Dropbox Integration Guide

Overview

The Dropbox integration in Receiptor AI automatically saves your processed receipts and invoices to your Dropbox account, providing cloud backup, easy access, and seamless file organization for your financial documents.

Key Features

• Automatic Cloud Backup: All processed receipts are automatically saved to Dropbox

• Organized File Structure: Files are organized using customizable naming formats and folder structures

• Real-time Sync: Updates to receipt data automatically rename/move files in Dropbox

• Original File Preservation: High-quality receipt images and PDFs are stored

• Folder Sharing: Share your receipt folders with team members or accountants

• Bulk Processing: Upload multiple receipts at once to Dropbox

• Webhooks Support: Real-time monitoring of file changes in Dropbox

• Nested Folders: Automatic creation of nested folder structures (e.g., by year/month/category)

Getting Started

Step 1: Connect Your Dropbox Account

1. Navigate to Integrations in your Receiptor AI dashboard

2. Locate the Dropbox integration card and click Connect

3. Authorize Receiptor AI to access your Dropbox

4. Receiptor AI will create a root folder called "Receiptor AI" in your Dropbox

Step 2: Configure Your Settings

Access Integrations > Dropbox > Settings to customize:

• Root Folder Name: Where all receipts are stored (default: "Receiptor AI")

• File Naming Format: How files are named and organized

Step 3: Start Syncing Receipts

Manual Sync:

1. Select receipts in Documents using checkboxes

2. Click "Send to Dropbox" from the bulk actions menu

3. Track progress in the Export History queue

Automatic Sync:

1. Go to Rules > New rule and define your conditions

2. Finally, select “Send to Dropbox” as the action to take

3. All receipts from that email will automatically save to Dropbox after processing

How It Works

The Complete Workflow

When you send a receipt to Dropbox:

1. File Preparation - Receiptor AI retrieves the processed document from storage

2. Path Generation - Generates the file path using your naming format

3. Folder Creation - Creates nested folders if they don't exist

4. File Upload - Uploads the file to Dropbox (up to 150MB per file)

5. Link Storage - Saves the Dropbox file ID and URL for future reference

6. Real-time Sync - Any updates to receipt data trigger file rename/move operations

Configuration Settings

Storage Settings

Root Folder Name

• Default: "Receiptor AI"

• Purpose: The main folder in your Dropbox where all receipts are stored

• Customization: Change to match your preferred organization structure

• Examples:

  • "Business Receipts"

  • "Company Name - Receipts"

  • "Financial Documents"

File Naming Format

• Default: "YYYY/MM_DD_MERCHANT_AMOUNT"

• Purpose: Controls how files are named and organized in folders

• Result: Files are organized by year in folders, with month_day_merchant_amount naming

Available Naming Placeholders

Build custom naming formats using these placeholders:

Date Placeholders

• YYYY - 4-digit year (e.g., 2024)

• MM - 2-digit month (e.g., 01-12)

• DD - 2-digit day (e.g., 01-31)

• Q - Quarter (e.g., Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)

Receipt Information

• MERCHANT - Merchant name (e.g., "Starbucks")

• CATEGORY - Expense category (e.g., "Meals_Entertainment")

• AMOUNT - Receipt amount in cents (e.g., "4250" for 42.50)

• ID - Receipt or invoice ID

• LAST4 - Last 4 digits of payment method

Entity Information (for businesses)

• ENTITY_NAME - Business entity name

• ENTITY_CITY - Business city

• ENTITY_STATE - Business state/province

• ENTITY_COUNTRY - Business country

• ENTITY_POSTAL_CODE - Business postal code

• ENTITY_ADDRESS - Business street address

Other

• ACCOUNT - Email account that received the receipt

Naming Format Examples

Pro Tip: Use forward slashes (/) to create nested folders. Example: YYYY/MM/CATEGORY creates a year folder, then month subfolders, then category subfolders.

Advanced Features

Automatic File Sync

When receipt data is updated (e.g., merchant name corrected, category changed), Receiptor AI automatically:

1. Detects the change

2. Generates the new file path based on updated data

3. Creates necessary folders

4. Moves/renames the file in Dropbox

5. Maintains the same file ID (stable across moves)

Example: Receipt initially categorized as "Unknown" → later categorized as "Office Supplies" → file automatically moves from 2024/03_15_Unknown_4250.pdf to Office_Supplies/2024_03_15_Staples_4250.pdf

Folder Sharing (soon)

Share your receipt folders with team members or accountants:

1. Access Integrations > Dropbox > Share Folder

2. Enter the email address

3. Choose permission level:

   • Viewer: Can only view files

   • Editor: Can view and edit files

   • Owner: Full control (requires Dropbox Business)

4. Add an optional custom message

5. Recipient receives email invitation

File Deletion

When you delete a receipt from Receiptor AI:

• The file is automatically deleted from Dropbox

• File ID is used for deletion (works even if the file was moved manually)

• If the file is already deleted, the operation completes silently

Bulk Upload

Process multiple receipts to Dropbox efficiently:

1. Select up to 500 receipts at once

2. Files are uploaded in parallel batches

3. Progress is tracked in real-time

4. Failed uploads are reported with reasons

Best Practices

File Organization

• Use Year Folders: Start naming format with YYYY/ for chronological organization

• Consistent Formats: Stick to one naming format to avoid confusion

• Nested Folders: Leverage nested folders for better organization (max 3-4 levels recommended)

• Avoid Special Characters: The system sanitizes file names, but avoid using / \ : * ? " < > |

Storage Management

• File Size Limits: Basic upload API supports up to 150MB per file

• Monitor Storage: Check Dropbox storage usage regularly

• Archive Old Receipts: Consider archiving receipts older than 7 years

• Backup Redundancy: Dropbox provides cloud backup, but consider additional backups for critical financial records

Workflow Tips

• Auto-Sync Email Accounts: Enable auto-forward for frequently used email accounts

• Review Before Categorizing: Proper categorization ensures correct folder placement

• Regular Folder Audits: Periodically review folder structure for organization

• Use Shared Folders: Share specific category folders with relevant team members

Multi-Entity Businesses

For businesses managing multiple entities:

1. Include ENTITY_NAME in your naming format

2. Use format like: ENTITY_NAME/YYYY/MM/CATEGORY_MERCHANT_AMOUNT

3. Result: Separate folder for each entity with organized subfolders

4. Share entity-specific folders with relevant accountants

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Files Not Uploading

• Check Dropbox storage quota

• Verify integration is still connected

• Check Export History for error messages

• Ensure file size is under 150MB

Files in Wrong Locations

• Review your naming format setting

• Check receipt data accuracy (merchant, category, date)

• Manually trigger sync to reorganize files

Missing Folders

• Folders are created automatically - wait for upload to complete

• Check the root folder name matches your Dropbox structure

• Verify Receiptor AI has write permissions

Connection Lost

• Dropbox access tokens expire after 4 hours

• Receiptor AI automatically refreshes tokens

• If the connection fails, reconnect the integration

• Check Dropbox app permissions in Dropbox settings

Performance

Upload Speed

• Depends on file size and Dropbox API rate limits

• Large batches may take several minutes

• Progress is tracked in Export History

API Rate Limits

• Dropbox has rate limits for API calls

• Receiptor AI automatically throttles requests

• Failed requests are automatically retried

• The queue system prevents overwhelming the API

Security & Privacy

Permissions

Receiptor AI requests these Dropbox permissions:

• files.content.write: Upload and modify files

• files.content.read: Read file contents

• files.metadata.write: Update file metadata

• files.metadata.read: Read file information

• account_info.read: Get account details

Data Security

• OAuth 2.0: Secure authentication without storing passwords

• Token Refresh: Access tokens refresh automatically every 4 hours

• Encrypted Transfer: All file transfers use HTTPS

• No Password Storage: Receiptor AI never sees your Dropbox password

Revoking Access

To disconnect Dropbox:

1. Go to Integrations > Dropbox > Disconnect

2. Or revoke access from Dropbox Settings > Connected Apps

3. Existing files remain in Dropbox

4. Future receipts won't be synced

Support

Getting Help

• In-App Support: Use the chat widget in Receiptor AI

• Email: support@receiptor.ai

• Documentation: Check our help center for updates

• Community: Join our user community for tips and tricks

When Contacting Support, Include:

• Error messages (exact text)

• Screenshot of Export History

• What naming format you're using

• Example file names and expected behavior

Dropbox-Specific Issues

• Check the Dropbox Status Page for service issues

• Verify permissions in Dropbox Settings > Connected Apps

• Ensure sufficient storage space in Dropbox

• Test the connection in Receiptor AI integration settings