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Capture an Invitation to Bid

Build a template that reads an Invitation to Bid into a case, keyed by its E-Number. Then add an automation that does it for every invitation email.

Tutorials
Updated 2 min read

The first template only reads. It finds four values on the invitation and saves them on the job's case for the later templates.

Fig. 01The four values the template reads off each Invitation to Bid.

Build the template

  1. Open Templates in the sidebar and click +. Choose Upload document.
  2. Pick your invitation PDF, set Name to "Invitation to Bid" (also the file category every invitation gets), and click Upload & add to template.
  3. Click Untitled template in the toolbar, set Name to "Invitation to Bid", and click Back to template.
  4. Click the Case ID field every template starts with and rename it "E-Number". Under AI instructions, add "The E-Number starts with E, like EQ28416."
  5. In Add field, add a Text field "Address", a Date field "Bid due date" and a Text field "Scope of work". Set each one's Comes from to The document.
  6. This template prints nothing: in each new field's Outputs, open the Places row's menu and choose Delete output.
  7. Click Save.
An open field card: its input with Comes from set to The document, Type, AI instructions and a read zone, and Outputs reading Not printed
Fig. 02A field that only reads: Comes from is The document, and its Outputs read Not printed.

Test it

Click Run, choose Upload a file, drop in another invitation, and click Run. A wrong value wants a hint under that field's AI instructions (AI extraction & instructions).

Fig. 03A run reads the invitation and saves its values on the case with that E-Number.

Catch every invitation automatically

On Pro, an automation reads each invitation as it arrives in Gmail.

  1. In Settings, under Account, turn on Gmail.
  2. Click + on the sidebar's Mailboxes row, type "Bids", and press Enter.
  3. Click + beside Automations and name it "Invitation to Bid".
  4. Open Gmail trigger, set Subject contains to "invitation to bid", and click Done.
  5. Click Add step, choose Extraction, set Template to Invitation to Bid, and click Done.
  6. Open Mailbox routing, set Mailbox to Bids, and click Done. Click Save.
Fig. 04Each invitation email runs the template and lands in Bids, in the case with its E-Number.

Forward yourself an invitation: it shows under the automation's Activity, and its case appears in Bids.

A new automation: the Describe this automation box, then a flow with a Gmail trigger and Mailbox routing
Fig. 05A new automation starts with a Gmail trigger and Mailbox routing. Add step adds the Extraction.

Next: Respond with your bid.

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