Introducing email data extraction

Today’s businesses receive large volumes of email attachments containing document data that needs processing. Whether you're processing lease applications in PropTech, handling insurance claims, or managing loan documentation in FinTech, manually extracting data from email attachments creates workflow bottlenecks and introduces errors.
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We're excited to announce a significant addition to Sensible's document automation platform: email-driven document extraction. This new capability allows you to automatically extract structured data from document attachments simply by forwarding emails to Sensible. Using LLM-based classification, Sensible intelligently identifies and extracts data from any number of attachments per email, optionally parses the email body itself for additional data, and delivers comprehensive extraction results with metadata and download links via webhook. This feature transforms common manual business processes around emailed documents into an automated data extraction pipeline.
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Streamlined Email-to-Data Pipeline
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Document processing workflows often begin with emails containing attachments that need to be classified, extracted, and routed to downstream systems. With Sensible's new email extraction capabilities, this entire process is automated through a simple forwarding mechanism.
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Here's how it works:
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1. You receive emails containing document attachments
2. You forward them to Sensible’s  dedicated email processor address using your email filters
3. Automatic classification and extraction happens behind the scenes
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You receive structured data via webhook or view it in the Sensible dashboard

For example, after some initial configuration, you can forward emails like the following sample to Sensible:

And get back extraction data for each attachment as JSON via the Sensible app or webhook. For example, here’s the extracted data for an attached PNG of a driver’s license:

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Powerful Use Cases for Email-Driven Extraction
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This new capability opens up numerous automation opportunities across industries:
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PropTech: Streamlined Lease Application Processing
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Property management companies can automate the lease application workflow. When prospective tenants email their applications with attachments like pay stubs, driver's licenses, and lease agreements, Sensible can automatically extract key information such as:
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• Applicant personal information from driver's licenses
• Income verification from pay stubs
• Lease terms and conditions from signed agreements
• Contact details and application metadata from email bodies
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This transforms a manual, time-intensive process into an automated pipeline that can process applications in seconds rather than hours. 
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For this use case, Sensible provides out-of-the-box support  to get you started immediately with the following documents:
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• driver's licenses 
• pay stubs

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Insurance: Claims Document Processing
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Insurance companies receive many claim submissions via email with supporting documentation. Sensible can automatically extract information from:
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• Medical reports and bills for health insurance claims
• Repair estimates and photos for auto insurance claims
• ‍Property damage assessments for homeowner's claims

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For this use case, Sensible provides out-of-the-box support  to get you started immediately with the following documents:
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• insurance policy declaration pages
• loss runs
• ACORD forms‍
• healthcare forms
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Financial Services: Loan Documentation
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Banks and lending institutions can automate processing emailed loan applications. Sensible can handle:
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• Tax documents and W2 forms for income verification
• Bank statements for financial history analysis
• Identity verification documents for compliance
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For this use case, Sensible provides out-of-the-box support  to get you started immediately with the following documents:
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• tax forms
• bank statements
• verification of employment forms (VOEs)‍
• verifications of assets forms (VOAs)

How It Works: Email Processors and Document Types
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Behind the scenes, Sensible's email extraction uses a classification and routing system. Email processors act as AI-based routing systems that first classify attachments, then extract structured data:
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1. Classify attachments against multiple document types using LLMs. For example, Sensible can classify lease application attachments  against driver_license, pay_stubs, and leases.
2. Route each attachment to the appropriate extraction configuration
3. Extract structured data using document-specific SenseML queries
4. Return JSON results for each attachment plus the email body
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For example, when processing a lease application email with three attachments, Sensible might classify them as:
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• attachment-1.pdf → driver_license document type → Extract name, address, license number
• attachment-2.pdf → pay_stubs document type → Extract employer, salary, pay period
• attachment-3.pdf → leases document type → Extract rent amount, lease terms, property address

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Once Sensible classifies an attachment as a specific document type, it applies the corresponding extraction configuration to pull out structured data. Here's an example of a driver's license extraction configuration. This configuration uses Sensible's LLM-based Query Group method:

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{ /* Sensible uses JSON5 to support in-line comments */
  "fields": [
    {
      "method": {
        "id": "queryGroup",
        "queries": [
          {
            // Use natural language to describe the target data. This description is an LLM prompt
            "id": "license_number",
            "description": "driver's license number, DL, DLN",
            // Apply pattern matching to ensure data quality, i.e. the drivers license must be a sequence of uppercase letters, digits, hyphens, and spaces that's at least 7 characters long
            "type": {
              "id": "custom",
              "pattern": "[A-Z0-9\\- ]{7,}"
            }
          },
           {
            "id": "first_name_value",
            "description": "first name of driver. sometimes found next to a label that reads FN or first name"
          }
          // Additional fields for address, DOB, physical characteristics, etc.
        ]
      }
    }
    
  ]
}

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This configuration demonstrates how Sensible combines the power of large language models with structured extraction rules. The Query Group method uses natural language descriptions to locate and extract specific data points, while type definitions ensure the extracted data meets quality standards.

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Getting Started with Email Extraction
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Setting up email extraction involves three main steps:
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1. Configure Document Types
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Define document types for each attachment format you expect to receive. Sensible provides out-of-the-box support for common documents,, and can assist you in creating custom document types for your specific needs.
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2. Set Up Email Filtering
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Determine filtering criteria for emails you want to process automatically. For example, you might filter by:
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• Sender domain (e.g., @mycompany.com)
• Subject line keywords (e.g., "lease application", "claim submission")
• Specific recipient addresses (e.g., applications@yourcompany.com)
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3. Create Your Email Processor
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Contact Sensible to create your email processor with:
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• Document types for attachment classification and extraction
• Webhook URLs for receiving extracted data
• Unique forwarding email address
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Once configured, you'll receive a dedicated email address like 87237966-5965-4019-97f2-66436947ccbb.residential_lease_applications@app.sensible.so for forwarding emails.
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Seamless Integration with Existing Workflows
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Email extraction integrates naturally with existing business processes. The extracted data can be:
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• Pushed to your systems via webhooks for immediate processing
• Stored in databases for record keeping and analysis
• Routed to approval workflows for human review when needed
• Integrated with CRMs to update customer records automatically
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This means teams can continue using their existing email workflows while gaining the benefits of automated document processing.
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Start Automating Your Email Document Processing
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Email-driven document extraction represents a step forward in making document automation accessible and practical for business workflows. By leveraging email communication, Sensible transforms a manual bottleneck into an automated advantage.
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Ready to streamline your document processing workflows? Book a demo to see email extraction in action, or check out our managed services for customized implementation support. You can also sign up for an account and explore our comprehensive documentation to start building your own email-driven extraction workflows.

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