Exporting Your Budgets

Etropo offers two ways to export your budget data: XLSX downloads for quick snapshots and Google Sheets integration for automated syncing.

Which Export Method Should I Use?

Use XLSX Export when you need:

• A quick one-time snapshot of your budget
• Offline analysis in Excel or other spreadsheet tools
• To share a static file with stakeholders

Use Google Sheets Integration when you need:

• Live data that updates automatically every day
• Real-time collaboration with your team
• Integration with other Google Workspace tools

XLSX Export

Export your budget as an Excel file (.xlsx) that downloads directly to your computer.

How to Export to XLSX

1. Open your budget
2. Click the three dots menu in the top-right corner
3. Select Export budget
4. Choose your export option:
   • Current view only - Exports either Plan or Actuals (depending on which view you’re in)
   • Both - Creates two separate files (one for Plan, one for Actuals)
5. Click Download

Your file(s) will download immediately with a name like Budget-Name_planned_2025-01-15.xlsx.

What Gets Exported

Each file includes one sheet with these columns:

• Master Category (if you’re using master categories)
• Category
• Line Item
• Status
• Cost Center
• Custom Properties (if you’ve added any)
• Monthly Values - One column per month with planned or actual amounts

Requirements

• You must be an organization admin
• Your organization must have an Essential, Pro, or Custom plan (not available on Free or Pro Trial plans)
• Your budget must have at least one category

Google Sheets Integration

Connect your budgets to Google Sheets for automatic daily syncing. Each connected budget creates a spreadsheet with three tabs: Plans, Actuals, and Combined.

Initial Setup

Step 1: Connect Your Google Account

1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Google Sheets
2. Click Connect Google Account
3. Sign in with your Google account and authorize Etropo
4. You’ll be redirected back to Etropo

Step 2: Connect a Budget

1. Click Connect Budget
2. Select the budget you want to sync from the dropdown
3. Click Create & Connect

A new Google Sheets spreadsheet will be created in your Google Drive and immediately synced with your budget data.

What Gets Created

Each connected budget creates a Google Sheets spreadsheet with three tabs:

1. Plans Sheet

• All line items with planned amounts by month
• Columns: [Master Category], Category, Line Item, Cost Center, Owner, Currency, [Monthly columns]

2. Actuals Sheet

• All line items with actual amounts by month
• Same column structure as Plans

3. Plans & Actuals Combined

• Interleaved plan and actual columns for each month
• Example: Jan 2025 Plan, Jan 2025 Actual, Feb 2025 Plan, Feb 2025 Actual, etc.
• Useful for variance analysis

How Syncing Works

Automatic Sync:

• Your budget data automatically syncs to Google Sheets every day at 7:00 AM UTC
• You don’t need to do anything - it happens in the background
• Check the “Last synced” timestamp in the Integrations page to confirm

Manual Sync:

• Click the refresh icon next to any connected budget to sync immediately
• Useful when you’ve made changes and want them reflected right away

Managing Connections

View Your Connections:

• Go to Settings > Integrations > Google Sheets
• All connected budgets are listed with their sync status

Open Your Spreadsheet:

• Click the spreadsheet name to open it in Google Sheets

Disconnect a Budget:

1. Click the three dots menu next to the connected budget
2. Select Remove connection
3. Confirm deletion

Note: This only removes the connection - the Google Sheets file remains in your Drive. You can delete it manually if needed.

Requirements

• You must be an organization admin
• Your organization must have an Essential, Pro, or Custom plan (not available on Free or Pro Trial plans)
• You must authorize Etropo to access your Google Sheets

Limitations

• One budget per connection - You can’t connect the same budget twice
• Private sheets - Created spreadsheets are only accessible to your Google account (you can share them using Google Sheets sharing)
• 24-hour sync interval - Automated syncs happen once daily; use manual sync for immediate updates

Export Structure

Both XLSX and Google Sheets exports follow the same structure, with each row representing a budget line item and columns for all your budget data.

Standard Columns

Every export includes these columns:

• Master Category - Only appears if you’re using master categories (hierarchical two-level categories)
• Category - The primary category for organizing line items
• Line Item - The specific budget item name
• Status - The current status of the line item
• Cost Center - Department or team assignment
• Owner - Person responsible for the line item
• Currency - Currency code
• Custom Properties - Any custom fields you’ve added to your budget
• Monthly Columns - One column per month showing amounts

Export Example

Here’s how your marketing budget data appears in exports:

Note: If you’re not using master categories, that column will be omitted entirely. The number of monthly columns depends on your budget’s time range.

Troubleshooting

“You need to upgrade to export budgets”

You’re on the Free tier or Pro Trial plan. Upgrade to Essential, Pro, or Custom to access export features.

“Failed to export budget. Please try again.”

• Check your internet connection
• Refresh the page and try again
• If the problem persists, contact support

Google Sheets shows “Error” status

1. Check the error message displayed below the status badge
2. Try clicking the refresh icon to manually sync
3. Common causes:
   • Google account connection expired (reconnect your Google account)
   • Budget was deleted

My Google Sheets export is missing recent changes

• Check the “Last synced” timestamp
• Automated syncs happen daily at 7:00 AM UTC (up to 24-hour lag)
• Click the refresh icon to sync immediately

I can’t see the Export option

Only organization admins can export budgets. If you’re a member, ask your organization admin to export or upgrade your role.

Need Help?

If you’re experiencing issues with exports, contact support with:

• Which export method you’re using (XLSX or Google Sheets)
• The error message (if any)
• Your budget name and organization name
• Screenshots of the issue