How to extract invoice data to JSON automatically

Accounts-payable teams process thousands of invoices that all look slightly different — different vendors, layouts, currencies, and the occasional handwritten note or stamp. Typing that data into an ERP by hand is slow and error-prone. This guide shows how to extract structured JSON from scanned invoices automatically, ready to import straight into your systems.

What "structured JSON" means here

Instead of raw text, you get a predictable object: vendor details, invoice number, dates, a list of line items with quantities and amounts, subtotals, tax, and the total due. Because the shape is consistent, you can map it directly to your ERP or accounts-payable workflow without post-processing.

{
  "document_type": "invoice",
  "invoice_number": "INV-2024-07891",
  "vendor": { "name": "GlobalTech Solutions LLC" },
  "line_items": [
    { "line": 1, "sku": "GTX-1000", "qty": 2, "amount": 2500.0 }
  ],
  "total_due": 5304.64,
  "currency": "USD"
}

Why AI beats template-based OCR

Classic invoice OCR relies on fixed templates: you draw boxes around fields for each vendor layout, and the moment a supplier changes their format, extraction breaks. That does not scale across hundreds of vendors.

Scan Hero reads invoices with Claude, which understands context rather than coordinates. It finds the line-item grid wherever it sits, ignores AP scribbles and stamps, and normalises vendor and tax fields — even on layouts it has never seen.

Step by step

Sign in free and get 100 starter credits.
(Optional) Create a Template describing the exact JSON fields you need. Convert against it to get JSON validated to your schema.
Upload the invoice — a scanned PDF, a photo, or a PNG/JPG.
Select JSON (or Excel for a spreadsheet) as the output format.
Download the structured result and import it into your ERP.

Scaling to many invoices

When you have a backlog, use the REST API and batch jobs (available on Developer and Pro plans) to process invoices in bulk and receive a webhook when each one is done. See the API documentation for details.

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Start free with 100 credits and turn your first invoice into clean JSON in under a minute.