Workflow · Finance close · Opening soon
Operating expenses trend
See operating expenses by category for the last 12 months, with a monthly trend. Use your QuickBooks export files to group transactions by account and month.
Someone typed
“show operating expenses by category for the last 12 months with the trend”
The agent read it as
Show operating expenses by category for the last 12 months with the trend by month using QuickBooks transaction detail by account and QuickBooks chart of accounts.
What the agent built
4 steps, each one an ordinary Mammoth step you can open and change.
File
QuickBooks transaction detail by account
CSV export · 45 rows
File
QuickBooks chart of accounts
CSV export · 9 rows
Step
Make account match key (Chart of accounts)
Step 1
Step
Make account match key (Transaction detail)
Step 2
Join
Bring in account type
45 of 45 paired
Step
Total by category and month
Step 4
Result
Monthly Operating Expenses
45 rows
Schedule
Runs when you say
Proposed
- FileQuickBooks transaction detail by accountCSV export · 45 rows
- FileQuickBooks chart of accountsCSV export · 9 rows
- StepMake account match key (Transaction detail)Step 2
- StepMake account match key (Chart of accounts)Step 1
- JoinBring in account type45 of 45 paired
- StepTotal by category and monthStep 4
- ResultMonthly Operating Expenses45 rows
- ScheduleRuns when you sayProposed
Checked on the sample files: every step ran, 45 rows came out, and the join paired 45 of 45 rows.
- Download QuickBooks transaction detail by account sample (45 rows)QuickBooks: Reports > Accountant reports > Transaction Detail by Account > Export to Excel
- Download QuickBooks chart of accounts sample (9 rows)QuickBooks: Settings > Chart of accounts > Export list
What you get back
The result of that run, the rows to look at first.
Monthly Operating ExpensesSample data45 rows
| Category | Month | Operating expenses |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising & Marketing | 2025-11-01 | 1,840 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-02-01 | 2,275 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-03-01 | 2,100 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-05-01 | 1,975 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-07-01 | 2,540 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-09-01 | 2,010 |
| Advertising & Marketing | 2026-10-01 | 2,365 |
| Insurance | 2026-01-01 | 980 |
| Insurance | 2026-04-01 | 1,040 |
| Insurance | 2026-07-01 | 4,820 |
| Insurance | 2026-09-01 | 980 |
| Office Supplies | 2025-12-01 | 482.50 |
How do you show operating expenses by category for the last 12 months with the trend?
Export QuickBooks transaction detail by account and your chart of accounts. The workflow matches transactions to accounts, brings in the account type, then totals operating expenses by category and month. You get operating expenses by category and month, with the trend over time.
How it works
How to use the Monthly Operating Expenses workflow
- 1Get early accessWe invite people in small batches, job by job. You'll land on this workflow, already built and checked on the sample files.
- 2Swap in your exportsUpload your own files as they come out of your tools. The agent checks the workflow on your rows.
- 3Change it in words, then turn it onSay what to change and see the new result before anything saves. Then choose when it runs.
Monthly Operating Expenses: questions
Which export file should you use?
Use the transaction detail by account export and the chart of accounts export. Those files give the rows and account names needed to group expenses by category and month.
What happens if a row does not match an account?
Rows that do not match stay out of the grouped result until you fix the match key or the source data. You can review those rows and decide how they should be classified.
How do you change the rules?
Edit the matching step or the grouping steps in words. For example, change which account names match, which account types count as operating expenses, or how the month total is built.
Get early access to this workflow
It will open already built and checked on the sample files. Swap in your own exports and see your result.
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