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Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

parser.zapier.com

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Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#61
post #54
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, so whenever someone cancels their Planscope account I send myself an email with their name, email address, LTV, plan, and cancelation reason (this is also stored in my database.) With this, I could simply CC that email to Zapier, they'll yank out all that info and shove it into a Google Spreadsheet, which will let me do certain things that would be a pain to program myself.

Brennan, thanks for sharing your use case. What kind of things would you do with the parsed info in Google spreadsheet?

Contacting users and offer a discount maybe?

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#62
post #13
post #6

This seems really useful but I can't think of an example usage. Can someone share an example where this is useful?

"Set up receipts@example.com as Google hosted email, automatically parse all Amazon/SaaS subscription/etc emails and update the bookkeeping system" would already save me (or, well, my bookkeeper) 5+ hours a year.

Shouldn't this kind of notifications be handled with the Paypal / Amazon API directly for more reliability?

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#64
post #2

Happy to answer any questions! This tool has been in use for many months by some select Zapier users and we decided to finally release it. I definitely want to open source the core extractor bits and document the REST API that powers the Zapier integration. We have more information on using it in Zapier (the main use case at the moment) here: https://zapier.com/zapbook/updates/308/introducing-zapier-em...

Good job, mate ! I love it !

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#65
post #62
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Set up receipts@example.com as Google hosted email, automatically parse all Amazon/SaaS subscription/etc emails and update the bookkeeping system" would already save me (or, well, my bookkeeper) 5+ hours a year.

Shouldn't this kind of notifications be handled with the Paypal / Amazon API directly for more reliability?

These are business expenses rather than things I am selling. As such, they're on my corporate credit cards. Regrettably, those don't have API access, and the best way to get information from them is currently "Log in once a month, dump a PDF file, and email it to the bookkeeper."

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#66
post #2

Happy to answer any questions! This tool has been in use for many months by some select Zapier users and we decided to finally release it. I definitely want to open source the core extractor bits and document the REST API that powers the Zapier integration. We have more information on using it in Zapier (the main use case at the moment) here: https://zapier.com/zapbook/updates/308/introducing-zapier-em...

Any hints on how I can process datetimes with non-standard formatting properly? I've got mails where the date is formatted as dd/mm/yyyy, which causes Google Calendar to create an event on the 3rd of January instead of the 1st of March.

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#67
post #2

Happy to answer any questions! This tool has been in use for many months by some select Zapier users and we decided to finally release it. I definitely want to open source the core extractor bits and document the REST API that powers the Zapier integration. We have more information on using it in Zapier (the main use case at the moment) here: https://zapier.com/zapbook/updates/308/introducing-zapier-em...

Any hints on how I can process datetimes with non-standard formatting properly? I've got mails where the date is formatted as dd/mm/yyyy, which causes Google Calendar to create an event on the 3rd of January instead of the 1st of March.

If you can, try setting each portion of the date as a different field for the parser to split out. Then in a zap you could re-assemble the date in the right order so GCal can understand it.

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#68
post #65
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Shouldn't this kind of notifications be handled with the Paypal / Amazon API directly for more reliability?

These are business expenses rather than things I am selling. As such, they're on my corporate credit cards. Regrettably, those don't have API access, and the best way to get information from them is currently "Log in once a month, dump a PDF file, and email it to the bookkeeper."

As a tech guy, I always feel extremely guilty about it, but my Italian accountant is cool with me dumping a big pile of receipts and papers in his office every few months. Even US accountants are often more or less ok with this, even if it makes me a bit sick to my stomach.

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For some reason, this comment really read like a marketing testimonial.

If you want infuriating marketing, try Googling for an integration between two obscure web services. The Zapier "Zapbook" automatically makes a page for each possible combination of the services they hook into, giving useless bullshit like https://zapier.com/zapbook/ducksboard/aim/ (which, by the way, isn't the same as https://zapier.com/zapbook/aim/ducksboard/ either).

If you're Googling for an integration between two obscure web services, doesn't that imply you have an idea for how you want to use the integration between them? Finding out Zapier will allow you to seems like both useful and intelligent marketing.

Re: Zapier Email Parser: Extract Text From Automated Emails

#70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you want infuriating marketing, try Googling for an integration between two obscure web services. The Zapier "Zapbook" automatically makes a page for each possible combination of the services they hook into, giving useless bullshit like https://zapier.com/zapbook/ducksboard/aim/ (which, by the way, isn't the same as https://zapier.com/zapbook/aim/ducksboard/ either).

If you're Googling for an integration between two obscure web services, doesn't that imply you have an idea for how you want to use the integration between them? Finding out Zapier will allow you to seems like both useful and intelligent marketing.

Except that's not what's offered.

https://zapier.com/zapbook/drupal/zapier/

"Vote to connect Drupal and Zapier" brings up "Sorry! This App Isn't Available Yet". No integration is possible. It's a useless search result.

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