Evaluate Vendor Proposal PDFs
Upload a vendor proposal PDF via form; the agent extracts text, summarizes key points, flags risks, logs results to Sheets.
ops and IT teams
What it does
Automate the evaluation of vendor proposal PDFs by extracting text, summarizing key points, and identifying risks using AI. The system logs all findings in Google Sheets and sends immediate notifications via Gmail for either auto-approval or manual review based on detected risk flags.
Step by step
- Configure the n8n Form trigger to accept file uploads and set the field type to 'File'.
- Use a Code node or built-in PDF parsing tool to convert uploaded PDFs into plain text strings.
- Define the Google Sheets columns for logging: Vendor Name, Risk Level, Summary, and Timestamp.
- Set up Gmail credentials in n8n with a template that accepts variables for recipient email and body content.
Where the LLM does the work
- Prompt the OpenAI Chat Model to summarize the extracted PDF text into key vendor strengths and weaknesses.
- Instruct the model to identify specific contractual risks such as liability caps, payment terms, or SLA breaches.
- Ask the LLM to assign a risk score (Low, Medium, High) based on the detected issues in the proposal.
Watch out for
Large PDFs may exceed token limits so split the text into chunks before sending them to the model.
Generic prompts can miss critical legal clauses so include specific examples of high-risk terms in your system prompt.
Gmail API quotas are strict per day so add error handling to retry failed sends or queue them for later processing.
PDF extraction quality varies by scanner resolution so verify text accuracy with a sample run before automating fully.
Tools that fit
n8n Form Service Collect vendor proposal PDFs and submitter details
OpenAI Chat Model LLM Summarize proposals and flag risks via AI
The agent brief
Everything your agent needs, including the gotchas. Copy it and go.
You are helping me build the following AI agent workflow. ## Goal Evaluate Vendor Proposal PDFs: Upload a vendor proposal PDF via form; the agent extracts text, summarizes key points, flags risks, logs results to Sheets. ## Specification - What it does: Automate the evaluation of vendor proposal PDFs by extracting text, summarizing key points, and identifying risks using AI. The system logs all findings in Google Sheets and sends immediate notifications via Gmail for either auto-approval or manual review based on detected risk flags. - Trigger: Triggered by an event (Manual · on new form submission) - Autonomy: You approve along the way - Expected setup effort: about an afternoon - Tools/services involved: - n8n Form: Collect vendor proposal PDFs and submitter details - OpenAI Chat Model: Summarize proposals and flag risks via AI - Google Sheets: Log evaluation results and risk metadata - Gmail: Send approval or review alerts to stakeholders ## Known pitfalls, handle each one explicitly in your implementation 1. Large PDFs may exceed token limits so split the text into chunks before sending them to the model. 2. Generic prompts can miss critical legal clauses so include specific examples of high-risk terms in your system prompt. 3. Gmail API quotas are strict per day so add error handling to retry failed sends or queue them for later processing. 4. PDF extraction quality varies by scanner resolution so verify text accuracy with a sample run before automating fully. ## Reference implementation https://n8n.io/workflows/16596 (workflow template) Fetch and inspect this before building. If it matches my stack, adapt it; if not, rebuild the pattern with my tools. ## Process requirements 1. Before building: ask me which of the listed tools I actually use and what my platform is (n8n / Make / code / other). Do not assume. 2. Adapt the pattern to my answers; do not force the reference stack. 3. Address every pitfall above; tell me how you handled each. 4. Provide a test plan I can run before letting this touch real data. 5. Ask before any step that sends messages, modifies data, or spends money. Source: https://usecasesforagents.com/use-case/evaluate-vendor-proposal-pdfs/ via usecasesforagents.com
Frequently asked questions
Can I use a different LLM than OpenAI?
Yes. OpenAI is only the example LLM in this recipe. The same flow works with Anthropic, Cohere, DeepSeek and Google Gemini. Swap the LLM connection and keep the rest of the setup as written.
Want this running in your business?
This is what I do. I design and build AI agents like this one, and keep them running. If you want it set up for your team instead of doing it yourself, get in touch.
Who it's for
Built for Ops-IT teams who need one more recurring task off a human's plate.