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Processing Emails with Smart Processing

Status: 04.09.2025 • Reading time: ~5 minutes

In addition to processing classic documents such as PDF or Word files, Smart Processing also supports the processing of incoming emails. This allows you to process incoming invoices, order confirmations, or credit notes directly from your inbox, for example. The process is similar to that of standard documents – however, there are some particularities that apply to email documents.

Functionality

Emails are treated in Business Central like other documents and appear in the Inbound List as files in EML or MSG format. The further process follows the familiar pattern:

  1. Classification (automatically or manually)
  2. Capture (data extraction from email content)
  3. Process execution based on a process template
  4. Optional matching or master data creation

Important Difference

For emails, no separate capture setup is required. Smart Processing includes a predefined capture algorithm that automatically recognizes which data should be extracted from the email.

Classification of Emails

Emails also need to be classified so that Smart Processing can start the appropriate workflow.

  • A classifier in the setup cannot be defined here.
  • However, you can manually specify the classification in the workflow.
  • The chosen classification determines which process template is used.

Example: An incoming email with a PDF attachment is classified as an invoice. Smart Processing then starts the "Invoice Receipt Processing" workflow with the corresponding template.

Capture Process for Emails

The capture process for emails technically differs from standard documents:

  1. After classification, the system knows the linked process template.
  2. The template defines the relevant fields to be extracted.
  3. These fields serve as the basis for the intelligent analysis of the email content (subject, body, header information, attachments).
  4. All recognized values are automatically assigned to the template fields.

Note

The capture process for emails also includes integrated matching. Therefore, the Smart Matching option does not need to be activated separately in the process template.

Setup Steps

The setup for emails largely corresponds to the standard configuration:

  1. Define Workflow

    • Create a new process template for emails.
    • Link the template fields with the desired Business Central fields.

  2. Set Up Email Inbound

    • Configure your inbound source so that emails are received as MSG or EML in the inbound list.

  3. Provide OpenAI Service

    • Azure OpenAI is required for the semantic analysis of email content.
    • Ensure that a valid connection is set up in the Configure Services area.

  4. Configure Classification

    • Specify the possible classifications (e.g., invoice, order, credit note).
    • Emails can then be classified manually or through defined rules.

Tips for Optimization

  • Use Field Purpose If certain fields in emails are not recognized correctly, add a description in the Field Purpose field of the template field. This provides the AI with additional hints, improving recognition quality.

Caution: After changes to the template, the email must be recaptured.

Advantages of Email Processing

  • Seamless Integration: Emails appear directly in the inbound list.
  • No separate capture effort: The standard algorithm handles extraction.
  • Automated classification: Emails can be assigned manually or automatically.
  • Individual processes: Each email type can be processed through its own process template.
  • AI-supported intelligence: OpenAI analyzes content and context to reliably identify relevant data.

Summary

  • Emails are loaded as MSG/EML into the inbound list.
  • Capture setup is not required, as Smart Processing uses a standard algorithm.
  • Classification is possible manually and controls the process template.
  • The email content is intelligently analyzed and extracted based on the template fields.
  • The process then runs identically to standard documents (including draft, validation, completion, archiving).

Setup Help