Forward receipts from Gmail automatically

Gmail can forward just the emails you choose, using a filter. It takes about five minutes, you do it once per catcher, and from then on receipts reach your Drive and your sheet without you touching them.

You'll need: your catch address (open the catcher in ExpenseCatcher and copy it) and Gmail on a computer. The Gmail phone app can't create filters.

1. Add your catch address to Gmail

1. In Gmail, click the gear icon, then See all settings. The Gmail forwarding button on your catcher's page opens the right tab directly.
2. Open the Forwarding and POP/IMAP tab.
3. Click Add a forwarding address, paste your catch address, then Next → Proceed → OK.

Gmail now sends a verification email to your catch address. You don't have to do anything here: ExpenseCatcher confirms Gmail's verification for you. Wait a minute, then refresh the settings page and the address shows as verified.

Leave Disable forwarding selected at the top of that tab. "Forward a copy of incoming mail" sends everything, from newsletters to messages from your family, and each email would use up a catch. The filter in the next step forwards only receipts.

2. Create a filter that forwards receipts

1. Click the Show search options icon at the right end of the Gmail search bar.
2. Describe your receipts. The recipes below show what to type.
3. Click Search to check that the results are receipts. Then open search options again and click Create filter.
4. Tick Forward it to and pick your catch address.
5. Optional: tick Apply the label and create a label called Receipts, so you can always see what was sent.
6. Click Create filter.

That's it. The next matching email is forwarded the moment it arrives.

Filter recipes

By sender (the most precise)

In From, list the addresses your receipts come from, separated by OR:

billing@yourhosting.com OR receipts@yourtaxi.com OR invoices@yoursoftware.com

To find a sender, open a recent receipt and look at the address next to the sender's name. A whole domain works too, such as @stripe.com. Many software companies send their receipts through Stripe, so that one domain covers a lot of subscriptions. If you run a Stripe account yourself, though, it would also forward Stripe's notices about your own business.

By words in the subject

In Has the words:

subject:(receipt OR invoice OR "order confirmation" OR "payment received") -from:me

This catches more, but it also catches emails that only mention an invoice. -from:me leaves out invoices you send yourself. To skip the rest, move an Only continue if… step to the top of the catcher's chain, for example Sender does not contain newsletter. Emails it stops aren't saved and don't count as catches.

Only emails with a PDF

has:attachment filename:pdf (invoice OR receipt)

One filter per catcher

A filter forwards to one address. If you have separate catchers, say Business and Home, make one filter for each with its own senders.

Receipts already in your inbox

A new filter forwards new mail only. Gmail's "Also apply filter to matching conversations" option labels older emails, but it doesn't forward them. To catch older receipts, forward them by hand: open the email, click Forward, and send it to your catch address. Each one counts toward your monthly catches.

Keeping within your plan

Every email that reaches a catcher counts as a catch, except test catches and emails the catcher's own Only continue if… step stops. Precise filters by sender keep the count down. Broad filters by words are easier to set up but use more catches.

Troubleshooting

The address still isn't verified. Refresh the Forwarding tab. If it still asks for a code after a few minutes, click Re-send email next to the address, wait a minute, and refresh again. If that doesn't work, write to hello@expensecatcher.com.

There's no "Forward it to" option in the filter. Gmail only offers it for verified forwarding addresses, so finish step 1 first.

You use a work Google account. Google Workspace admins can switch off automatic forwarding for everyone. If the Forwarding tab says your administrator has disabled it, ask them, or forward receipts by hand. Saving your catch address as a contact makes that quick.

Gmail shows a banner about forwarding. For the first week, Gmail reminds you that some of your mail is being forwarded. That's normal and it goes away.

What to set up next

• Save your catch address as a contact so forwarding by hand takes three taps.
• Send receipts on to your accountant with a forward step.