Automation page: click the toggle next to the page title, then confirm in the Deactivate AP Inbox? dialog that appears.

Deactivating AP Inbox:

• makes AP Inbox inactive and stops Automatic Email Scanning;
• stops invoice auto-creation;
• keeps your usage history and remaining document count as they were—reactivating later doesn't reset or add to them.

Frequently Asked Questions