Guide for AP Specialists
As an AP Specialist in Clerked, you are the front line of invoice processing. You review AI-extracted data, resolve issues, and prepare invoices for approval. Most invoices flow in automatically through email forwarding, so you can focus on reviewing and verifying rather than manual data entry.
Examples in this guide refer to common values such as vendor, amount, date, and GL account. Your company can use different field labels and line-item sections.
What you can do with Clerked
Instead of keying invoice data manually, the agent reads each document and extracts everything for you. Vendor names, amounts, dates, line items, and suggested GL codes all populate before you even open the invoice. Your day looks like this:
- Invoices arrive automatically over email forwarding. Email forwarding lets Clerked categorize documents (invoices, credit memos, and others) as they come in.
- The agent extracts vendor, amounts, dates, line items, and suggested GL codes.
- Registered validation checks use the company schema, integration data, and saved settings. Anything that needs your attention surfaces as a notice.
- Bulk actions let you update many invoices at once instead of working through them one by one.
- For paper mail or vendor portals, you can upload invoices from the Invoices list with the separate upload button beside Manual entry. The upload label uses your company's document term, for example Upload invoice.
- Copilot lets you fix invoice fields in plain language, with a diff view before changes apply.
Your responsibilities
- Monitor incoming invoices arriving over email forwarding and upload anything that comes through other channels.
- Review AI-extracted data to confirm vendor names, amounts, dates, and line items.
- Resolve notices like duplicate invoices, processing errors, and validation failures.
- Code line items with the right GL accounts and dimensions.
- Submit invoices for approval once they are reviewed and complete.
Your role in Clerked
AP team members usually have the AP Specialist company role.
| Permission | Access |
|---|---|
| View invoices and inbound email | Yes, within the assigned invoice and inbox access |
| Upload invoices | Yes |
| Edit and review invoices | Yes |
| Validate, delete, restore, hold, resume, or cancel invoices | Yes |
| Override validation and approval routing | Yes |
| Approve or reject invoices | Yes |
| Manage Agent Memories | Yes |
| Manage Agents | No by default |
| Manage approval policies | No (Controller or Administrator) |
| Manage vendors and other fields | View only |
| View Insights | No by default |
| Manage users or company settings | No |
For the full breakdown, see User Roles.
Key features you use
- Invoice Uploading. Use the upload button on the Invoices list, beside Manual entry, to open your computer's file picker.
- Email Forwarding. Invoices arrive automatically from your AP email inbox.
- Invoice Reviewing. Review and correct extracted data side by side with the original document.
- AI recommendations and field rationales. Review the agent's suggested action and the evidence behind individual coding decisions.
- Searching and Filtering. Find invoices using filters, saved views, and full-text search.
- Bulk Actions. Update statuses or fields across many invoices at once.
- Validation Notices. Resolve issues the system flagged before submitting for approval.
- GL Coding. Apply general ledger codes to invoice line items.
- Copilot. Fix fields in natural language with a diff and undo.
Daily workflow
- Check the invoices list. Most invoices arrive automatically over email forwarding and land directly in the queue.
- Upload anything that did not come through email. Select the upload button beside Manual entry in the upper-right corner of the Invoices list. Its last word is your company's document label. See Upload invoices.
- Open each new invoice in the reviewing view and verify the extracted vendor, amounts, dates, and line items.
- Resolve any notices on the invoice. Common ones include duplicates and validation failures.
- Code the line items. Apply the right GL codes and dimensions, or confirm the agent's suggestions.
- Validate and submit for approval. The invoice enters the approval workflow.
- Handle exceptions. Use Copilot for invoices that need many corrections, or use bulk actions to update many at once.
Common tasks
Upload an invoice
Select Invoices in the left navigation. In the upper-right corner of the list, select the upload button beside Manual entry. Its label uses your company's document term, for example Upload invoice. Choose one or more files in your computer's file picker. See Upload invoices for supported formats and review steps.
Review extracted data
Open an invoice to see the agent's extraction alongside the original document. Confirm vendor name, invoice number, date, due date, amounts, and line items. Edit any field the agent got wrong. See Reviewing Invoices.
Resolve a duplicate invoice notice
When the system flags a likely duplicate, the duplicate invoice notice shows you the matching invoice. Compare the two, then dismiss or cancel based on which is correct.
Fix a field with Copilot
If you need to change several fields, open the Ask Clark tab in the invoice rail and describe the correction. Review the proposed changes before applying any of them. See Copilot.
Use saved views
Set up filters (status, vendor, date range) and save them for one-click access. Useful if you process invoices for specific vendors or entities regularly. See Searching and Filtering.
Bulk update statuses
Select invoices from the list view and use Bulk Actions to move many at once. Useful when you finish reviewing a batch and want to push them all forward.
Tips
- Use email forwarding as the primary intake. It lets the system categorize incoming documents (invoices, credit memos, and others) so you spend less time on manual handling.
- Check the agent's suggestions before overwriting. The agent often suggests accurate GL codes based on your organization's history.
- Resolve notices promptly. Some notices are warnings, while others require action before the invoice can move forward.
- Save your most-used filters. If you search for the same criteria repeatedly, save the view.
- Learn the invoice statuses. Knowing each status tells you exactly where the invoice is and what comes next.
- Use a routing override when one invoice needs a different chain without changing the policy.
Frequently asked questions
How do I upload multiple invoices at once?
Select the upload button beside Manual entry on the Invoices list, then choose more than one file in your computer's file picker. Read Upload invoices for how Clerked handles each selected file and multi-page documents.
What if the agent extracted something wrong?
Open the invoice in the reviewing view and edit the field. If many fields are wrong, fix them with Copilot in a single prompt instead of clicking through each one.
How do I find an old invoice?
Use Searching and Filtering on the invoice list, or select Search in the left navigation to open the Search AP records palette.
What does a validation failure mean?
A validation failure notice means one or more fields did not pass the configured validation checks. The notice identifies the problem so you can correct the invoice and continue its workflow.
Can I undo a status change?
Status changes follow a defined flow. See Invoice Statuses for which transitions are allowed and whether a status can be reverted.