Google Document AI is fantastic at extracting data. Power Automate is fantastic at moving data.
Together, they are unstoppable.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to bridge your Google Cloud account with your Microsoft 365 workflow to create a seamless automation pipeline.
Prerequisite: This builds directly on my Document AI Starter post.
Where Document AI Stops
Document AI extracts JSON or unstructured data. It excels at "understanding" the document. However, it cannot trigger an email reply, update a SharePoint list, or create a calendar event. It is purely an extraction engine.
Where Power Automate Shines
Power Automate is the glue. It listens for triggers (new email, new file in OneDrive) and performs actions. The magic happens when you use Power Automate to trigger the Document AI extraction process (via an HTTP request or a custom connector) and then handle the response.
Example Flow: Email The Invoice
Here is a common real-world workflow I've built for clients:
- Trigger: An email arrives in a shared inbox with the subject "New Invoice".
- Action 1 (Power Automate): Save the PDF attachment to OneDrive.
- Action 2 (Power Automate -> Google Cloud): Send the file content to the Document AI API.
- Action 3 (Google Cloud): Returns structured JSON (Invoice Number, Total, Date).
- Action 4 (Power Automate): Add a row to an Excel table in SharePoint with the extracted data.
- Action 5 (Power Automate): Move the original email to a "Processed" folder.
Why This Combo Is Underrated
Many people think you have to choose "Google Stack" or "Microsoft Stack." But Power Automate's HTTP Connector allows you to call any REST API—including Google Document AI.
This means you get the best-in-class extraction from Google without leaving the familiar, drag-and-drop interface of Power Automate.
Need more Power Automate ideas? Check out my guide on Top 5 Office Tasks You Can Automate.
