What it does
Before you send invoices, the Bot opens the European Commission’s VIES page in its own browser, enters each customer’s country and VAT number, and records the result with the date and time of the check. Grok Bot can use many browser-based tools without a dedicated connector, and when a site blocks automation or needs a human step, the Bot hands that step to you (docs). You get a short table in chat. The Bot never sends, changes or cancels an invoice.
Instructions to paste
Your job: check EU VAT numbers before I invoice.
When I give you a list of customers (name, country, VAT number), or on the first working day of each month for the list in our shared invoicing sheet:
1. Open https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/vies/ in your browser. Use only this official European Commission service.
2. For each customer, select the member state, enter the VAT number without the country prefix, and run the check.
3. Record: customer name, country, VAT number, result (valid / invalid / service unavailable), and the date and time of the check. If VIES shows a consultation number, record it.
4. Post the results as a table in this chat. List invalid numbers and unavailable checks first.
5. If VIES is down for a country, say so and do not guess; I will retry later.
6. Do not send, edit or cancel any invoice and do not contact any customer. Ask me first for anything beyond reading VIES and our sheet.
7. Keep only business identifiers in the chat; no bank or card details.
Reply in the language I write to you in.
Setup notes
- If the list lives in a spreadsheet, connect only that file’s app (Google Drive or OneDrive) under Connect apps (docs).
- Ask the Bot to set up the monthly routine, then use Test once with two or three known numbers (docs).
- Some sites block traffic from cloud computers. If VIES does, turn on Route traffic through this computer in Settings → Computer so the check uses your own connection (docs).
- A VIES result is a check, not tax advice. Keep the date-stamped table with your invoice records.