Tracking business expenses can get messy fast, especially when you’re juggling receipts, spreadsheets, and reports for multiple clients or employees.
That’s where ActiveMerge comes in. It simplifies how you build and automate expense reports without needing fancy tools or complicated software.
Whether you’re a solo professional, a small team, or a growing agency, this guide will show you how to build expense reports that are accurate, personalized, and ready in just a few clicks.
Why Is an Expense Report Important?
Expense reports help keep your finances clean and organized. They show where the money goes, help you track costs, and make it easier to handle reimbursements or tax deductions.
Without a proper system, expenses can slip through the cracks, and that often means wasted money or errors.
For businesses, it’s also about transparency. Clients and stakeholders want to see where funds are being used. A clear expense report builds trust and keeps things professional.
Step 1: Get Your Template Ready
Start by preparing your Word document template. This is where your expense data will go. It can include things like:
- Date
- Expense type
- Description
- Amount
- Total
Just make sure to label your fields clearly, such as {Date}, {Amount}, and so on, so ActiveMerge knows where to place the data.
Step 2: Set Up Your Data in Google Sheets
Your data sheet is where you list all the expenses. Each row should represent a single report or entry. Use headers like:
- Name
- Department
- Expense Date
- Item Description
- Cost
- Category
This sheet will act as your source file for ActiveMerge to pull from. One row = one completed report.
Step 3: Log in to ActiveMerge
Go to app.activemerge.com and log in. If you’re new, signing up only takes a minute. Once you’re in, head to your dashboard and click “Start New Job” to begin.
Step 4: Upload Your Spreadsheet
Select the spreadsheet you prepared earlier and upload it straight from your device.
ActiveMerge will match your spreadsheet data with your template tags.
If you’re using Google Spreadsheet, remember to download the file as a Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) format since Activemerge only supports this format.
Step 5: Upload Your Template
Upload your Expense Report template. ActiveMerge will detect your merge tags automatically.
You’ll see a preview of the template, and the tags will be listed. Make sure they match your spreadsheet column names.
Step 6: Choose Your Output Format
You can decide how you want the final reviews delivered—PDFs or DOCs format. Choose what fits best with your workflow.
Step 7: Click “Preview First Document” and Let ActiveMerge Work
Tap the “Preview First Document” button, and ActiveMerge will handle the rest. It pulls data from each row of your spreadsheet and fills out a separate review form for each one—no manual edits or copy-pasting needed.
Sample Result:
Get the Free Expense Report Template
Get a copy of the Free Expense Report template. You can download the Google Docs template in Microsoft Word (.docx) format, as ActiveMerge only supports Word documents.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be a spreadsheet wizard or document designer to keep your expense reporting on point. ActiveMerge helps you skip the manual grind and focus more on your actual work. Once it’s set up, it just works—and honestly, that’s what good tools should do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my own expense report format with ActiveMerge?
Yes. You can upload Word documents & Excel format templates. Just label your fields with double curly brackets (like {Total}), and ActiveMerge will do the rest.
Is ActiveMerge only for expense reports?
Nope. It’s great for course certificates, invoices, project summaries, and more—basically anything that needs repeating with different data.
Do I need to install anything?
No installation needed. Everything runs through the cloud using your Google account.
