Tracking for expenses

Create or import tracking categories and options and assign them to expense items

Updated over a week ago

You can add tracking details to expenses and individual expense items. Tracking groups and options can be imported from, and synced with, your accounting platform (QuickBooks or Xero), or you can create separate tracking groups and options in Expend.

When you complete an expense, your tracking groups are available on each expense item (under Tracking). Each group contains options, and you can select an option to assign it to your expense item.

Before you start

QuickBooks users

Only QuickBooks Plus users will have access to classes and tracking.

Ensure that the following are On in your settings:

  • Advanced > Categories > Track classes

  • Expenses > Track expenses and items by customer

  • Expenses > Make expenses and items billable

Getting started

In the Expend dashboard menu, click Settings and then click Tracking.
A Client group is present by default.

Setting up your Clients group

If you have connected your accounting platform to Expend, you can import your Customers into the Clients group. Alternatively, you can manage a list of clients in Expend.

QuickBooks users: If you have Projects associated with Customers, these will also be imported into the Clients group.

  1. Under Client, click Settings.

  2. In the drop-down list, choose the source of your list of clients – either your accounting platform (QuickBooks or Xero) or Expend.

  3. Click Update

You can change the source of the options in the Clients group, if required, by following the same steps.

Adding a client

If you manage your clients in Expend (that means you didn’t import them from your accounting platform) you can add clients on the dashboard:

  1. Under Client, click + Tracking Option.

  2. Under Option Name, enter the name of the client

  3. Click Create.

The new client will now be available as a tracking option on expenses and can be assigned to expense items.

Adding tracking groups and options

You can import tracking groups and their options from your accounting platform, or create groups and options in Expend. Imported groups are synced, so that when you make changes on your accounting platform, these changes will be reflected in Expend when the systems are synchronised. Please note that changes aren’t synced immediately.

What can be imported?

  • QuickBooks: You can import Projects, Customers and Classes from QuickBooks. Projects and Customers will be imported to the Client tracking group. All classes and their sub-classes will be imported as a single tracking group into Expend.

  • Xero: You can import Tracking Categories and their options from Xero. A tracking category in Xero corresponds to a tracking croup in Expend.

Importing tracking groups and options

  1. On the Tracking page, click + Tracking Group in the upper right corner.

  2. In the drop-down list, select your accounting platform.

  3. Select the group to import.

  4. Click Import.

Making changes to imported groups

To add or change any of the options in an imported group, please visit your accounting platform and make the necessary changes there. Expend will retrieve changes when the systems are synchronised.

Creating tracking groups and options in Expend

If you create a tracking group in Expend, you can manage everything on the Expend dashboard, and changes will be available immediately to users. You can also import a list of options from a CSV file. While the options can be assigned to expenses, they aren’t currently synced to accounting platforms that are connected.

To create a group:

  1. On the Tracking page, click + Tracking Group in the upper right corner.

  2. In the drop-down list, select Create in Expend.

  3. Enter a name for the group.

  4. Click Create.

The group will now be visible on the Tracking page.

To add an option:

  1. Find the group on the Tracking page and click + Tracking Option.

  2. Enter the option name. This is the value that users will be able to assign to an expense item.

  3. Click Create.

The group will now be available in the tracking group to which it belongs.

Importing options from a CSV file

You can import a list of options from a CSV file to an Expend tracking group. Below is an example of a file that can be imported:

The CSV file format is as follows:

  • The first line is a header line and won't be imported.

  • Each line contains the tracking option and a status (true/false or yes/no).

  • The status is optional; you can leave it out and have just the tracking option.
    It sets the status of an existing tracking option: true or yes will enable the option (or, if it doesn't exist yet, it will be added); false or no will disable the option if it already exists (but if it doesn't, it won't be imported).

To import options from a CSV file:

  1. Optional: Click + Tracking Group, select Create in Expend, enter a name, and click + Create.

  2. Go to the tracking group and click Import Options.

  3. Click inside the Click to Upload CSV box and select the file to import.

  4. Check the preview and, if it looks correct, click Confirm Import.

Managing your groups and options

Renaming groups and options

For Expend groups only, you can rename the group and individual options.

  • To rename a group, click the Settings button below its name. You can change the name on the form that opens. Click Update to apply the changes.

  • To rename an option, click Edit next to the option name. You can change the name on the form that opens. Click Update to apply the changes.

For imported groups, changes need to be made on the accounting platform. These changes will be synced to Expend when the systems are synchronised.

Making a group unavailable

To temporarily prevent users from being able to select any options in a group, you can disable it.

  1. On the tracking page, find the group you want to make unavailable.

  2. Click the Settings button below the group name.

  3. Click Disable.

Users will no longer be able to select any options from the group. The option will no longer be available to users. If an option from the group was assigned to an expense item previously, it will remain assigned.

To make all the options in a group available again, click Settings and then click Enable.

Hiding individual options

For Expend groups only, you can make individual options unavailable to users, while other options in the same group remain available.

  1. Click Edit next to the option name.

  2. Click Disable.

The option will no longer be available to users. If the option was assigned to an expense item previously, it will remain assigned.

To make an option available again, click Edit next to the option name and then click Enable.

Archiving groups

Archiving a group will remove it from your Expend dashboard completely. 

  1. On the tracking page, find the group you want to archive.

  2. Click the Settings button below the group name.

  3. Click Archive.

The group will no longer be available on your dashboard, nor to users. However, any options from the group that were assigned to expense items previously will remain assigned. Users will not be able to change this.

If you archive a group that you imported from your accounting platform, you will be able to import it again.

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