ExpenseBot Guide & FAQ
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Quick Start Guide
Watch the 2-Minute Overview
This short video shows you everything you need to get started with ExpenseBot — how to capture receipts (email, photos, PDFs, Gmail), create a report, and share it with your accountant or finance team so they can import it into their accounting system.
Watch the Quick Start video:
Configuration & Setup
How do I configure ExpenseBot settings?
The Agent Configuration page lets you customize how ExpenseBot works for you — set up email preferences, configure automation settings, and personalize your expense tracking workflow.
Configuration options include:
- Gmail scanning: Enable automatic receipt capture from your inbox
- Email notifications: Choose when to receive processing updates
- Default currency: Set your home currency for multi-currency conversion
- Expense categories: Customize categories to match your business
- Auto-sharing: Set up automatic report sharing with your accountant
Take a few minutes to configure ExpenseBot when you first sign up, and the AI will handle expense tracking exactly the way you need it. Most settings can be changed anytime as your needs evolve.
How do I add custom G/L codes for my accountant?
Some companies require expenses to be submitted with specific accounting codes (G/L codes). Add your G/L codes to ExpenseBot and it will automatically categorize your expenses into the right accounts — so they're in perfect shape when you submit them to your accounting team.
Requirements
Do I need a Gmail account to use ExpenseBot?
You need a Google account to sign in. This can be a Gmail address, a Google Workspace account, or any email linked to Google.
Google Workspace users: Just sign in — you're already set.
Don't have a Google account? Create one with your existing email at the Google Account Sign‑up page — choose "Use your existing email."
Do I need an app?
No — just sign in at https://www.expensebot.ai
Ready to get started?
Try ExpenseBot free for 60 days. See why thousands of businesses trust us with their expenses.
Start Free Trial →Solutions By Role
For Freelancers
- Super simple — just login, snap a photo, done
- No app to download — works in any browser with your Google account
- All receipts automatically appear in your Google Sheets
- Reports created in familiar spreadsheet format
- Import from PDFs, screenshots, or let our Gmail agent auto‑capture receipts
- One‑click sharing with your accountant — complete with all documentation
- AI organizes and categorizes expenses automatically
- Handles both expenses and invoices seamlessly
See how freelancers use ExpenseBot:
For Google Workspace Companies
Once invited, each member of your team can use ExpenseBot to capture and submit expenses under their own company domain. No separate accounts needed — your team simply logs in with their existing Google Workspace credentials.
See the complete workflow from purchase to approval:
Benefits for your organization:
- Team logs in with company domain — no separate accounts
- Create expense reports in your corporate Google Sheets
- Secure storage in your corporate Google Drive
- Gmail AI agent automatically captures receipt emails
- One‑click report sharing with finance team
- Built‑in Google Sheets collaboration features
- AI validates expenses against your corporate policy
- Simple license management and team assignments
- Organization‑wide analytics (Coming Soon)
- Virtual cards for budget control (Coming Soon)
For Accountants
- Eliminate client expense headaches
- Review and approve reports directly in browser
- Reports delivered in familiar spreadsheet format
- Export to ANY accounting software with AI G/L mapping
- Automatic invoice and expense separation
- Built‑in policy compliance validation
- Approved reports lock automatically to prevent tampering
See how accountants streamline expense management:
For CFO Consultants
- Save clients time and money across all departments
- Seamless ERP system integration
- Complete expense workflow with automatic report locking
- Works with all accounting packages, direct QuickBooks integration
- Delivers reports in familiar Google Sheets format
For Investment Managers
- AI‑powered expense compliance that reads your Form ADV
- Automatic fund vs. adviser allocation with SEC‑defensible citations
- Bulk invoice processing — handle hundreds of PDFs at once
- Auto‑retrieval of Form ADV directly from SEC database
- Vendor contract matching with renewal alerts
- One‑click push to QuickBooks or export to any accounting system
- Complete audit trail for SEC examinations
See how investment managers automate expense compliance:
For Real Estate Agents
- Simple mileage tracking for showings and appointments
- Gmail auto‑capture of MLS fees, staging invoices, photography bills
- Year‑end tax report with all deductions calculated
- Automatic business vs. personal expense separation
- Credit card reconciliation to catch missing receipts
- IRS‑compliant mileage log and expense documentation
- Import trips directly from Google Calendar
See how real estate agents track expenses and mileage:
For Executive Assistants
- Manage expense tracking for multiple executives from one account
- Set up executives with their own Gmail scanning and receipt forwarding
- Create and submit expense reports on behalf of executives
- Executives can sign in to review and approve their own reports
- Seamless handoff — you capture, they approve
How do I set up my executives in ExpenseBot?
As an executive assistant, you can add and manage multiple executives from your ExpenseBot account. Set up their email addresses, configure Gmail scanning, and start capturing their expenses immediately.
How do executives sign in after being invited?
Once you invite an executive, they receive an email with instructions to sign in. Executives can then view their expenses, review reports you've prepared, and approve them — all without needing to capture receipts themselves.
Automated Receipt & Invoice Capture
Email Import
How do I submit receipts I receive by email?
You can easily forward any receipt emails to ExpenseBot. Simply forward your email to receipts@expensebot.ai and ExpenseBot will automatically process:
- PDF attachments containing receipts
- Receipt details embedded directly in the email body
- Image attachments of receipts
All forwarded receipts will automatically appear in your ExpenseBot spreadsheet:
How do I add expenses without a receipt?
For cash expenses or when you don't have a receipt, send an email to receipts@expensebot.ai with cash: at the start of the subject line, followed by the amount, description, and optionally a date.
Simple expenses:
cash: $45 Ubercash: $12.50 Starbucks coffeecash: $200 office supplies
With tax or tip:
cash: $1200 rent with $25 taxescash: $85 dinner with $12 tax and $15 tip
Tax and tip are included in your total — $1200 with $25 taxes means your total is $1200, not $1225.
With dates:
cash: $50 lunch yesterdaycash: $200 groceries last fridaycash: $1200 rent for marchcash: $1200 rent for march 1 2025
If you don't include a date, today's date is used.
Multiple expenses in one email:
cash: $50 lunch, $30 gas, $20 parkingcash: $12 coffee, $65 dinner, $25 Uber
Recurring expenses:
cash: $1200 rent each month this yearcash: $1200 rent and $25 taxes each month this yearcash: $1200 rent for the past 4 monthscash: $1200 rent for march, april, and maycash: $50 cleaning every week for the past month
Recurring expenses will never be created for future dates.
Each expense is automatically categorized by AI, tagged as "No Receipt", and added to your spreadsheet. You can put details in the subject line, the email body, or both.
Can I forward receipts from another email address?
Yes. Add it as an Email Alias in Settings. If most receipts arrive at the Gmail you signed up with, you can skip this.
Why am I getting "Undeliverable" or "Access denied" when forwarding from Outlook/Microsoft 365?
If you receive an error like 550 5.7.520 Access denied, Your organization does not allow external forwarding, your company's Microsoft 365 admin has blocked external email forwarding as a security policy.
Solutions:
- Ask your IT admin to whitelist
receipts@expensebot.aias an allowed external forwarding destination - Forward from personal email — if you have a Gmail, forward receipts through that instead
- Upload directly — use ExpenseBot's camera, Google Photos import, or drag-and-drop upload
Your IT admin can find the setting in Microsoft 365 Admin Center → Exchange → Mail Flow → Remote Domains, or via PowerShell using Set-RemoteDomain.
How can I import receipts from my Gmail inbox?
Connect Gmail and let the AI find receipts automatically — no forwarding rules required:
Can I scan a second Gmail account for a full year of receipts?
Yes! Connect up to 5 Gmail accounts and run a historical scan on each — perfect for pulling a full year of receipts at tax time.
How it works:
- Go to Process from Gmail and connect the new account
- Select the account from the dropdown
- Choose a time period (e.g., "2025 Calendar Year")
- Click Scan — it runs in the background
- You'll receive an email notification when the scan is complete with a summary of processed receipts and those needing review
The scan processes in the background so you can close the page. When it finishes, you get an email showing exactly what was found.
How does the Gmail scanner decide which emails to pick up?
The scanner uses multiple layers to find your receipts automatically — no setup or rules needed:
- Keyword scanning: Every scan searches for emails containing "receipt", "order", "invoice", "payment", and more — from all senders.
- Learned senders: Once you process a receipt from a sender (e.g., Amazon, Adobe), the AI remembers and automatically includes them in future scans.
- AI classification: Every email found is analyzed by AI to confirm it's actually a receipt (not a marketing email or shipping notification).
You don't need to add senders or set up keyword rules — the more receipts you process, the smarter the scanner gets for your account. If something is still being missed, apply the "ExpenseBot" label to the email in Gmail and the scanner will pick it up and learn from it.
Pro tip: Gmail filters for guaranteed pickup
Want to make sure receipts from a specific merchant always get picked up? Use Gmail's built-in filters to auto-apply the "ExpenseBot" label to emails from that sender (e.g., auto-confirm@amazon.ie). The scanner will pick them up on every scan — no manual labeling needed.
How to set it up: In Gmail, click the search bar filter icon, enter the sender's email in "From", click Create filter, then choose Apply label "ExpenseBot".
What if the Gmail scan missed a receipt?
It's rare — the scanner already searches for receipt-related keywords across all senders — but some emails can still be misclassified by the AI. For example, order confirmations with "not yet charged" disclaimers may be skipped. Here's what to do:
Two steps to fix it:
- Label the email: In Gmail, apply the "ExpenseBot" label to the missed email (the label should already be in your label list).
- Process it: In ExpenseBot, click Find receipts in Gmail — the labeled email will appear and you can process it right from there.
Processing a missed receipt teaches the AI to recognize that sender going forward — future emails from them will be included in scans automatically.
Please also let us know at support@expensebot.ai so we can investigate and improve the detection for everyone.
Photo Import
How do I take a photo of a receipt and submit to ExpenseBot?
How can I import photos of receipts from Google Photos?
ExpenseBot makes it easy to find and import receipts directly from Google Photos:
How do I import screenshots and images from my device?
If you have screenshots, saved images, or other receipt photos stored directly on your device (not in Google Photos), you can import multiple images at once:
Document Import
How do I import multiple PDFs from my device?
Can I import receipts from Google Drive?
Yes! Click the Google Drive button in ExpenseBot to open the Drive Picker. Browse or search your Drive, select up to 100 receipt files at once, and AI processes them all automatically.
Privacy note:
ExpenseBot only accesses the specific files you select — it uses Google's secure drive.file scope, not full Drive access. Your other Drive files are never touched.
Does ExpenseBot handle duplicate receipts? What if I resubmit receipts?
Yes! ExpenseBot checks your spreadsheet before adding any receipt. It will only flag something as a duplicate if the same receipt is already in your spreadsheet. So if receipts didn't go through the first time and you resubmit them, they'll be processed normally — no duplicate issue.
Does ExpenseBot handle multi currency?
Yes, we handle currency from any country and convert it back to your home currency using the exchange rate from the date of the receipt itself.
Viewing & Editing Your Expenses
Where are my expenses stored?
All your expenses are automatically organized in a Google Sheet stored in your own Google Drive. This means you own your data, can edit it anytime, and can share it with anyone using familiar spreadsheet tools.
Benefits of Google Sheets:
- Full control: Edit, sort, filter, and customize your expense data
- Familiar format: Works just like Excel — no learning curve
- Easy sharing: Share with your accountant using Google's built-in sharing
- Your data: Stored in YOUR Google Drive, not on vendor servers
How do I view or edit my expenses on mobile (iPhone/Android)?
Your expenses live in a Google Sheet. To view and edit on your phone, we recommend installing the free Google Sheets app:
Install Google Sheets:
- iPhone/iPad: Download from App Store
- Android: Download from Google Play
Troubleshooting "View Only" or Can't Edit:
- Check your Google account: Make sure you're signed into the Google Sheets app with the same Google account you use for ExpenseBot
- Reinstall the app: If issues persist, uninstall and reinstall Google Sheets
- Try the browser: Open the spreadsheet link in Safari/Chrome if the app isn't working
Once installed, tapping "View Spreadsheet" in ExpenseBot will open your expenses directly in the Google Sheets app for easy editing.
Can I edit expenses without installing an app?
Yes, you can view and make basic edits in your mobile browser (Safari/Chrome), but the experience is optimized for the Google Sheets app. For the best mobile editing experience, we recommend installing the free Google Sheets app. On desktop, the spreadsheet opens directly in your browser — no app needed.
Does editing expenses in my spreadsheet (recategorizing, changing tags) affect my reports?
No — once your data is in the sheet, changing categories, tags, totals, or any other field does not affect previously generated reports. Reports are created as a separate snapshot, so feel free to recategorize or update entries anytime.
Adding new categories or tags not in the dropdown:
- In ExpenseBot: Go to Settings > Category or Settings > Tag and add it there
- Shortcut in the spreadsheet: Go to the Categories or Tags tab and add your entry following the same format as the existing ones
Once added, the new option will appear in the dropdown for all future expenses.
Mileage Tracking
How do I track business mileage?
ExpenseBot integrates with Google Maps to auto‑calculate distances. Enter your starting address and destination, toggle round‑trip if needed, and add it to your expense report with one click. The current IRS mileage rate is applied automatically to calculate your tax deduction.
Mileage tracking features:
- Google Maps integration: Auto-complete addresses and accurate distance calculation
- Round-trip toggle: One click to double mileage for return journeys
- Trip duplication: Reuse frequent routes with one click
- IRS-compliant log: Date, destination, purpose, and miles — everything the IRS requires
- Automatic rate updates: Always uses the current IRS standard mileage rate
The average business driver logs 10,000+ miles per year. At the current IRS rate, that's over $6,700 in tax deductions. ExpenseBot makes sure you capture every mile without a separate mileage tracking app draining your battery.
Can I import trips from Google Calendar?
Yes! If your calendar events have addresses (like client meetings, property showings, or job sites), ExpenseBot can import them and calculate mileage automatically. This is the easiest way to capture business miles you might otherwise forget.
Perfect for professionals with location-based appointments:
- Real estate agents: Import showings, open houses, and client meetings
- Field service technicians: Import job site visits and service calls
- Sales representatives: Import client visits and prospect meetings
- Consultants: Import on-site client engagements
- Healthcare workers: Import home visits and facility rounds
Simply connect your Google Calendar, select the events with addresses, and ExpenseBot calculates the mileage for each trip. No more forgetting to log miles after a busy day of appointments.
Report Creation & Submission
Creating Reports
How do I create a report by date range?
In the Report Wizard, choose "Report by Date Range" and select a start and end date. Your expenses are automatically summarized by category in a separate tab — no extra steps needed:
How do I create a tailored expense report for a trip, project or client?
Use tags to group expenses, then choose "Report by Tag" in the Report Wizard:
Reconciling Your Expenses
How do I reconcile my credit card statement with my expenses?
Connect your bank or credit card via Plaid to automatically pull transactions for reconciliation. ExpenseBot matches your statement with expenses, finds missing receipts, and updates exchange rates.
Why connect your bank account:
- Automatic reconciliation: Match receipts against bank transactions instantly
- Find missing expenses: Catch deductible purchases you forgot to capture
- Home office deductions: Track utilities, internet, and rent payments automatically
- Month-by-month verification: Ensure every business expense is accounted for
- Year-end confidence: Know you haven't missed any tax deductions
Bank connections are secured through Plaid, the same technology used by major financial apps. ExpenseBot never sees your login credentials. You can also upload PDF statements manually if you prefer not to connect directly.
Sharing Reports
How do I share my expense report with a manager or accountant?
Share your report quickly with our One‑Click Sharing feature:
Review & Approval
How do I approve expense reports as a manager or accountant?
When you receive access to a report, here's what you can do:
How do approved reports get locked to prevent tampering?
Once a report is approved in ExpenseBot, it becomes read‑only and locked in your Google Drive. This ensures compliance and preserves a secure audit trail for your finance team.
Expense Management & Organization
How do I manage tags to organize my expenses?
Tags let you group expenses by business trip, client, or project so you can create separate reports:
How do I customize expense categories?
ExpenseBot automatically determines the correct expense category account. Here's how you can customize them:
My expenses from the same merchant are all in one generic category. How do I fix this?
This is common with merchants like Apple, Amazon, or Google where one merchant sells everything from games to business software to personal subscriptions. For example, dozens of "Apple" charges might all be categorized the same way — but they include mobile games, iCloud storage, streaming subscriptions, and dating apps.
The fix: Add custom categories with descriptions
Go to Settings > Manage Categories and create categories that reflect how you actually want to organize your spending. The key is the description — this tells the AI exactly when to use each category.
Example: Breaking up Apple charges
- Games — "Mobile games, in-app purchases, gaming subscriptions"
- Software and Apps — "Business-related software, cloud storage, app subscriptions"
- Personal — "Dating apps, personal purchases, entertainment, non-business items"
Now a Puzzles and Conquest purchase gets filed under "Games," an iCloud subscription goes to "Software and Apps," and a Match.com charge goes to "Personal."
How does the AI decide?
ExpenseBot reads the actual content of the receipt — not just the merchant name. It looks at line items, subscription names, and purchase descriptions to understand what was bought. This information also flows into the Notes field as a brief summary (e.g., "Puzzles and Conquest" or "iCloud 200GB"), which helps you see at a glance what each charge was for.
Tips for good category descriptions
Be specific and give examples. For instance, a medical professional might create:
- CME and Medical Education — "Continuing medical education courses, certifications, medical conferences"
- Medical Reference and Subscriptions — "Clinical reference tools, medical journals, databases (UpToDate, Sanford Guide)"
- Professional Development — "Business coaching, non-medical courses, professional education"
Without descriptions, these look similar. With descriptions, the AI knows a Sanford Guide subscription goes under "Medical Reference" while a Kajabi business course goes under "Professional Development."
New categories apply automatically to all future receipts — no further action needed.
What's the difference between categories and tags?
Categories (Column C) are your G/L accounts — like "Meals & Entertainment" or "Travel". AI assigns these automatically based on your chart of accounts.
Tags (Column K) are user-defined groupings that cut across categories. A "Las Vegas Trip" tag might include meals, flights, hotels, and Uber rides — all different categories, grouped under one tag.
Quick comparison:
- Categories: Auto-assigned by AI, one per expense, matches your accounting system
- Tags: User-defined, for grouping expenses by trip/client/project across all categories
- AI auto-suggests trip tags: Detects travel patterns and suggests tags like "Las Vegas Trip" overnight
- Project/client tags: Add in Settings > Tags, then assign in the spreadsheet's Tag column
How reports use each:
- Report by Date Range: Pulls expenses from a date period, automatically summarizes by category in a separate tab
- Report by Tag: Pulls all expenses with a specific tag, across all categories and dates
- Year-End Report: Includes every expense for the year (even those already in other reports), with each category on its own tab
How do I add my Employee ID to my report?
Go to your main ExpenseBot spreadsheet, click the Settings tab, and enter your Employee ID in cell B2. Now all reports will include your Employee ID.
How do I delete a report?
Use the Report Wizard to delete or undo a report:
How do I correct or fix wrong data in my expense spreadsheet?
If an expense has incorrect data (wrong amount, vendor, date, etc.), here's how to fix it depending on how the receipt was originally added:
Option 1: Edit directly in the spreadsheet
The simplest fix — just open your Google Sheet and correct the data in the row. You can change the amount, vendor, category, date, or any other field directly.
Option 2: Re-upload a photo or PDF
If the receipt was a photo or PDF upload and the AI extracted it incorrectly:
- Delete the affected row in your spreadsheet
- Re-upload the original photo or PDF at expensebot.ai
- ExpenseBot will reprocess it fresh and add a corrected row
Note: If you don't delete the old row first, ExpenseBot will flag it as a duplicate.
Option 3: Reprocess a Gmail/email receipt
If the receipt came in via Gmail scan or email forwarding:
- Delete the affected row in your spreadsheet
- In Gmail, find the original email and remove the "Processed" label
- Apply the "ExpenseBot" label to that email (if using Outlook, move it to the "ExpenseBot" folder)
- In ExpenseBot, click Find Receipts in Gmail — the email will appear for reprocessing
If you have Gmail Automation enabled, the re-labeled email will also be picked up automatically in the nightly scan — no manual action needed.
For Finance Teams
Invite Clients
How do I invite clients to use ExpenseBot and share reports with me?
Invite clients and enable automatic report sharing to streamline collaboration:
Communication & Collaboration
As a reviewer, how do I communicate with the submitter about expenses?
Leave comments on individual expenses or add notes about the entire report:
Compliance & Controls
How does the ExpenseBot AI determine compliance with Expense Policies?
Upload your policy PDF and ExpenseBot evaluates any report against it instantly.
Export & Integration
What accounting software does ExpenseBot support?
ExpenseBot integrates with a wide range of accounting software:
- QuickBooks Online: Direct one‑click sync for both expenses and invoices
- Xero: Export formatted for easy import
- Sage 50 Canada: Export ready‑to‑import files
- Sage 50 USA: Export ready‑to‑import files
- Sage Intacct: Export with automatic dimension mapping
- FreshBooks: Export with automatic G/L mapping
- Zoho Books: Export with custom field mapping
- NetSuite: Export formatted for NetSuite import
- Microsoft Dynamics Business Central: Export with G/L account mapping
Our AI export maps expenses to the correct G/L accounts for any accounting system, saving hours of manual categorization.
How does QuickBooks integration work?
ExpenseBot features a direct API integration with QuickBooks Online — not just an export. Connect once through our guided wizard, and expenses sync automatically with one click. Featured in the QuickBooks App Store.
QuickBooks integration features:
- One-click sync: Submit your expense report and it creates a bill in QuickBooks instantly
- AI vendor matching: Automatically matches expenses to existing QuickBooks vendors
- Smart GL mapping: AI maps expense categories to your QuickBooks chart of accounts
- Invoice handling: Vendor invoices become individual bills; receipts consolidate into one bill
- Billable expenses: Track client-billable expenses for easy reimbursement
- Receipt attachments: Original receipts attach directly to QuickBooks bills
Unlike export-based integrations, the QuickBooks API sync means no manual file uploads or imports — just click "Submit to QuickBooks" and the bill appears in your accounting system, ready for payment.
Team Administration
What can I do as a Team Administrator?
Admins can manage licenses, sync G/L accounts, and standardize tags across the team:
Administrator Capabilities:
- Assign Licenses: Allocate licenses to team members
- Sync G/L Accounts: Keep consistent accounts across your organization
- Manage Tags: Create and sync project/client/department tags
- Team spending insights: Ask the chat assistant questions like “Summarize my team spending this year”
These features ensure consistency while saving time through AI automation.
How do I sync expense categories and G/L accounts for my team?
Upload your company's expense categories and G/L accounts to ensure consistent coding across all team members:
How do I purchase ExpenseBot licenses for my team?
Purchase multiple licenses at once and assign them to team members:
Tax & Year‑End Reports
How do I get my year‑end tax summary?
ExpenseBot automatically generates a complete year‑end tax report with all expenses categorized, deductions calculated, and receipts attached. On December 31st, you receive a comprehensive spreadsheet ready to hand to your accountant or upload to tax software.
Unlike regular reports (which only include unassigned expenses), the year‑end report includes every expense for that year — even those already in other reports. Each category gets its own summary tab.
What's included in your year‑end tax report:
- Expense summary by category: Travel, meals, office supplies, subscriptions, and more
- Mileage log: Complete IRS-compliant record of all business miles
- Deduction calculations: Business use percentages already applied
- Receipt documentation: All receipts attached and organized
- Tax form pre-fill: Schedule C (US) or T2125 (Canada) for freelancers
For US freelancers, ExpenseBot can pre-fill your Schedule C with expense totals by category. Canadian freelancers get the T2125 Statement of Business Activities. This saves hours of manual data entry and reduces errors during tax filing season.
How do I set business use percentage for categories?
Many expenses are only partially deductible when used for both business and personal purposes. ExpenseBot lets you configure the business use percentage for each expense category, and automatically calculates the deductible portion.
Common partial deduction examples:
- Internet: 50% if you work from home half the time
- Cell phone: 70% if mostly used for business calls
- Home office: Based on square footage percentage
- Vehicle: Based on business vs. personal miles driven
- Meals: 50% deductible for business meals (IRS rule)
Set these percentages once in your expense category settings, and ExpenseBot applies them automatically to every expense in that category. Your year-end tax report shows both the full expense amount and the calculated business deduction.
AI Todo List
What is the AI Todo List?
Free for all ExpenseBot users! Email your notes, reminders, or meeting notes to todo@expensebot.ai and AI organizes everything into one continuously‑updated Google Doc. No app switching, no manual organizing — just email and done. Powered by Gemini 2.5.
What you can email to your AI todo list:
- Voice memos: Forward voice recordings and AI transcribes and organizes them
- Meeting notes: Send raw notes and AI extracts action items
- Quick reminders: "Remind me to call John about the contract"
- Project ideas: Brain dump ideas and AI categorizes them
- Shopping lists: Add items and they're organized by store/category
Unlike traditional todo apps, you never need to open an app or log in. Just email from anywhere — your phone, laptop, or even forward emails with tasks. The AI continuously updates your Google Doc, merging related items, removing duplicates, and keeping everything organized. It's like having a personal assistant who never sleeps.
Tips & Best Practices
Receipt Management
How do I write on receipts for easy tagging?
Write special prefixes on receipts before photographing. ExpenseBot's AI reads your handwriting and automatically processes them — no manual entry required after upload.
What to write on your receipts:
- TAG:ClientName — Creates a new tag or groups to an existing one. Examples: "TAG:Acme Corp", "TAG:NYC Conference", "TAG:Project-123"
- w/ Names — Adds attendee names to the notes field. Example: "w/ Colin & Rebecca" puts "Colin & Rebecca" in the expense notes — perfect for tracking who attended business dinners
This simple technique saves hours of manual categorization. Write "TAG:Acme" on all receipts for that client, and they're automatically grouped together for easy reporting. Write "w/ John Smith" on dinner receipts to document who you met with. Perfect for freelancers tracking multiple clients, consultants billing projects, or anyone who needs to document business meal attendees.
Quick Tips
- After submitting a photo of a receipt to ExpenseBot, you can delete it from your camera roll.
- For restaurant receipts, include the itemized receipt and the credit‑card slip in the same photo to capture tax, tip, and total.
Organization Best Practices
- Invite someone to approve or review your reports.
- Review yellow highlighted cells to check AI suggestions.
- All ExpenseBot data is stored in your Google Drive "ExpenseBot Expenses" folder.
Still researching? Try it free.
60-day free trial. No credit card required. Cancel anytime.
Privacy & Security
How does ExpenseBot handle my data?
ExpenseBot uses a privacy-first approach. Unlike most apps, ExpenseBot does not store your data on our servers. All data — receipts, photos, and spreadsheets — is stored in your own Google Drive, accessible only by you. We process data transiently (to extract receipt details) and then discard it. Nothing is retained on our side.
What is CASA Tier 2 certification?
CASA (Cloud Application Security Assessment) Tier 2 is Google's highest security certification for third-party apps that access Google user data. It requires an independent security audit by a Google-approved lab. ExpenseBot passed this audit, meaning Google has verified our app meets enterprise-grade security standards.
Does ExpenseBot read my emails?
ExpenseBot only scans for receipt-like emails (e.g., order confirmations, invoices). It does not read personal emails, conversations, or anything unrelated to expenses. Gmail scanning is optional — you turn it on explicitly, and you can turn it off at any time under Settings. Our Gmail API usage complies with Google's Limited Use Requirements.
What happens to my photos after scanning?
Receipt photos are processed to extract details (vendor, amount, date), then the extracted data is saved to your Google Sheets spreadsheet and the original photo is stored in your Google Drive. ExpenseBot never stores your photos on our servers. Your original photos in Google Photos are never modified or deleted.
Who can see my expense data?
Only you. Your data lives in your Google Drive under standard Google access controls. ExpenseBot cannot see your data once it's written to your Drive. If you choose to share your spreadsheet with an accountant or manager, that's controlled by you through Google's standard sharing — not through us.
What if I cancel? Do I keep my data?
Yes, 100%. Since everything is stored in your Google Drive, cancelling ExpenseBot changes nothing about your data. Your spreadsheets, receipts, and reports remain in your Drive forever. There are no export fees and no data hostage situations. It's already yours.
Can I reset my account or delete my data?
Yes, under Settings, choose Reset Account to delete the ExpenseBot folder on your Drive and start fresh. This won't affect your subscription status. You can also revoke ExpenseBot's access entirely from your Google Account permissions at any time.
Does ExpenseBot share my data with third parties?
No. We do not sell, share, or provide your data to any third party. The only external services involved are Google (where your data lives) and Stripe (for payment processing, which never sees your expense data). If you connect an accounting system like QuickBooks, data is sent only when you explicitly click sync — and only the data you choose to export.
Support
Troubleshooting
Why can't I enable push notifications?
If you see "Notification permission denied", your browser has blocked notifications for ExpenseBot. This is a browser-level setting that the app cannot override — only you can re-enable it.
How to fix it:
- Chrome (Desktop): Click the tune icon in the address bar → Site settings → Notifications → change from Block to Allow
- Chrome (Android): Tap the lock icon → Permissions → toggle Notifications on
- Safari (Mac): Safari → Settings → Websites → Notifications → find expensebot.ai → Allow. Also check System Settings → Notifications → Safari
- Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → scroll to Permissions → Notifications → click Settings → find expensebot.ai → change to Allow → Save Changes
- Edge: Click the lock icon next to the address bar → Permissions for this site → set Notifications to Allow
- DuckDuckGo Browser: DuckDuckGo Browser does not support web push notifications. This is a browser limitation, not a settings issue. Please use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge instead
After changing the setting, go back to ExpenseBot Settings and toggle push notifications on. See Google's guide on managing notifications for more details.
How to Get Help
Email Support
Our team is available Monday–Friday, 9 AM–6 PM EST.
Documentation
Browse our guides and tutorials in the sections above.
Response Times
We typically respond within 24 business hours.
For urgent matters, include "URGENT" in your email subject line.