Documentation Service Catalog Expense Category Form
Detailed guide

Expense Category Form

The expense category form for defining reusable spend classifications used by expense tracking and billing workflows.

Use this form to create a clean record the first time or safely update an existing one without guessing which field drives downstream behavior.

Open demo page Back to overview
Quick summary Step by step Guardrails Troubleshooting Related workflows

Quick summary

  • Create expense categories before users start forcing costs into the closest wrong bucket.

Put it into practice

  1. Start by reviewing current expense categories to avoid creating duplicates with minor naming differences.

    InteractionsService Catalog > Expense Categories: scan existing categories and labels.

  2. Open the expense category form and set a category name that clearly signals when it should be used.

    InteractionsExpense Categories tab: click New Expense Category or edit existing row.

  3. Set the Sort Order so this category lands in a sensible position in the logging dropdown; lower numbers appear first.

    InteractionsExpense Category Form: complete the Name and Sort Order fields.

  4. Save and confirm category visibility in expense entry flows before ending the update.

    InteractionsAfter save, open expense create/edit forms and verify category is selectable.
    Open workflow: Create Expense

  5. If this category supports billing workflows, validate expense-to-invoice linkage behavior next.

    InteractionsExpenses and invoice workflows: confirm entries tagged with this category can be reviewed for billing.
    Open workflow: Invoice Workflow

What to review

Page header and breadcrumb

Confirms whether you are creating or editing, gives you the back path, and is the quickest way to avoid updating the wrong record.

Primary form sections

The form is grouped so you can complete one block at a time instead of hunting for every field in a single long screen.

Required inputs and field labels

Every required label tells you what must exist before the record can be saved; blank or invalid values should be corrected before moving on.

Validation and inline errors

Use these messages as instructions, not warnings to dismiss. They tell you exactly which field blocks save and why.

Primary save action

Commits the record only after the form validates. Use it after reviewing every section because it is the action that changes workspace data.

Cancel or return action

Leaves the form and takes you back without finishing the workflow. Use it when you opened the wrong record or need to check related data first.

Name

Name is what appears in the category dropdown when logging expenses, so choose a label that makes the right choice obvious.

Sort Order

Sort Order controls list position; lower numbers appear first.

Guardrails

  • Name is required and appears verbatim in the expense logging dropdown, so keep it clear.
  • Sort Order controls position (lower numbers first), so set it deliberately.
  • Renaming a category changes how existing expenses are labelled in reporting, so confirm before saving.
  • Expense category maintenance should be limited to admins or catalog owners.

If it starts drifting

  • If users still pick the wrong category, revisit naming clarity rather than adding near-duplicate categories.
  • If a category is missing from the expense form, confirm it saved on the Expense Categories tab.
  • If categories appear in an odd order, adjust their Sort Order values.