Using the EMDESK API to retrieve expenses data

The Workspace API allows read access to your expense records using a secure endpoint. You can connect to the API from reporting tools such as Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or your own dashboards.

In this article:

• Generate and copy your API key
• Retrieve data in Microsoft Excel (Power Query)
• Retrieve data in Google Sheets (EMDESK API)

Generate and copy your API key

1. Go to Settings → General → Workspace API
2. Click Add new API key
3. Copy the generated token (starts with eyJ...) to your clipboard

Choose an endpoint

For expenses, use:

https://renaissance.api.emdesk.com/api/resource/actual-cost-entry

This endpoint returns a list of all recorded actual cost entries including fields like:

Authentication is always done via:

Authorization: Bearer eyJ...(your API token)

Retrieve data in Microsoft Excel (Power Query)

You can connect Excel directly to the EMDESK API and import live expense records. This works in Excel 365, 2019, or 2016 using Power Query (also called Get & Transform Data).

Start a new Web query

In Excel:

A dialog opens. Click Advanced.

Enter the API endpoint and authentication header

In the URL parts section:

https://renaissance.api.emdesk.com/api/resource/actual-cost-entry

In the HTTP request header parameters section:

Click OK.

Excel will now:

• Connect to the endpoint
• Use your token to authenticate
• Retrieve the JSON data
• Open the Power Query Editor

If authentication is successful, you will see either a Record, List, or data column.

Convert JSON into a readable table

In the Power Query Editor:

1. If the content appears as a Record, click Into Table (Home tab)
2. You will likely see columns like data, timestamp, or status
3. Click the expand icon ↔ on the data column

4. In the expand dialog:

   □ Uncheck Use original column name as prefix

5. Click OK

You should now see expense fields such as:

Format your data (optional but recommended)

In Power Query, assign the correct data types:

Use: Home → Data Type

Load the data into Excel

Click Close & Load

Your API data now appears in a new worksheet as a formatted Excel table.

You can now:

✔ Filter and sort

✔ Use formulas or PivotTables

✔ Build dashboards or charts

✔ Combine with your budget or cost sheet

Refresh your data anytime

To get updated values from EMDESK:

Excel will reconnect to the API and update all rows automatically.

🔍 Troubleshooting

Retrieve data in Google Sheets (EMDESK API)

You can import live expense records from your EMDESK workspace directly into Google Sheets using Apps Script. The setup takes only a few minutes and can be reused or refreshed at any time.

Open Apps Script

In your Google Sheet:

A code editor will open in a new tab.

Paste the script

Delete anything in the editor and replace it with the full script below:

const API_TOKEN = "eyJ0...Q"; // paste your API key from EMDESK
const API_ENDPOINT = "https://renaissance.api.emdesk.com/api/resource/actual-cost-entry";
const TARGET_SHEET = "ActualCostEntries";

function importEmdeskData() {
  const ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  let sheet = ss.getSheetByName(TARGET_SHEET);

  if (!sheet) {
    sheet = ss.insertSheet(TARGET_SHEET);
  }

  sheet.clearContents();

  const options = {
    method: "get",
    headers: {
      "Authorization": "Bearer " + API_TOKEN,
      "Accept": "application/json"
    },
    muteHttpExceptions: true
  };

  const response = UrlFetchApp.fetch(API_ENDPOINT, options);
  const status = response.getResponseCode();

  if (status < 200 || status >= 300) {
    sheet.getRange(1, 1).setValue("Error: " + status);
    sheet.getRange(2, 1).setValue(response.getContentText());
    return;
  }

  const json = JSON.parse(response.getContentText());

  if (!json.data || json.data.length === 0) {
    sheet.getRange(1, 1).setValue("No data returned");
    return;
  }

  const headers = Object.keys(json.data[0]);
  const rows = json.data.map(obj =>
    headers.map(field => obj[field])
  );

  rows.unshift(headers);
  sheet.getRange(1, 1, rows.length, headers.length).setValues(rows);
}

function onOpen() {
  SpreadsheetApp.getUi()
    .createMenu("EMDESK API")
    .addItem("Import Actual Cost Entries", "importEmdeskData")
    .addToUi();
}

Configure and save

At the top of the script, replace:

const API_TOKEN = "eyJ0...";

with your full API key from EMDESK (keep the quotes).

Click Save and give your script a name, e.g. EmdeskImport.

Authorize and run

In the toolbar, click:

▶ importEmdeskData

The first time you run it, Google will ask for permissions:

Approve access for UrlFetchApp so Sheets can connect to the API.

Use the custom menu

After saving and reloading the sheet, you will see a new menu:

EMDESK API → Import Actual Cost Entries

Click it — the script will:

✔ Fetch expense data from EMDESK

✔ Create or update the ActualCostEntries sheet

✔ Fill it with all expense fields as rows and columns

Refreshing the data

You can refresh the data anytime:

This runs the script again and updates values from the API.

Optional — Enable automatic scheduled refresh

You can automate refresh daily, weekly or hourly:

In Apps Script, go to Triggers → Add Trigger and choose:

Now the data will refresh automatically.

Troubleshooting