Forwarding your invoices to CostHuntr

Gmail automatically forwards the e-mails that match a filter. First make it accept CostHuntr's address, then create the filter.

1. On gmail.com (on a computer, the mobile app cannot do it), click the gear icon at the top right, then "See all settings".
2. "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab, "Add a forwarding address" button. Paste your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings), then "Next", "Proceed" and "OK".
3. Gmail sends a confirmation to that address, a link or a code depending on the account. CostHuntr receives it: it shows up in the setup, no e-mail to look for. Link: click "Approve forwarding in Gmail". Code: type it in Gmail and click "Verify".
4. Keep "Disable forwarding" selected: we do not forward everything, only invoices.
5. Paste this search in Gmail's search bar: subject:(facture OR invoice OR receipt OR reçu). Click the search options icon on the right of the bar, then "Create filter".
6. Tick "Forward it to", choose your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings), then "Create filter". The next invoices go on their own.

A filter does not forward e-mails already received: to test right away, forward an invoice by hand.

Same steps as Gmail, with a work mailbox. One condition: your domain administrator must allow automatic forwarding.

1. On mail.google.com, gear icon, "See all settings", "Forwarding and POP/IMAP" tab.
2. If the "Add a forwarding address" button is missing or greyed out, your administrator blocks forwarding: see the note below.
3. "Add a forwarding address", paste your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings), then "Next", "Proceed" and "OK".
4. The confirmation (link or code) shows up in the CostHuntr setup: click "Approve forwarding in Gmail", or type the code in Gmail and click "Verify". Keep "Disable forwarding" selected.
5. Paste in the search bar: subject:(facture OR invoice OR receipt OR reçu). Open the search options, then "Create filter".
6. Tick "Forward it to", choose your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings), then "Create filter".

Administrator: Google Admin console, Apps, Google Workspace, Gmail, "End User Access", option "Allow users to automatically forward incoming email to another address". It can be turned on for the invoice mailbox's organizational unit only.

Outlook forwards the e-mails that match a rule. No code to confirm.

1. On outlook.com, gear icon at the top right, "Mail", then "Rules".
2. "Add new rule". Name it "Invoices to CostHuntr".
3. Condition "Subject includes": add the words facture, invoice, receipt, reçu one by one. Several words in the same condition add up (any one of them is enough).
4. Action "Forward to": paste your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings).
5. Tick "Stop processing more rules" only if you know why, then "Save".

Two conditions in one rule must both be true. To add billing senders, create a second rule with the "From" condition.

The rule is created as on Outlook.com. But Microsoft 365 blocks automatic forwarding to the outside by default: you often need your administrator.

1. On outlook.office.com (or the new Outlook for Windows): gear icon, "Mail", "Rules", "Add new rule". In classic Outlook: Home, Rules, "Manage Rules & Alerts", "New Rule".
2. Name it "Invoices to CostHuntr". Condition "Subject includes": add the words facture, invoice, receipt, reçu one by one.
3. Action "Forward to": paste your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings). Save.
4. Run the live test in the setup. If you get an error e-mail containing "550 5.7.520" or "does not allow external forwarding", your organization blocks forwarding: send the instructions to your IT person with the button provided.

Tip: use a mailbox dedicated to invoices (invoices@…) rather than your own. The administrator then opens forwarding for that mailbox only, and your other e-mails never go through a rule.

Every mailbox can forward an e-mail by hand, and that is enough: CostHuntr reads a forwarded invoice exactly as one forwarded by a rule.

1. Open the invoice e-mail and click "Forward".
2. Send it to your receiving address (CostHuntr, Received invoices, Settings), keeping the attachment.
3. If your mailbox has rules (iCloud: Settings, Rules, "Forward to"), create one on the subject with the words facture, invoice, receipt, reçu and forwarding to the same address.

The forwarding rule does not go through, and the sender gets an error "550 5.7.520 Access denied, Your organization does not allow external forwarding".

Microsoft 365's default outbound anti-spam policy blocks any automatic forwarding to the outside. Rather than opening it for the whole tenant, create a custom policy that targets the invoice mailbox only.

1. With a security or global administrator account, open the Microsoft Defender portal: security.microsoft.com.
2. "Email & collaboration", "Policies & rules", "Threat policies", then "Anti-spam".
3. "Create policy", "Outbound". Name: "Invoice forwarding to CostHuntr".
4. Users: add the invoice mailbox only (for example invoices@your-domain). Do not target a group or a whole domain.
5. Protection settings, "Forwarding rules", "Automatic forwarding rules": choose "On - Forwarding is enabled". Leave the other limits as they are.
6. Save. The custom policy takes precedence over the default one for that mailbox; allow up to an hour for it to apply.

If forwarding is still blocked: Exchange admin center, "Mail flow", "Remote domains". If the "Default" domain disallows automatic forwarding, add a remote domain "factures.costhuntr.fr" that allows it, rather than changing "Default".