How To Build an OCR Scanner in Make.com

If you’ve ever had to retype information from scanned invoices or PDFs, you know how painfully slow that process is. In this guide, you’ll learn how to build a powerful OCR (Optical Character Recognition) automation using Make.com and OpenAI Vision — no code needed. This setup automatically extracts text from images or PDFs and sends it to Google Sheets or your database.

What Is an OCR Scanner?

An OCR scanner is a tool that reads and converts text from images, PDFs, or scanned documents into digital text that your software can process. It’s how machines “read” paper.

By combining OpenAI Vision with Make.com, you can build a fully automated text scanner that handles everything: upload, extraction, and storage. Whether it’s invoices, receipts, or reports, the workflow does all the heavy lifting in the background.

Here’s the flow:

1. Upload your document to a folder.
2. Make.com detects the new file.
3. OpenAI Vision extracts the text using OCR.
4. The data is sent automatically to Google Sheets, Notion, or your preferred app.
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Why Use OpenAI Vision for OCR?

OpenAI Vision is next-level when it comes to OCR accuracy. It’s built to understand both text and structure — meaning it doesn’t just read characters; it understands context. So when it reads invoices, it can identify labels, numbers, and text in a more human-like way.

Using it inside Make.com gives you a no-code way to:

• Extract text from invoices, forms, and PDFs in seconds.
• Convert scanned documents into searchable text automatically.
• Organize data straight into Google Sheets or your CRM.
• Save hours of manual typing while reducing errors.

This is perfect for creators, freelancers, and small business owners looking for an invoice OCR automation that’s both smart and simple.

Step-by-Step: Build a Text Scanner in Make.com with OpenAI Vision

1. Create a New Scenario
Go to Make.com and click “Create new scenario.” This is where you’ll design your automation.

2. Add the Trigger
Choose Google Drive – Watch Files (or your storage app). It’ll monitor a folder for new uploads like invoices or PDFs.

3. Download the File
Add the Download a File action from Google Drive. Connect your account, select the folder, and test it.

4. Add the OpenAI Vision Module
This is where the magic happens.

• Add the OpenAI module and select “Analyze Image or Document”.
• Upload the file content from Google Drive as input.
• Set the model to gpt-4.1-vision-preview or newer.
• In the prompt, ask the model to extract text and structure it clearly. For example:

“Extract all readable text from this image or PDF and return it as plain text.”

Make.com will automatically receive the output text as a variable you can map anywhere.

5. Store the Extracted Text
Use the Google Sheets – Add Row module to send the OCR result to your spreadsheet. You can also send it to Airtable, Notion, or even an automation tool like Slack or ClickUp.

6. Test and Optimize
Upload a few sample invoices or scanned documents. Check the extracted text for formatting accuracy. Adjust the prompt to make the model focus on structured fields like “invoice number,” “amount,” and “due date.”

Why Automate OCR with Make.com + OpenAI Vision?

Traditional OCR tools just copy text. OpenAI Vision understands what it’s reading — so it’s much better at handling real-world documents, messy layouts, and low-quality scans. Combined with Make.com, you get a completely automated invoice OCR pipeline that runs while you work on more important things.

This setup works great for:

• Accounting and finance teams automating invoice data.
• Creators who scan forms, notes, or receipts.
• Businesses building smart document workflows.
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Final Thoughts

You just built a fully automated OCR text scanner in Make.com powered by OpenAI Vision. This workflow converts PDFs and images into searchable text instantly — saving you time, cutting human error, and streamlining your document workflow.

If this tutorial helped you, share it with your team or community. And if you want to take your automations to the next level, the team at Axe Automation can help you design advanced Make.com + OpenAI workflows tailored for your business.