Set up your first folder
A folder is your workspace in Datamolino. You import documents into the folder, review and code them there, and connect the folder to one FreeAgent company so exported bills and receipts land in the right place.
Most accounting practices create one folder per client. A business with a single set of books typically uses one folder, but you can create more if you want to keep document streams separate (for example, one folder per location, branch, or project).
To create a folder, click Add Folder on the main dashboard. Then click Connect on the folder and choose Connect to FreeAgent. You'll be asked to pick a connection type:
Connect as Accountant/Practice - if you're accessing FreeAgent through the Practice Dashboard. Datamolino will then show your list of FreeAgent clients to choose from.
Connect as Company - if you've been invited to FreeAgent as a client.
👉 Can I connect several folders to FreeAgent in one go?
Yes. If you're connecting as an Accountant/Practice with several clients, use Add and connect folders to FreeAgent from the Add Folder menu. Datamolino lists your FreeAgent clients and creates one folder per client you tick, all connected in a single flow. This is the quickest way to onboard a practice with many clients.
👉 Can I use more than one folder with the same FreeAgent company?
Yes. You can connect several folders to the same FreeAgent company if that fits how you work - for example, one folder per project or branch. On a business account, the folders under your account are kept aligned to one FreeAgent company automatically. On an accounting practice account, each folder can connect to a different FreeAgent company.
Import bills and receipts
Once your folder is connected, the next step is to get your bills and receipts into it. Datamolino starts processing each document as soon as it arrives.
There are three ways to add documents:
Email - each folder has a unique email address. Forward bills and receipts to that address and they appear in the folder. Emails from invited folder users are processed automatically; non-invited senders need manual approval or whitelisting.
Web import - drag and drop files into the folder, or click the Import button to upload from your device.
Mobile app - useful for capturing receipts on the go (Android and iOS).
👉 Can I upload a single PDF that contains several bills?
Yes. Datamolino can split a multi-bill PDF into separate documents during import. For web uploads, switch the upload option from "single" to "auto". For email uploads, add @split to the email subject line.
👉 How long does processing take?
Most documents process within seconds. Complex or handwritten documents go through our human-in-the-loop process, which can take up to 24 hours to ensure accuracy.
Review and code documents
After a document is processed, open it to check the extracted data and add the coding FreeAgent needs. Saving the document marks it as ready to export.
During review, you:
In the Contact section, pair the captured supplier or customer name with the matching FreeAgent contact from the dropdown. You can also create a new FreeAgent contact directly from Datamolino by clicking Add Contact.
Choose the ledger account. The tax code is suggested based on the account.
Change the tax code if it needs to be different.
Click Save so the document is ready to export.
👉 Does Datamolino remember my coding?
Yes. The first time you code a document from a supplier, Datamolino stores those choices as the supplier's automation rule. The next document from that supplier arrives with the contact, ledger account, and tax code pre-filled. You only edit when something needs to change. You can fine-tune these rules in the folder's Accounting & Automation settings.
Export to FreeAgent
Once a document is coded and saved, click the Export button. Datamolino creates the transaction in FreeAgent and attaches the original document to it for full record-keeping.
You have three export views, controlled by the "Export as" drop-down on the document:
Invoice Total (default) - exports the document as one total amount.
Tax Summary - one line of data per tax rate, useful when the document has mixed tax rates.
Line Items - exports each line of the invoice with its own description, ledger account, and tax rate (available on subscriptions that include line items extraction).
👉 How do I export several documents at once?
Use Bulk Review. Inside the folder, tick the documents you want to send and click Bulk Review. You can quickly review or adjust coding in bulk, then export them all in one go. This is the fastest path for regular supplier bills where the extracted data is already correct.
👉 What happens after a successful export?
The document's status changes to FreeAgent. Click the status to open the exported record directly in FreeAgent. The original document is attached to the transaction in FreeAgent for record-keeping. By default, exported documents are archived in Datamolino - you can change this under Workflow in the folder's Accounting & Automation settings.
👉 Can Datamolino export to FreeAgent automatically?
Yes. Auto export sends a document straight to FreeAgent without manual review, provided the supplier already has coding rules from a previous document and no duplicate is detected. Turn Auto export on for a supplier from inside a document - future documents from that supplier then export by themselves.
Where to go next
This article covered the core workflow of getting bills and receipts to FreeAgent. The collection has dedicated articles for the steps you'll meet next:
Learn more about connecting a folder to FreeAgent.
Learn more about importing your extracted bank statement to FreeAgent.