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Build a Personal AI App to Track Purchases and User Manuals

Create an app to manage your expensive purchases. This workflow uses AI to automatically scan receipts and product photos, extract key information, and save product manuals, all in one place.

Build a Personal AI App to Track Purchases and User Manuals

Source episode · 47:50

Stripe’s Owen Williams on Killing ‘Blurple Slop’ with an Internal Prototyping Studio

with Claire Vo

47:50 to 49:40: Owen photographs a purchase and receipt, extracts the serial and purchase details, attaches the manual, and schedules resale and warranty reminders.

Read the full episodeWatch on YouTubeListen on SpotifyListen on Apple

Before you start

What you need

  • Photos of the product, label, and receipt
  • The product name, purchase date, retailer, and price
  • The manual source plus warranty or return deadlines

What you’ll make

A searchable purchase record with receipt, serial number, manual, warranty details, and useful reminder dates in one place.

Tools used

Step by step

The workflow

Follow the sequence once, then adapt the prompts, checks, and handoffs to your own setup.

6 steps

Step01

Capture Purchase Details

When you buy a significant item like a TV, appliance, or bike, use your phone to take a clear photo of the product itself and another of the purchase receipt.

Example prompt
When you buy a significant item like a TV, appliance, or bike, use your phone to take a clear photo of the product itself and another of the purchase receipt.

My actual values:
[insert the files, settings, accounts, or constraints for this step]

Give me the exact commands, settings, or output to use. Finish with a pass or fail check for capture purchase details.
Step02

Use AI to Extract Information

Feed the receipt image to an AI vision model capable of Optical Character Recognition (OCR). Instruct the model to extract the product name, serial number, purchase date, and price.

Example prompt
Analyze the following image of a purchase receipt. Perform OCR to identify and extract these specific fields:
- Product Name
- Serial Number (if available)
- Purchase Date
- Price Return the extracted information in JSON format. [paste receipt image]
Step03

Automatically Fetch the User Manual

Use the extracted product name and model number to perform an automated web search. The goal is to find and download the official user manual, which is typically a PDF file.

Example prompt
Act as a research assistant. Use the following product information to find the official user manual online. Product Name: [insert product name]
Model/Serial Number: [insert model or serial number] Search for the user manual and provide a direct link to the PDF file. Prioritize results from the manufacturer's official website.
Step04

Store All Assets Together

Combine the extracted data, receipt image, product photo, and user manual into a single record in a database. This creates an easily searchable entry for each purchase.

Example prompt
Combine the extracted data, receipt image, product photo, and user manual into a single record in a database. This creates an easily searchable entry for each purchase.

My actual values:
[insert the files, settings, accounts, or constraints for this step]

Give me the exact commands, settings, or output to use. Finish with a pass or fail check for store all assets together.
Step05

Access Information On-Demand

To find information for a repair or warranty claim, search your database for the product. The record will contain the purchase date, warranty details, and user manual, eliminating the need to search through old emails or files.

Example prompt
To find information for a repair or warranty claim, search your database for the product. The record will contain the purchase date, warranty details, and user manual, eliminating the need to search through old emails or files.

My actual values:
[insert the files, settings, accounts, or constraints for this step]

Give me the exact commands, settings, or output to use. Finish with a pass or fail check for access information on-demand.
Step06

Set Smart Reminders

Extend the app by adding a feature for future reminders. For example, set an alert for when a warranty is about to expire or create a reminder to sell an item when it is no longer needed.

Example prompt
Extend the app by adding a feature for future reminders. For example, set an alert for when a warranty is about to expire or create a reminder to sell an item when it is no longer needed.

My actual values:
[insert the files, settings, accounts, or constraints for this step]

Give me the exact commands, settings, or output to use. Finish with a pass or fail check for set smart reminders.

What good looks like

  • The serial number and purchase details match the photos
  • The saved manual is for the exact product model
  • Reminder dates occur before the warranty, return, or resale deadline

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After the steps

Runbook notes

How to recover when the loop fails and where human judgment helps.

Recover

If it goes sideways

The model extracts the wrong serial number or product variant
Crop the label, preserve the original image, and compare every extracted identifier before saving.
The downloaded manual is for a similar model
Match the full model number and manufacturer domain before attaching the file.

Keep building

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