Excel export for Bookkeepers

By the Mail → Excel team · Updated 2026-10-20

Clients send receipts and approvals in different threads. One table per period beats forty folders nobody opens. This page lists the exact columns, an example row and the command that produces it.

Columns to keep

Column	Why it matters
`client`	The join key for every other report you will build later.
`period`	Month or quarter, so each export is a closed, auditable slice.
`amount`	Store as a number with a separate currency column; never sum mixed currencies.
`category`	Bookkeeping category, assigned once and reused across periods.
`receipt`	File name of the saved attachment — the audit trail.

Example row

One real-shaped row from this role’s export:

client	period	amount	category	receipt
Northwind LLC	2026-09	3,120.00	software	receipt-0912.pdf

Export it in one command

python mail_to_excel.py \
  --host imap.example.com --user you@example.com \
  --days 31 --fields client,period,amount,category,receipt \
  --out bookkeeper.xlsx

The --fields option is what turns a raw dump into a report your role can use.

Provider notes

Yandex and Mail.ru require an app password, and IMAP must be enabled in the mailbox settings first.

Two pitfalls that ruin the file

Client names are spelled differently in every email — Normalise on the email domain, then map domains to client names once in a lookup sheet.
Receipts are missing for some rows — Leave the receipt column empty instead of guessing — the empty cell is your to-do list.

Next step

Step-by-step: export bookkeeper email to Excel · all roles · ready script ($3)

FAQ

Can I export several clients at once?

Yes, if each client has its own folder or label. One IMAP run per folder keeps the client column reliable.

What about scanned receipts?

The export lists them; reading the amounts needs OCR, which is a separate step.

Is there a ready script for this?

Yes — the Python script exports any IMAP mailbox with the fields listed above; it costs $3 and runs locally.

Related guides

Export bookkeeper email to ExcelStep-by-step with the same columns and command.
All roles20 professions, one export method.