Uploading invoice PDFs

What this guide covers

This guide is for new and existing FilePile users who need to add financial documents to the system. It explains how to use the drag and drop interface to upload invoice PDFs, how to process multiple files at once, and how to manage your monthly file limits. By following these steps, you will ensure your invoices are correctly sorted, processed, and available for payment tracking.

Before you begin

You can use this guide with any FilePile plan, including Free, Pro, and Business. The Free plan allows you to upload 25 invoices per month. Before starting, ensure you have your invoice PDF files ready. FilePile supports standard PDFs as well as scanned PDFs. Ensure you are logged into your account at filepile.co/login.

Step-by-step instructions

Follow these steps to upload your invoices and verify they have been processed correctly.

Log in to your FilePile account by navigating to filepile.co/login and entering your credentials.
Open the Dashboard from the left dark sidebar. This is the main hub for your uploads and expense tracking.
Click the Process tab located at the top of the Dashboard page. This tab is specifically designed for uploading and monitoring the status of your files.
Locate the large upload zone in the center of the screen. Drag your invoice PDF files from your computer folder and drop them into this area. You can also click inside the upload zone to open a file selector window. To perform a batch upload, select multiple PDF files at once before dragging them or use the file selector to hold the Control or Command key while selecting multiple files.
Wait for the files to appear in the processing queue list below the upload zone. You will see a status indicator next to each file name. While the system extracts data, the status will show as Processing. Do not navigate away from this page until the status changes to Complete or Review required.
Click the Tasks tab on the Dashboard if the system flags any uploads as Review required. This tab lists invoices where the system could not automatically detect specific fields like the vendor name or date. Click on the specific task in the list to open the details panel and manually input the missing information.
Click the Browse tab on the Dashboard to verify that your files have been sorted correctly. This tab displays a folder structure organized by vendor name and month. Click on a specific vendor folder to ensure your newly uploaded PDFs appear in the correct monthly subfolder.
Scroll down to the Upcoming vendor payments card on the main Dashboard view. Check that the invoices you just uploaded now appear in the list of individual invoices due in the next 30 days. This confirms the upload has successfully updated your payment outlook.

What you should see

After completing the upload process, you should see a success message within the Process tab queue indicating that the job is finished. In the Browse tab, you should see your files organized into folders named after the vendors detected on the invoices. Inside the Upcoming vendor payments card on the Dashboard, the total amount due should update to reflect the new invoices. If you have uploaded invoices for a recurring service, you should see a checkmark appear in the Recurring products section of the Dashboard for the current month.

Tips and common issues

File type errors: Ensure you are only uploading PDF files. FilePile does not accept Word documents, Excel files, or image files like JPEGs or PNGs unless they are embedded within a PDF. If you receive a file type error, convert your document to a PDF before attempting to upload again.
Scanned PDF quality: While FilePile supports scanned PDFs, the quality of the scan affects data extraction. Ensure your scans are high resolution and right-side up. Blurry or diagonal scans may fail to process and will end up in the Tasks tab for manual review.
Plan limits: On the Free plan, you are limited to 25 invoices per month. If you reach this limit, the upload zone will display an error message. To check your usage, navigate to Billing & account from the left sidebar. You can upgrade your plan by clicking View plans in the sidebar or visiting filepile.co/pricing.

Managing recurring vendor payments

FilePile simplifies recurring payments by auto-detecting vendors after you upload their invoices. Use these steps to manage this process.

Open the Dashboard from the left sidebar and scroll to the Recurring products section.
Look for vendors listed in this section. You will see a status indicator for the current month. A checkmark means the invoice has been received and uploaded.
If you see a status indicating an invoice is awaiting, locate the PDF for that month's bill.
Click the Process tab and drag the recurring vendor's PDF into the upload zone. Uploading this file serves as confirmation of payment for the recurring service.
Navigate to Reminders from the left sidebar by clicking /account/reminders. Ensure that Recurring gap emails are enabled. This setting sends you an alert if an auto-detected recurring product is missing an upload for the month, helping you avoid late payments.