PRACTICAL FIELD NOTES / 19 OCTOBER 2026
Field Notes 002: check the invoice before the reminder
Published 19 October 2026. A web edition and email draft; this issue has not been sent to a subscriber list.
Three invoices. One reminder.
Before asking AI to write a payment reminder, decide who should receive one. Our new fictional example has three invoices: a verified unpaid balance, a newer payment missing from an old ledger extract, and an open dispute.
Only the first should reach the drafting step. The other two need a person to check the records.
Try the small version first
The exercise includes a three-row CSV, a copyable prompt, expected hold/draft decisions and an editor-written reference email. Use the fictional data first. The prompt asks for text in the conversation and gives no permission to create drafts, send messages or change records.
Know which part you are using
The manual prompt is Fieldwork’s exercise. The separate Anthropic invoice-chase source record has a packaged setup and supporting references. Copying our prompt does not install that workflow or connect an accounting app.
We inspected the pinned instructions and have not run-tested the connected skill. The reference email is written by an editor, not presented as an AI result.
What to check in your own trial
Did the model hold the paid and disputed invoices? Did it preserve the supplied amount and original due date? Did it add any fee, link or deadline you never supplied? Count preparation, corrections and review before deciding whether it helped.
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