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Expenses
Bulk Operations

Bulk Edit, Delete, and Categorize Expenses

Overview

Save time by managing multiple expenses at once with bulk operations. Learn how to import, export, categorize, edit, and delete expenses in batches for efficient expense management.

What You'll Learn

  • How to select multiple expenses
  • Bulk categorization and editing
  • Importing expenses from CSV
  • Exporting expenses for accounting
  • Bulk delete operations
  • Bulk tagging

Selecting Multiple Expenses

Method 1: Individual Selection

  1. Navigate to Expenses page
  2. Click checkboxes next to each expense you want to select
  3. Selected count appears at top: "5 expenses selected"
  4. Bulk Actions button becomes active

Method 2: Select All (Current Page)

  1. Click the checkbox in the header row
  2. All expenses on current page are selected
  3. If you have multiple pages, banner appears:
    • "50 expenses on this page are selected"
    • Click "Select all 243 expenses" to select across all pages

Method 3: Filter First, Then Select All

Most efficient for targeted bulk operations:

  1. Apply filters to narrow down expenses:
    • Date range
    • Category
    • Merchant
    • Amount range
    • Tags
    • Payment method
  2. Click "Select All"
  3. Only filtered expenses are selected

Example: Select all "Office Expenses" from Q3 2025 to recategorize them.

Method 4: Search and Select

  1. Use global search (Ctrl/Cmd + K)
  2. Search for specific merchant or keyword
  3. Results displayed
  4. Select individual or all results

Bulk Categorization

Change category for multiple expenses at once:

Step-by-Step

  1. Select expenses (using methods above)
  2. Click "Bulk Actions" button
  3. Select "Change Category"
  4. Modal appears with category dropdown
  5. Choose new category
  6. Preview shows:
    • Number of expenses affected
    • Current categories (if mixed)
    • New category
  7. Click "Apply to X expenses"
  8. Confirmation: "143 expenses recategorized successfully"

When to Use Bulk Categorization

  • Fixing miscategorizations: Selected wrong category initially
  • Merchant-based updates: All "Amazon" purchases should be "Office Supplies"
  • Seasonal adjustments: Reclassify summer travel expenses
  • Tax optimization: Move expenses to more beneficial categories (consult accountant)
  • Custom category migration: Moving expenses from "Other" to new custom category

Bulk Categorization Best Practices

  • Filter first - Be specific about which expenses to recategorize
  • Review sample - Check a few expenses before bulk applying
  • Use preview - Verify count and affected expenses
  • Undo available - Can bulk recategorize back if mistake made
  • Add note - Use bulk edit to add description noting the change

Bulk Editing

Change multiple fields across selected expenses:

Available Bulk Edit Fields

  1. Category (described above)
  2. Tags - Add or remove tags
  3. Payment Method - Change how expenses were paid
  4. Project/Client - Assign to project or client
  5. Billable Status - Mark as billable or non-billable
  6. Notes - Add note to multiple expenses

Bulk Tagging

Add tags to multiple expenses:

  1. Select expenses
  2. Click "Bulk Actions" > "Add Tags"
  3. Enter tag(s):
    • Type tag name
    • Press Enter to add
    • Add multiple tags at once
  4. Choose merge option:
    • Add to existing tags - Keeps current tags, adds new ones
    • Replace all tags - Removes existing tags, adds only new ones
  5. Click "Apply"

Example uses:

  • Tag all Q4 expenses with "Q4-2025"
  • Tag project expenses with client name
  • Tag expenses for specific purposes "Tax Review Needed"

Bulk Change Payment Method

  1. Select expenses
  2. Click "Bulk Actions" > "Change Payment Method"
  3. Select new payment method
  4. Click "Apply"

Example: You entered 50 expenses as "Credit Card" but they were actually paid with "Debit Card".

Bulk Delete

Delete multiple expenses at once:

Caution: Bulk Delete

⚠️ Warning: Bulk delete is powerful and potentially dangerous. Double-check your selection before proceeding.

Step-by-Step

  1. Select expenses to delete
  2. Click "Bulk Actions" button
  3. Select "Delete Selected"
  4. Confirmation dialog appears:
    • "Are you sure you want to delete X expenses?"
    • Preview of selected expenses
    • Option to archive instead of delete
  5. Options:
    • Delete Permanently - Moved to trash (recoverable for 30 days)
    • Archive Instead - Hide from main view but keep in system
    • Cancel - Abort operation
  6. Type "DELETE" to confirm (for 10+ expenses)
  7. Click "Confirm Deletion"

Safety Features

Warnings for:

  • Expenses included in recent exports
  • Expenses linked to invoices
  • Expenses with attached receipts
  • Recurring expense templates

Undo period:

  • Deleted expenses in trash for 30 days
  • Go to Settings > Trash to recover
  • After 30 days: permanent deletion

When to Use Bulk Delete

  • Test data cleanup: Remove demo/test expenses
  • Duplicate removal: Delete duplicate entries
  • Incorrect imports: Remove wrongly imported expenses
  • Old irrelevant data: Clean up very old, unnecessary expenses

Importing Expenses (CSV)

Import historical or external expenses in bulk:

Preparing Your CSV File

Required columns:

  • date (YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • merchant or description
  • amount (numbers only, no currency symbols)
  • category

Optional columns:

  • payment_method
  • notes or description
  • tags (comma-separated)
  • receipt_url (link to receipt image)
  • tax_amount
  • billable (true/false)

Example CSV:

date,merchant,amount,category,payment_method,notes
2025-10-15,Staples,45.99,Office Expenses,Credit Card,Office supplies
2025-10-16,Tim Hortons,12.50,Meals & Entertainment,Cash,Client meeting
2025-10-17,Rogers,85.00,Telecommunications,Credit Card,Monthly internet

Import Process

  1. Navigate to Expenses page
  2. Click "Import" button (top right)
  3. Click "Upload CSV" or drag and drop file
  4. Column Mapping:
    • Akili Apps auto-detects columns
    • Review and adjust mappings
    • Map CSV columns to Akili fields
  5. Preview:
    • See first 10 rows
    • Verify data looks correct
  6. Options:
    • ☑ Skip duplicate expenses (based on date + amount + merchant)
    • ☑ Auto-categorize using AI (Professional/Growth plans)
    • ☑ Create missing categories
  7. Click "Import X expenses"
  8. Progress bar shows import status
  9. Summary:
    • X expenses imported successfully
    • Y duplicates skipped
    • Z errors (with details)

Import from Accounting Software

Pre-built templates for:

  • QuickBooks format
  • FreshBooks format
  • Wave format
  • Xero format
  • Generic spreadsheet

Download template: Import > Download Template > Select Format

Handling Import Errors

Common errors:

  • Invalid date format: Use YYYY-MM-DD
  • Missing required field: Add merchant or amount
  • Invalid category: Use exact category name or create custom
  • Amount format: Remove $ and commas, use plain numbers

Error log:

  • Download error report
  • Shows row number and issue
  • Fix and re-import

Exporting Expenses (CSV, PDF, Excel)

Export expenses for accounting, taxes, or backup:

Quick Export

  1. Optional: Apply filters to export specific expenses
  2. Click "Export" button
  3. Choose format:
    • CSV - For spreadsheets and accounting software
    • PDF - For printing or emailing
    • Excel (.xlsx) - For advanced Excel analysis (Pro/Growth only)
  4. Select date range:
    • Current month
    • Last 3 months
    • Last year
    • Custom range
  5. Click "Download Export"
  6. File downloads to your computer

Export Selected Expenses

  1. Select specific expenses (using checkboxes)
  2. Click "Bulk Actions" > "Export Selected"
  3. Choose format
  4. Download

Scheduled Exports (Growth Plan)

Automatically export expenses on a schedule:

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations > Scheduled Exports
  2. Click "Create Schedule"
  3. Configure:
    • Frequency: Daily, Weekly, Monthly
    • Format: CSV, PDF, Excel
    • Filters: Categories, date range, tags
    • Delivery: Email or cloud storage (Dropbox, Google Drive)
  4. Save schedule

Example: Monthly PDF report emailed to accountant on 1st of each month.

Export for Accountant

Special export format for tax professionals:

  1. Click "Export" button
  2. Select "Accountant Format"
  3. Choose tax year
  4. Export includes:
    • All expenses with full details
    • Category summaries
    • GST/HST calculations
    • Receipt image links
    • Audit trail

Bulk Operations from Mobile

Available on mobile:

  • ✅ View bulk operations performed on desktop
  • ✅ Individual expense selection
  • ⚠️ Limited bulk actions (delete only)

Not available on mobile:

  • ❌ Bulk categorization
  • ❌ Import CSV
  • ❌ Advanced bulk editing

Recommendation: Use desktop for bulk operations.

Tips & Best Practices

  • Filter before bulk actions - Be specific about which expenses to affect
  • Preview before applying - Always review what will change
  • Test with small selection - Try on 5-10 expenses first
  • Use undo/archive - Safer than permanent deletion
  • Regular exports - Backup your data monthly
  • Document bulk changes - Add notes explaining why changes were made
  • Import validation - Always preview import before confirming
  • Template consistency - Use same CSV format for regular imports

Common Questions

Q: Can I undo a bulk operation? A: Bulk categorization and edits can be reversed with another bulk operation. Deletes can be recovered from trash within 30 days.

Q: What's the maximum number of expenses I can bulk edit at once? A: No hard limit, but operations over 1,000 expenses may take a few minutes to process.

Q: Can I import expenses with attached receipts? A: Yes, include receipt_url column with links to receipt images. Images will be downloaded and attached automatically.

Q: What if my CSV has different column names? A: During import, you'll map your CSV columns to Akili Apps fields. Any column name works as long as you map it correctly.

Q: Can I export to QuickBooks directly? A: Export your data in QuickBooks-compatible CSV format, then import into QuickBooks. Use the Accountant Export feature for the most compatible format.

Q: Will bulk categorization affect my tax reports? A: Yes, reports are generated in real-time from current data. Past exported reports (PDFs) are not affected.

Q: Can I schedule automatic imports? A: Not currently, but you can set up bank sync for automatic transaction import. CSV imports are manual.

Q: What happens if I import duplicate expenses? A: Enable "Skip duplicates" during import. Duplicates are detected by matching date + merchant + amount.

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Need More Help?

Contact support at support@akiliapps.com or use the live chat in the bottom right corner of the app.

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