Datamolino applies keyword rules to individual invoice lines, keeping different costs on their own account codes. In Lightyear, part of The Access Group, Keyword Rule Automation applies coding across the bill, while separate Product and Description Rules handle line-level coding.
Choose Datamolino for detailed invoice capture, automated coding and invoice approvals. Reuse coding for recurring supplier lines, apply keyword rules when descriptions change, automatically separate invoices in multi-document PDFs, and export once the required approvals are complete.
Lightyear's Keyword Rule Automation applies the same coding across the bill, while separate Product and Description Rules handle line-level coding. Lightyear also offers purchase orders, goods received records and invoice matching.
Supplier-invoice preparation and configured sign-off. The Datamolino example uses Xero with line extraction. Lightyear matching needs the relevant plan and settings; UK Standard and Professional include goods received notes and three-way matching.
| Your work | Datamolino | Lightyear |
|---|---|---|
| Extract invoice lines | ✓YesWith line items included | ✓YesProduct or service-line extraction |
Details for Extract invoice linesDatamolinoCapture invoice-line descriptions, quantities, unit prices and amounts where available. Review and code individual lines in the fullscreen Line Items view, or select multiple lines to code them at once. Choose a plan with line items to use line-item capture. Available coding fields depend on your accounting integration.
LightyearProduct extraction includes product code, description, quantity, unit price and line amount. Service-line extraction includes description and line amount. Summary extraction combines lines instead. Lightyear's documented Product, Service Lines and Service Summary extraction choices; choose the method for the fields required.
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| Automate line item coding | ✓YesDescription-based | ✓YesProduct and description rules |
Details for Automate line item codingDatamolinoFor the same supplier and exact line description, Datamolino automatically reuses the coding from the last exported invoice. If the description changes, for example because it contains a different date or reference number, you can use a keyword rule to apply the right coding automatically. Keyword rules can be created for a folder or a specific supplier. Supplier rules take priority. Available coding fields depend on your accounting integration.
LightyearLightyear documents product and description rules that take precedence over supplier defaults. Its separate Keyword Rule Automation route applies selected coding to every bill line and overrides product-level settings. Configured product and description coding. The whole-bill behaviour described here is Lightyear Keyword Rule Automation.
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| Separate invoices in a PDF | ✓YesSeparates multi-page invoices automatically | ✓YesEvery-N-page or custom boundaries |
Details for Separate invoices in a PDFDatamolinoUpload a PDF containing multiple invoices and Datamolino identifies where each invoice starts and ends, including invoices that span multiple pages, and separates them into individual documents. For uploads, select Auto as the import option. For documents sent by email, add @split to the subject line.
LightyearQuick Split separates a PDF after the number of pages you choose. Custom Split lets you select individual boundaries. Lightyear also documents grouping and reordering pages. The documented Quick Split and Custom Split routes.
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| Route invoice approvals | ✓YesIncluded; flexible approval stages | ✓YesSimple or layered workflows |
Details for Route invoice approvalsDatamolinoRoute supplier invoices to the right people. Set up one or multiple approval stages, and choose whether approval is required from Any or All members of each stage. With Keep documents editable enabled, your bookkeeping team can continue editing after approval and before export.
LightyearLightyear offers simple and layered bill workflows. Configure who approves and how many approval layers the invoice passes through before accounting or inventory export. Lightyear Bills Approval Workflow; setup follows the team's required approvals, not a mandatory full purchasing process.
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| Reuse a saved supplier allocation | ✓YesBill Split; accounting connection and rule type | ?Not confirmedAllocation widget; recurring rule unconfirmed |
Details for Reuse a saved supplier allocationDatamolinoUse Bill Split to allocate an invoice across accounting lines using fixed amounts, percentages, or a combination of both. When applied, the allocation replaces the captured invoice lines. Apply the split once, save it for manual reuse within the folder, or automate it for recurring invoices from the same supplier.
LightyearThe Splitting Widget allocates a line or bill by percentage or amount. Datamolino Bill Split saves recurring supplier allocations. Splitting Widget in the Bills Approval Workflow, for service lines or lines with quantity one. Its documented one-off allocation does not settle recurring-rule support.
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| Match orders, received goods and invoices | –Not offeredNo purchase-order or goods-received matching | ✓YesMatching plan and setup |
Details for Match orders, received goods and invoicesDatamolinoDatamolino covers invoice preparation, sign-off and accounting export. It does not offer purchase-order, goods-received or three-way matching. Supplier-invoice workflow only, without order or delivery matching.
LightyearLightyear documents line-level matching between purchase orders, goods received records and bills, including partial deliveries. UK Standard and Professional include goods received notes and three-way matching. Relevant plan, PO Bill Match and configured matching requirements. UK plan scope checked 28 September 2026.
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Compare the feature, plan, setup and regional scope. Open Details for evidence.
Datamolino keyword rules apply coding to individual invoice lines. In Lightyear, Keyword Rule Automation applies coding across the bill, while separate Product and Description Rules handle line-level coding.
Keep mixed costs separate with Datamolino's line-description rules. Lightyear's Keyword Rule Automation changes every line and overrides product settings.
See description and keyword codingIllustrative Xero coding example: a line-item plan, paired supplier and an exclusive keyword rule with account and tax coding, without Bill Split. The Lightyear distinction concerns its named whole-bill Keyword Rule Automation, not all its coding rules.
Datamolino automatically identifies where each invoice starts and ends, including invoices that span multiple pages. Lightyear's documented tools let you split after a fixed number of pages or select the boundaries manually.
Datamolino automatically identifies the boundaries. With Lightyear's Custom Split, you select the boundaries yourself.
See automatic PDF splittingIllustrative ordered PDF batch. Keep each invoice’s pages together. Document splitting separates invoices; Bill Split allocates the amount of one bill.
The same supplier sends a monthly invoice with three services that need different coding: Equipment rental, Technical support and Monthly service. The manager approves the invoice, and the bookkeeping team checks the coding before export to Xero.
On the previous invoice, Equipment rental was coded to Equipment hire and Technical support to IT support. When the invoice was exported, Datamolino automatically remembered the coding for those lines.
Because the Monthly service description changes each month, create a ‘contains’ keyword rule for “Monthly service” and assign the Service fees account and the required tax code.
On the next invoice, Equipment rental and Technical support automatically reuse their previous coding. Monthly service: October 2026 matches the keyword rule and is coded to Service fees.
Send the invoice through the approval workflow. Once the manager approves it, the bookkeeping team can make any final changes and export the completed invoice to Xero.
The invoice reaches Xero with all three lines correctly coded. Recurring descriptions reuse their previous coding, while the keyword rule handles the Monthly service line even when the month changes.
Illustrative Xero setup: line-item plan, matched supplier, exact repeated descriptions and no overriding keyword or Bill Split rule. The exclusive keyword rule provides account and tax coding. A manager completes approval before your team exports manually.
Start a free trial with a recurring supplier invoice and your approval steps, or check the plan for your volume. Prefer a walkthrough? Book a workflow demo and we will take you through the coding and approvals, right through to export.
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