Complete guide to CSV export for Clara
Detailed step-by-step to export mileage receipts in Clara CSV format.
Why CSV export to Clara became the market standard
Companies that adopted Clara as their financial management platform quickly learned that keying expenses in by hand is an anti-pattern: errors, rework, and delays in the monthly close. Direct CSV export of mileage receipts in Clara's expected format has become, for many companies, the fastest shortcut to close the month with the finance team focused on analysis instead of data entry. This guide walks through every step of the flow, from the initial filter in Quilometragem to automatic recognition of entries in the Clara dashboard.
Preparation: what you need before exporting
Before generating the file, three configurations must be correct. First, the cost-center catalog: each project or client at your company should have an identifier identical to what appears in the Clara dashboard, otherwise the entry comes in uncategorized. Second, the default currency and FX rates for companies operating in more than one country. Third, receipt approval status: Clara only accepts finalized expenses, so pending receipts stay out of the batch. Spending ten minutes on this check saves significant time during import.
Step by step export in Quilometragem
On the main dashboard, open the Receipts module and use filters to select the period (usually the fiscal month), the status (approved only) and, optionally, a specific employee or department. Verify the total count and consolidated value before proceeding. Click Export > CSV to Clara and the system generates a file with a standardized name including the generation date, period range, and batch identifier. Download takes seconds even for larger volumes because the file is streamed.
Anatomy of the CSV: what each column means
The file follows the Clara specification exactly. The columns are: expense date, description (populated with origin and destination), category (Mileage), local currency amount, currency code, cost center, external receipt identifier (for reverse traceability), owner, and payment type. The external identifier is the most important detail: it lets Clara recognize future updates to the same receipt instead of duplicating entries. The description combines origin, destination, and business purpose in a single line, making visual audit easier.
Import in the Clara dashboard: what to expect
In the Clara dashboard, go to Expenses > Import > Select file. Clara automatically recognizes the format exported by Quilometragem and shows a preview with all entries ready for confirmation. If any expense is duplicated (same external identifier), it's flagged for manual review. Lines with unknown cost centers are also highlighted in red, allowing correction before confirmation. Once confirmed, all entries flow into Clara's standard finance approval workflow.
**Common mistakes and how to avoid them**
The four mistakes that most often appear in support tickets are: first, opening the CSV in Excel before upload, which can break UTF-8 encoding and corrupt special characters. Second, filtering unapproved receipts, which Clara will reject. Third, forgetting to reconcile cost centers after renaming projects. Fourth, manually editing the generated file, which invalidates the external identifier. The golden rule is simple: generate it in Quilometragem, upload it directly to Clara, no intermediate steps.
How Quilometragem keeps the template in sync
Clara evolves its import template throughout the year. Quilometragem tracks those changes and updates the CSV generator automatically, so you never need to worry about versions. When there is a relevant change, a notification appears in the admin dashboard explaining exactly what changed. The audit trail of every export is stored for five years, covering tax authority statutes of limitations and giving finance teams peace of mind during any review.
Next steps to automate your close
If you're still keying receipts one by one into Clara, the gain from direct export is huge. Start with the next monthly close: use the flow described above on a small test batch, validate the result, and in the following close expand it to all employees. After two cycles you'll recover four to eight hours per month from the finance team, and the error rate tends toward zero.