View the Top Categories report
View the Top Categories report
The Top Categories report shows which expense categories had the highest total spend last month. It’s an easy way to:
- Understand where the most money is being spent
- Spot trends without exporting data
- Make data-driven budget decisions with less effort
This report is a pre-built suggested search that uses filters to group your expenses by category.
Who can use the Top Categories report
The Top Categories report is available to Workspace Admins, Approvers, and Auditors on both web and mobile.
Where to find the Top Categories report
Web:
Click Reports in the left navigation, then click Top categories under the Insights section
Mobile:
Tap Reports from the navigation tabs on the bottom, then tap the hamburger menu in the top-right corner. Under Insights, tap Top categories.
What the Top Categories report shows
The Top Categories report is powered by Expensify’s search query engine using grouping and filters. The report shows:
- All expense categories sorted by total spend in the last month
- The total amount spent in each category
- The number of expenses in each category
How to interpret the Top Categories report
Each row represents a single expense category, sorted in descending order by total spend. Columns include:
- Number of expenses in the category
- Total amount spent in that category
Click any row to view all expenses tied to that category.
How to customize the Top Categories report
You can adjust filters like status, expense type or employee to explore spending trends.
The Top Categories report is a suggested search template. You cannot save changes directly to this report, but you can create a custom version.
To create and save a custom report:
- Go to the Reports or Expenses tab.
- Use filters to adjust the category grouping or timeframe.
- Apply filters and click Save search to save your custom report.
Learn how to create custom reports
Ways to use the Top Categories report
Workspace Admins and finance teams use the Top Categories report to:
- Monitor which expense categories are driving most of the spend
- Quickly compare expense volume by category
- Make budget and policy decisions without needing spreadsheets
FAQ
Can I export the Top Categories report?
The Top Categories report can’t be exported with its grouped totals or summary data directly. However, if you expand each group to reveal the individual expenses, you can then select those expenses and use Export to CSV to download the raw data.
To export expenses:
- Go to the Reports or Expenses tab.
- Use filters to group by category and apply the same timeframe.
- Expand the category group, select the expenses, and click Export to CSV.
What’s the difference between the Top Categories report and the Top Spenders report?
The Top Categories report shows the highest-spending expense categories, while the Top Spenders report shows which employees submitted the most expenses. Both reports help identify trends, but from different perspectives:
- Use Top Categories to track spending by type (e.g., Travel, Meals).
- Use Top Spenders to track who is submitting the most expenses.
How is the Top Categories report calculated?
The report uses all expenses from the previous calendar month and groups them by category. It shows the top 10 categories based on total spend.
