Integrating Expensify with Ruddr provides numerous benefits as outlined in the Expensify Integration Overview article. To install the Expensify integration, simply follow the steps below. Note that you must be a Ruddr Workspace Admin to install integrations in Ruddr.
Step 1: Find the Expensify Integration
To get to the Integrations area of Ruddr, simply click on the Settings main nav bar option and then select the Integrations menu option (see Integrations for more information). The Integrations section is separated into two sections which are Active Integrations and Available Integrations. If you haven't previously set up the Expensify integration, it will be listed in the Available Integrations section. Simply click on the Install button at the bottom of the integration widget (Figure 1).
Figure 1 - Click Install to Begin the Expensify Integration in Ruddr
Step 2: Authorize the Integration
Once you click on the Install button, you will be presented with a window (Figure 2) that will ask for your Expensify partnerUserID and partnerUserSecret. If you have not previously enabled an integration with Expensify, you will need generate these at the following URL:
https://www.expensify.com/tools/integrations/
Once you have generated these two text strings, paste them into their respective boxes on the window shown below (Figure 2) and then click the Next button.
Figure 2 - Begin Setup of Ruddr / Expensify Integration by Entering Expensify Integration Credentials
Step 3: Select the Expensify Policy
The next step is to connect Ruddr with an Expensify policy. An Expensify policy is where you create expense submission rules, define approval workflows, connect your accounting system, configure reimbursements, set whether expenses can be billable to clients, and more. Just select the desired policy from the drop-down (Figure 3) and then click the Finish Setup button.
Figure 3 - Second Step in Initial Setup of Ruddr / Expensify Integration
At this point, the Expensify integration is installed but it now needs to be configured. The configuration is completed via the steps outlined below.
Step 4: Configure Expense Category Settings
To configure the expense category settings, click the Change Settings button within the expense category settings section (Figure 4). This will bring up the Expense Category Settings drawer (Figure 5).
Figure 4 - Access Various Expensify Integration Settings
Figure 5 - Manage Expense Category Settings for the Ruddr / Expensify Integration
Note that it is a best practice to set up the same expense categories in Ruddr and Expensify. When doing this, you should use the same spelling for the category names in both platforms.
From this category settings drawer (Figure 5), you can configure whether or not categories will automatically be created in Ruddr. It is recommended that you allow Ruddr to create an expense category any time it encounters an Expensify expense category that does not exist in Ruddr. This is the default setting but you can optionally turn this off.
On this drawer you should also select a default expense category. If an Expensify expense does not have a category, Ruddr will use the category you specify on this screen for the imported expense. All expense items in Ruddr must have an expense category and you may want to use a generic expense category for this default.
Step 5: Select the Member Mapping Type
The next step is to set how you want to map people in Expensify to workspace members in Ruddr. To select the preferred member mapping type, click the Change Mapping Type button within the Member Settings section (Figure 4). This will allow you to select either automatic or manual mapping (Figure 6). As long as your workspace members use the same email address in both Expensify and Ruddr, you can leave this set to the automatic option.
Figure 6 - Specify Automatic or Manual Mapping of Members between Ruddr and Expensify
If you opt for manual mapping, you will then be presented with a screen (Figure 7) where you can map each member in Ruddr to the corresponding person in Expensify.
Figure 7 - Manually Map Ruddr Members to Expensify Users
Step 6: Select Whether or not a Project is Required
You may prefer to only import an expense into Ruddr when it matches a Ruddr project. The Expensify integration includes a matching process that compares tags in Expensify with project names in Ruddr. This option is on by default, as most Ruddr customers do not import expenses that are not related to client projects. To toggle this option, click the Change Requirement button in the Project Settings section (Figure 4). This will display a screen (Figure 8) where you can specify whether or not a Ruddr project is required to import an expense.
Figure 8 - Specify Whether a Ruddr Project is Required for Importing an Expense from Expensify
Step 7: Map Ruddr Projects to Expensify Tags
The next step is to map your projects in Ruddr to your Expensify tags that correspond to those projects. Click the Edit Mappings button in the Project Settings section (Figure 4). This will display a screen (Figure 9) allowing you to configure these mappings.
Figure 9 - Manage Project Mappings between Ruddr and Expensify
When you click the Add Mapping button, Ruddr provides two options for mapping Ruddr projects to Expensify tags. The first option allows you to select the Ruddr project and the Expensify tag as shown below (Figure 10). This is the preferred option when Expensify does not have multiple level tagging turned on.
Figure 10 - Map a Ruddr Project to an Expensify Tag
The second option is text matching (Figure 11). This option is appropriate when multiple levels of tags are enabled. For example, in Expensify you may use the first level of tags to identify your client and the second level of tags to identify the project. When multiple levels of tags are in use, the text matching allows you to match the Ruddr project to a tag at the appropriate depth in the Expensify tag hierarchy.
Figure 11 - Map a Ruddr Project to Multiple Expensify Tags
Step 8: Configure Sync Settings
The final step in the Expensify integration setup is to configure the sync settings (Figure 12). There are two areas that need to be configured. Click the Change Requirement button in the Sync Settings section (Figure 4)
First, you can choose whether or not you want expenses in Expensify to be automatically synchronized to Ruddr. You most likely will want this setting turned on. You can also specify the earliest date of expense reports that you want to import into Ruddr.
Second, you can choose which Expensify statuses you want synchronized to Ruddr. For example, you may not want to sync expense reports that are in the Open or Submitted state.
Figure 12 - Manage Ruddr / Expensify Sync Setting
At this point your Expensify integration is configured and ready to go. To learn how to use the Expensify integration, check out the Expensify Integration Overview article.