When a file is added to Box, extract text with OCR and add a row to Coda

■Overview

Do you manually transfer information from files such as invoices and application forms stored in Box to Coda tables? Besides being time-consuming, this task is prone to human error, including data entry mistakes. With this workflow, you can connect Box and Coda so that when a file is uploaded, OCR automatically extracts its contents and adds a row to Coda. Automate tedious data entry between Coda and Box to streamline your operations.

■Recommended for

• Anyone who manually transfers information from files managed in Box to Coda
• Anyone who wants to connect Coda and Box via API to manage files and data more efficiently
• Anyone who wants to use OCR to extract text from documents such as PDFs and automate business processes

■Benefits of using this template

• Automate the entire process—from using a file upload to Box as the trigger, to extracting data with OCR and adding a row to Coda—so you can reduce the time spent on manual data entry
• Eliminate manual data entry to prevent human errors such as transcription mistakes and missed entries, helping you maintain data accuracy

■Flow bot steps

1. First, connect Box and Coda to Yoom
2. Next, select Box as the trigger, set the action to “When a file is uploaded to a folder,” and specify the folder that should start the automation
3. Then, configure Box’s “Download a file” action as an operation to retrieve the file detected by the trigger
4. Next, select the AI feature “Extract text from images and PDFs” as an operation to extract text from the downloaded file
5. Finally, configure Coda’s “Add a row to a table” action as an operation to add the OCR-extracted data to the specified table

■Customization options

• In the AI OCR settings, specify which information to extract from the file. For example, you can select specific fields such as the “Date” or “Amount” shown in the document
• In the operation for adding a row to Coda, specify which OCR-extracted information should be added to each column in the table

※“Trigger”: An action that starts the flow. “Operation”: An action that runs within the flow after the trigger starts it

■Notes‍

• Connect both Box and Coda to Yoom.
• The OCR operation is available only on the Team and Success plans. Please note that configured flow bot operations will result in an error on the Free and Mini plans.
• Paid plans, such as the Team and Success plans, include a two-week free trial. During the free trial, you can use apps and AI features (operations) that are otherwise subject to plan restrictions.
• Please note that OCR may not be able to read data exceeding 6,500 characters or text that is too small.
• The maximum downloadable file size is 300 MB. Depending on the app specifications, the limit may be less than 300 MB.
• For details on the file size limits for triggers and individual operations, see this article.