Ambrook does not currently have a built-in budgeting feature, so budgets cannot be loaded or uploaded directly into the platform. The recommended workflow is to keep your budget in a spreadsheet outside of Ambrook and compare it against your actuals by exporting a report from Ambrook.
Note: Native budget-vs-actuals functionality is actively on our product roadmap.
Choosing the right export
There are two exports that work well for budget-vs-actuals analysis. Pick the one that matches the level of detail you need.
Profit and Loss export. Use this if your budget is organized by the same structure as your P&L (income and expense categories, subtotals, net income). This is the best fit for full company-level budget comparisons.
Category Totals by Month report. Use this if your budget is broken out month-by-month and you want to see how each category trends over time against your plan.
Exporting your Profit and Loss
Navigate to Reports.
Select Profit and Loss.
Set the date range to match your budget period.
Click the download icon in the top right of the report.
Open the exported file in Excel or Google Sheets.
Tip: You can filter your P&L by enterprise or tag before exporting to compare a budget for a specific part of your business.
Exporting Category Totals by Month
Navigate to Reports.
Select the Category Totals by Month report.
Set the date range to match your budget period.
Click the download icon to export the report.
Open the exported file in Excel or Google Sheets.
Comparing against your budget
Once you have your actuals exported, you can build your budget-vs-actuals comparison in your spreadsheet tool of choice.
Open your existing budget spreadsheet.
Paste the actuals from your Ambrook export alongside your budgeted amounts.
Add a variance column (Actual − Budget) to see where you're over or under plan.
Refresh the export each month or quarter by re-downloading from Ambrook.
Note: Keep your budget entirely outside of Ambrook. Entering hypothetical or forecasted transactions directly into Ambrook can impact your balances and reporting accuracy.
FAQ
Can I upload a budget file into Ambrook?
No, you cannot upload a budget file into Ambrook today. Keep your budget in a separate spreadsheet and compare it against exported actuals from Ambrook.
Will Ambrook add a native budgets feature?
Yes, native budget-vs-actuals functionality is on our product roadmap.
Which export should I use?
Use the Profit and Loss export for a full company-level budget comparison. Use the Category Totals by Month report if your budget is broken out month-by-month and you want to track category trends over time.