Datamolino invoice tools: five workflows to test
Test the documents that currently need extra handling: a PDF containing several invoices, a bill with many lines, a recurring description that changes and a bill you allocate across accounts. Check the captured result, the saved coding and the exported record. A feature name alone does not tell you how much work remains.
Are these features exclusive to Datamolino?
No. Other products also offer capture, line items and automation. The useful comparison is whether the whole workflow fits your documents, accounting connection and review process.
Prepare five examples from your own work
Choose examples before starting a trial. Otherwise it is easy to upload five clean subscription invoices and miss the documents that take most of the bookkeeper's time. Use copies you are authorised to process and a controlled accounting setup for any test exports.
| Example | What it tests |
|---|---|
| A batch with one-page and multi-page invoices | Document separation and page grouping. |
| A recurring supplier with changing references | Exact-description reuse and keyword rules. |
| A bill with several accounting treatments | Line capture, bulk coding and export detail. |
| A total allocated across departments | Bill Split and recurring allocation. |
| An invoice whose captured amounts need correction | Review tools and the line-total check. |
1. Check the documents created from a batch
Use Auto during web import for a PDF containing several invoices. Make the intended result explicit: for example, three invoices whose page counts are one, two and one. Check all four pages after processing, not just the number of resulting records.
Include a separate test for one invoice followed by supporting pages. That file should use the single-document setting. Do not assume an automated split will decide which attachment belongs to which bill. The Auto Split guide explains the settings and how to request a split after processing.
2. Change the wording on a recurring line
Code and export a recurring line, then test the same supplier and full description again. Datamolino can reuse the last exported coding for that match. Next, test a description that contains a different month or reference. An exact match should no longer be expected.
Create a keyword condition for the wording that carries the accounting meaning, such as Office rent. Test the rule with a matching description and a near match that should receive different treatment. The keyword guide covers matching operators, priority and the built-in rule test.
3. Work through a long itemised bill
Choose a plan that includes line-item extraction and switch the document to Line Items. Compare the descriptions, quantities where shown and amounts with the source. Ledger accounts and tax codes are assigned accounting fields, not information Datamolino reads off the supplier's invoice.
In Fullscreen, select a group of rows that need the same treatment and bulk edit their coding. Then change a genuine exception on its own. Export and inspect the resulting lines and supported tracking fields in the connected ledger. This checks the work around capture as well as the captured table. See the line editor instructions.
4. Allocate an invoice total
Use Bill Split for an allocation that does not need to mirror the printed lines. An illustrative rule for a £1,000 allocation could assign £100 first, then 60% of the remaining £900 to one department and 40% to another. The resulting values are £100, £540 and £360. Choose the accounting and tax treatment appropriate to the actual bill.
Review the preview before applying it. On Xero and QuickBooks, test Apply Once and a saved folder rule separately. A recurring supplier rule can apply automatically to future bills; FreeAgent supports that recurring path. Bill Split replaces captured lines and is an alternative to supplier keyword automation. The allocation guide explains the save options.
5. Resolve a mismatch without hiding it
Compare Invoice Summary with Line Items Sum. If they differ, first identify whether the source total, a captured line or the selected tax code needs correction. With checksum validation enabled, the mismatch blocks export. The check can be disabled per document or supplier, so include that setting in the evaluation.
After correcting the record, compare it with the source and open the exported bill. A balanced total can still have the wrong supplier or account. Record the type of correction and the time it took, rather than treating a green status as the whole result.
Make the buying decision from the results
For each example, note whether the required detail survived, which settings you changed, what a reviewer corrected and what appeared in the ledger. Keep setup time separate from repeat processing. Use the current comparisons to check product scope and the cost worksheet to value your own measurements.
How should I compare two tools?
Use the same source documents and accounting requirements. Record corrections, setup and review work separately, then inspect both results in the destination ledger.
