Are you manually entering handwritten data, such as from survey results or notes from business meetings?
What if you can automatically convert handwritten data into text using AI-OCR? By transforming handwritten notes into digital text, you can streamline your data management processes and make your workflow much more efficient.
In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of extracting text from images using AI-OCR and show you how to create a Flowbot to make this process even easier.
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🌐 Connect with apps like Google Drive, Google Sheets, and more.
📖 Use automation templates - no technical setup required
📈 Boost productivity and reduce human errors
You don't need to go through a complex setup and IT jargon, you can build your automation workflows with just a few clicks :) It's designed for those who want to streamline their daily work and save hours of time and stress from repetitive work.
🚀 Let’s Set Up a Flowbot To Automatically Read Images from Google Drive and Update Google Sheets
Let's walk through how to set up a flow that automatically extracts data from images on Google Drive and syncs it with Google Sheets.
⏱️ Setup time: 10 minutes
🔧 What You’ll Need
A free Yoom account
Access to Google Drive and Google Sheets
If you don’t have a Yoom account yet, register now from thisregistration form!
⚠️ Note: OCR (reading text) used in this Flowbot is only available in Yoom's certain plans. If you're using the Free or Plus plan, the Flowbot may face errors due to limited access. But don't worry - all plans have a 2-week free trial! You can try all features without restrictions. For more details on Yoom and its plans, visit our Yoom Help Center.
Step 1: Connect Apps to Yoom
After logging into Yoom, go to "My Apps" from the left side menu and click "+ Add".
☝️ Tip: To test the flow settings, you'll need to prepare a Google Sheet database in advance. While the content entered can be temporary, it’s important to create the necessary columns and fields in the sheet to ensure that the data can be properly processed.
Search for "Google Sheets" from the app list and select it.
Log in using your Google account to link with Yoom.
Since Google Sheets and Google Drive are both part of the Google ecosystem, they can be integrated using the same procedure. Therefore, you can follow the same steps to integrate Google Drive as well.
Step 2: Copy the Template
Click the "Try It" button to copy the pre-built template into your project.
When a survey image is uploaded to Google Drive, read the image and reflect it in a Google Spreadsheet.
Click "OK" and give the Flowbot a name to recognize.
The template will be copied to your "My Project".
Step 3: Google Drive Trigger
Click on the app trigger action with the Google Drive icon.
The next screen is pre-configured. You can change the title if you want.
Set your trigger interval (how often you want Yoom to check Google Drive for new updates). It can be set to 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes. We recommend setting the trigger to the shortest activation interval available for your plan.
⚠️ Note: The trigger interval varies depending on your Yoom plan. Be sure to check your current plan’s limit.
Then specify the Folder ID. This is where you specify which Folder you want Yoom to check.
Once set, click “Test”.
If the test succeeds, the retrieved value will be updated. Check if it's correct, and click “Save”.
Step 4: Download File
Click on the action item with the Google Drive icon.
The next screen is pre-configured. You can change the title if you want.
Then specify the File ID. Select “File ID” from the retrieved value of the previous action. By setting it this way, you can automatically link to and reference images stored in Google Drive.
📚 Reference: For more details on retrieved values and how to set them up, see theguide here.
Conduct a test, and if successful, click "Save".
Step 5: Set Up OCR Action
Click on the OCR action.
The title and action are pre-configured. You can change them if needed. For the action, select it based on the file type relevant to your need.
Once selected, click “Next”.
Select the file type for testing. Choose between "Use Retrieved Values" or "Upload File." Since we want to use the file retrieved from Google Drive, we will choose the "Use Retrieved Values" option.
Next, specify which data you want to extract from the Google Drive file.
📚 References: For more details on how to set up the “Extract Text from Images/PDFs” action, you can refer to the full guide here.
Conduct a test, and if successful, click "Save".
Step 6: Add Record to Google Sheets
Click on the action with the Google Sheets icon.
The next screen is pre-configured. You can change the title if you want.
Select Spreadsheet ID: Choose the Spreadsheet ID from the displayed options.
Select Tab Name: Choose the Tab Name where the data will be stored.
Define Table Range (Optional): You can optionally specify the Table Range where data will be saved.
📚 Reference: For more details on table range settings, check this guide.
Map the Data: Click on each item field and assign the corresponding data from the retrieved value to each field.
Test the Setup: After setting the data, click Test to check if everything is configured correctly.
Once you confirm the test is successful, click "Save".
Step 7: Activate the Flowbot
Toggle the "Trigger On" button to activate your flow! Check if the Flowbot you set up is working properly.
That’s it! 🎉 The Flowbot is now complete!
When a survey image is uploaded to Google Drive, read the image and reflect it in a Google Spreadsheet.
💡 Other Automation Examples Using Google Drive and Google Sheets
By using Google Drive, Google Sheets, and the OCRfeature, you can unlock a wide range of automation possibilities that simplify your workflows. Here are some examples you can explore for your next automation!
Automation Examples Integrating Google Drive and Google Sheets
When a row is added in Google Sheets, create a folder in Google Drive.
■Overview Are you finding it cumbersome to manually save to Google Drive the attachments of invoices and important documents received in Gmail? Handling them one by one takes time and can lead to mistakes such as forgetting to save. By using this workflow, when an email with a specific label is received in Gmail, attachments can be automatically uploaded to Google Drive, streamlining file management tasks.
■Recommended for - Those who spend time downloading and organizing attachments received in Gmail - Accounting personnel who want to centrally manage items such as invoices from business partners in Google Drive - Those who want to prevent mistakes such as omissions in manually saving files or putting them in the wrong location
■Notes - Please connect both Gmail and Google Drive with Yoom. - For the trigger, you can select an execution interval of 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. - The minimum execution interval varies depending on your plan. - Branching is a feature (operation) available with the Mini plan or higher. With the Free plan, operations of the configured flow bot will result in an error. - Paid plans such as the Mini plan offer a two-week free trial. During the free trial, you can use apps and features (operations) that are otherwise restricted.
■Overview Are you manually notifying stakeholders in Discord every time a new row is added to a list managed in Google Sheets? This routine task is not only time-consuming but also prone to missed or delayed notifications. With this workflow, when a row is added in Google Sheets, it automatically sends a message to the specified Discord channel, streamlining information sharing.
■Who we recommend this template for ・Those who manually copy updates from Google Sheets to Discord each time ・Those who want to speed up information sharing within the team and strengthen real-time collaboration ・Those who want to prevent missed or delayed notifications caused by manual work and improve operational accuracy
■Notes ・Connect Yoom with both Google Sheets and Discord. ・You can set the trigger interval to 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. ・The shortest trigger interval varies depending on your plan.
Overview Are you manually sending notifications to Slack every time you update information managed in Google Sheets? Such routine reporting tasks not only require effort but can also lead to errors such as delayed or missed notifications. By using this workflow, you can use row additions in Google Sheets as a trigger to automatically send a message to a specified Slack channel, streamlining information sharing.
Who this template is recommended for - Those who report each update made in Google Sheets to their team on Slack - Those who want to prevent human errors such as notification time lags and missed reports caused by manual work - Those who want to automate information-sharing processes within a team or department and improve operational efficiency
Notes - Please connect Yoom with both Google Sheets and Slack. - For the trigger, you can choose a run interval of 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. - Please note that the minimum run interval varies by plan.
■Overview The "Sync to Google Sheets when a record is created in Airtable" workflow is a business workflow aimed at improving data management efficiency. When new data is added to Airtable, the same information is automatically reflected in Google Sheets as well, eliminating the effort of manual data entry and enabling centralized management of the latest information. This makes information sharing across the team smoother and improves the accuracy of operations.
■Recommended for - Those who manage data using both Airtable and Google Sheets - Staff who spend time on manual data transfers - Team leaders who want to maintain data consistency and up-to-dateness - Business owners considering workflow automation - Those who want to simplify data integration across multiple SaaS apps
■Notes - Please connect Yoom with both Airtable and Google Sheets. - For the trigger, you can choose a run interval of 5, 10, 15, 30, or 60 minutes. - Please note that the minimum run interval varies by plan. - Airtable output can be obtained via JSONPath. For how to obtain it, please refer to the following: https://intercom.help/yoom/en/articles/9103858
■Overview This is a flow to issue a document and save it to Google Drive when a row in Google Sheets is updated. With Yoom, you can easily connect apps without programming.
■Recommended for 1. Those who manage data with Google Sheets ・If you manage data such as customer information using Google Sheets but find it cumbersome to issue documents manually
2. Companies that use Google Drive for file storage and sharing ・If you use Google Drive regularly and want to utilize it for saving and sharing invoices ・If you want to automate but don't know where to start
■Notes ・Please connect both Google Sheets and Google Drive with Yoom. ・You can select the trigger interval from 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, or 60 minutes. ・Please note that the shortest trigger interval varies depending on the plan. ・Branching is a feature (operation) available in plans above the mini plan. In the case of the free plan, the operation of the flow bot set will result in an error, so please be careful. ・Paid plans such as the mini plan offer a 2-week free trial. During the free trial, you can use apps and features (operations) that are subject to restrictions.
👏 Benefits of Automatically Extracting Text from Images
Benefit 1: Streamlined Document Management
By automatically converting handwritten notes and documents into digital text, you can significantly simplify your document management processes. For example, you can take a photo of the paper survey responses with your smartphone, upload the image to Google Drive, and automatically extract the text into Google Sheets. You no longer need to manually enter the data into Google Sheets, saving you time and effort.
Benefit 2: Enhanced Search Accuracy
Extracting specific text information from images or files allows you to easily organize and search through large volumes of data. For example, extracting details like items, quantities, and amounts from invoices or quotes and saving them as structured text in separate tools can lead to easy data search and analysis.
📖 Summary
In this article, we introduced a powerful AI feature, OCR, for extracting text from images. With this feature, you can streamline your document management process and automatically reflect it in Google Sheets. This automation can cut down on time-consuming manual work, allowing you to focus on other important tasks.
Best of all, no technical expertise is needed, and anyone can easily set it up! Ready to simplify your workflows? Sign up for Yoom and try it today!
I have previously gained experience in sales and sales administration within the human resources industry. Based on my past experience, I have realized that the challenges faced by various companies can be alleviated through "automation of operations." Through Yoom, I will continue to share information daily to help address your concerns as much as possible.
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