Send extracted data to email or Slack

Once you've extracted data from a document, you usually want to do something with it — notify a team in Slack, email it to a manager, attach the original file, or push it to multiple places at once. This article covers the common notification patterns.

Which method should I use?

The workflow nodes and the spreadsheet formulas have the same parameters. Pick based on whether the work is happening in a workflow (use the node) or anchored in a sheet (use the formula).

Before you start

You need:

• A connected Gmail, Outlook, or Slack credential. Set these up in workspace settings.
• For Slack, the channel ID or name you want to post in. The Slack credential's bot user must be a member of private channels.
• For Twilio SMS: a Twilio credential and a verified sender number.

Pattern 1: notify Slack after extraction

Add a Send Slack node after your Data Extractor node.

Channel: #ap-inbox (or any channel name your bot has access to)

Message:

New invoice extracted
Vendor: {{$item.data.Vendor Name}}
Invoice #: {{$item.data.Invoice Number}}
Total: ${{$item.data.Total Amount}}
Due: {{$item.data.Due Date}}

Each item flowing through the workflow becomes its own Slack message.

Pattern 2: email a summary to one person

Add a Send Gmail node after Data Extractor.

To: ap@yourco.com

Subject: Invoice {{$item.data.Invoice Number}} from {{$item.data.Vendor Name}}

Body (HTML):

<p>A new invoice was extracted from your invoice inbox.</p>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Vendor:</strong> {{$item.data.Vendor Name}}</li>
  <li><strong>Invoice #:</strong> {{$item.data.Invoice Number}}</li>
  <li><strong>Total:</strong> ${{$item.data.Total Amount}}</li>
  <li><strong>Due:</strong> {{$item.data.Due Date}}</li>
</ul>

For Outlook accounts, use Send Outlook instead — same parameters except no sender override.

Pattern 3: attach the original document

The trigger gave you a file URL. Pass it to the Send node as an attachment.

In Send Gmail:

• file_url parameter: {{$item.data.file.url}} (or whatever field holds the original URL).

The recipient gets the original PDF along with the extracted summary.

Pattern 4: route different items to different channels

Use the Switch node before your Send nodes:

[Data Extractor] → [Switch on Vendor Name]
                          │
                          ├─ "Vendor A" ─→ [Send Slack: #vendor-a]
                          ├─ "Vendor B" ─→ [Send Slack: #vendor-b]
                          └─ default    ─→ [Send Slack: #ap-inbox]

Useful when different teams own different vendor relationships.

Pattern 5: aggregate before sending

You don't always want one message per item. To send a single end-of-day digest:

[Scheduled Trigger: daily 5pm]
        │
        ▼
[Get Table: today's invoices]
        │
        ▼
[Aggregate: count by vendor]
        │
        ▼
[Send Gmail: digest with table]

Use Aggregate to collapse many items into one summary, then a single Send node.

Spreadsheet-anchored alternatives

If the work lives in a sheet (no workflow), use formulas:

=SENDGMAIL("gmail-cred-id",
           Invoices[@Email],
           "Invoice " & Invoices[@Invoice Number],
           "Total: $" & Invoices[@Total Amount],
           Invoices[@Send Status])

Add this as a column. Right-click → Run on a single row to send for one row, or Create Automation to send for every row on a schedule.

For Slack:

=SENDSLACK("slack-cred-id",
           "#ap-inbox",
           "Invoice " & Invoices[@Invoice Number] & " for $" & Invoices[@Total Amount],
           Invoices[@Send Status])

Tips

• Use the status_ref parameter wherever it exists. It writes the success/failure status into a cell or column so you can see what went through.
• HTML is supported in Send Gmail / Send Outlook bodies. Use it for tables, links, and basic formatting.
• Keep Slack messages short and structured. Long Slack walls of text get ignored. Use bullets or a code block.
• Don't email the same address from multiple workflows simultaneously without throttling. You'll trigger spam filters.
• Test with your own email/channel first. Then switch to the production destination.
• Don't include sensitive document contents in chat or email unless your team has agreed it's safe. Many extraction documents contain personal data.

Common mistakes

• Sending one notification per workflow item when you wanted one per batch. Use Aggregate first if you want a digest.
• Slack bot not in the channel. Send Slack will fail silently or with a confusing error if the bot user hasn't been added to the channel. Add the bot first.
• Not handling the Send node's error output. A failed email is much worse than an obvious error message — always wire up the error output to a logging or alerting node.
• Hardcoding recipient addresses. Use a column or workspace setting so you can change recipients without editing the workflow.
• Including raw {{$item.data...}} in the message because the parameter is in literal mode instead of expression mode. Toggle the mode switch in the parameter input.
• Trying to send 10,000 emails in one workflow run without throttling. Most providers will rate-limit or quarantine you. Use the Limit node and node-level concurrency settings.

Related articles

• Extract data from PDFs and documents
• Automate extraction with workflows
• Build your first workflow
• Connect Gmail
• Connect Outlook
• Lido Mailbox
• Triggers: how workflows start (Scheduled Trigger)

Updated on: 16/04/2026