Submit and review employee expenses with a clear, auditable spreadsheet format. This template captures each expense as a separate row with the date, merchant, category, amount, and approval status. It is designed for companies that need a lightweight expense tracking workflow without a dedicated expense management tool. Employees fill in their expenses, attach receipt references, and managers can review and approve line items directly in the shared spreadsheet. When integrated with the API, you can auto-populate expense reports from corporate card transaction feeds or receipt scanning services. The status column supports a simple approval workflow: Pending, Approved, or Rejected. Export to PDF for reimbursement records or to XLSX for import into your accounting system.
| Date | Merchant | Category | Amount | Receipt Ref | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-12 | Delta Airlines | Travel | $487.00 | REC-0041 | Approved |
| 2026-03-14 | Hilton Hotels | Lodging | $312.00 | REC-0042 | Approved |
| 2026-03-14 | Uber | Transport | $34.50 | REC-0043 | Pending |
| 2026-03-15 | Blue Bottle Coffee | Meals | $18.75 | REC-0044 | Pending |
Generate this expense report programmatically with a single POST request. The API returns a shareable URL that anyone can open in the browser.
curl -X POST https://openofficeai.com/api/v1/sheets \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"title": "My Expense Report",
"sheets": [{ "rows": [["Date","Merchant","Category","Amount","Receipt Ref","Status"],["2026-03-12","Delta Airlines","Travel","$487.00","REC-0041","Approved"],["2026-03-14","Hilton Hotels","Lodging","$312.00","REC-0042","Approved"]] }]
}'Returns { "id": "...", "url": "...", "created_at": "..." }. See the full API docs for formatting, formulas, and export options.
This template comes with 6 columns designed for a standard expense report workflow. Each column can be renamed, reordered, or extended through the API or the browser editor.
The date the expense was incurred, in YYYY-MM-DD format.
The vendor or business where the purchase was made.
The expense type: Travel, Meals, Lodging, Transport, Software, or Office Supplies.
The total amount of the expense in your base currency.
A reference ID or link to the receipt image stored in your file system.
The approval status of the expense: Pending, Approved, or Rejected.
This template is a starting point. Here are specific ways to adapt it to your workflow:
Add a "Reimbursement Method" column (direct deposit, check, payroll) so finance knows how to process each approved expense.
Include a "Project Code" column to allocate expenses to specific projects or cost centers for more granular accounting.
Add a "Currency" and "Exchange Rate" column pair for international travel expenses that need to be converted to your base currency.
The spreadsheet itself does not enforce workflow logic, but you can use the Status column to track approvals. Your backend can read the spreadsheet via the API, check for rows marked "Pending," and update them to "Approved" or "Rejected" after a manager takes action in your internal tool.
Use the Receipt Ref column to store a reference ID or URL that links to the receipt image in your file storage. The spreadsheet acts as the structured index, while the actual receipt files live in your own S3 bucket or document management system.
It is better to create one expense report per employee per period. This keeps the data clean and makes it easier to calculate totals per person. You can use the API to batch-create expense reports for your entire team at the start of each month.
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