The Monthly expenses chart on Dashboard sums sorted vendor invoice amounts over time. Filter by vendor or category to see where spend is trending without exporting to a spreadsheet.
What this guide covers
Reading the line chart, vendor and category filters, the expense total badge, and how charts connect to Ledger data.
Before you begin
- Free, Pro, or Business plan (charts are included on every plan).
- At least one processed invoice in Ledger.
Step-by-step: read the monthly chart
- Log in at /login and open Dashboard (/dashboard).
- Scroll to the Monthly expenses card in the insights row.
- Read the line chart showing month-by-month totals.
- Note the total badge (for example $12,450.00 total) beside the filters.
- The Tracked spend stat tile mirrors the filtered total when data exists.
Step-by-step: filter by vendor or category
- Open the All vendors dropdown and pick one vendor.
- Or open All categories and pick one expense type.
- Watch the chart and total badge update to the filtered slice.
- Clear filters back to All vendors and All categories for the full picture.
Step-by-step: use related insight panels
- Beside the chart, open Expense categories for the pie chart and category list.
- Below, read Top vendors for concentration by supplier.
- Cross-check any number in Ledger when you need invoice-level detail.
What you should see
- No data has been gathered yet before your first completed uploads.
- Month labels like Jun 2026 on the chart axis after PDFs process.
- Category and vendor panels filling as more invoices complete on Processing.
Tips and common issues
- Charts update when jobs reach Completed on Processing, not at upload time.
- Multi-currency invoices display in your account currency on Pro and Business.
- Pair filters with AI expense categories so category slices are accurate.
- Ask the AI assistant on Pro and Business for verbal summaries.
Related guides
Tip: Filter to one category before renewal season to see which vendors drive that spend line.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my chart empty?
Upload PDFs on the Upload tab and wait for Processing to complete.
Do charts include manual entries?
Yes, when those rows appear in Ledger with amounts and due dates.
Which months does the chart use?
Totals group by invoice due date from sorted PDFs on file.
Scenario walkthrough
Imagine it is the 28th of the month. You log in at /login, land on Dashboard (/dashboard), and scan the stat tiles: Tracked spend, Estimated tax (if on Business), Account credit, and Open invoices for your FilePile subscription. You open the Upload tab, add any PDFs that arrived today, then switch to Processing until each row shows completed. You check Ledger for amounts and Browse for folder paths. If Business HQ (/account/business) applies to your plan, you open the relevant panel next. Finally you visit /docs if you need a deeper guide.
Glossary (FilePile terms)
- Dashboard: main workspace at /dashboard with Upload, Processing, Ledger, Tasks, Browse tabs.
- Business HQ: owner tools at /account/business including Payment Command Center, Email Invoice Inbox, Spend Budgets, Approval Workflows, Bank Reconciliation, Tax estimates, Executive P&L, and Accounting export/import.
- Profile: separate business archive under one login; see /account/profiles.
- Ledger: searchable table of processed vendor invoices.
- Tasks: review queue for missing fields or billing mismatches.
Keyboard and navigation habits
Use the left sidebar consistently: Dashboard for daily PDF work, Business HQ for payables and reporting, Reminders at /account/reminders for email preferences, Help center at /docs for articles like this one. The Invoice workspace never uses a tab named Process; uploads always start on Upload.
When to contact support
Contact support if a valid PDF fails after three retries on Processing, if team invites never arrive, if billing charges look incorrect on /account/invoices, or if Business HQ panels stay locked after a confirmed upgrade. Include your account email, active profile name, and screenshot of the error row.
Record-keeping reminder
FilePile sorts and extracts PDFs you provide. It does not replace professional tax, legal, or accounting advice. Keep original vendor emails and bank records alongside your FilePile Browse archive for audit readiness.
Chart vs Business HQ
Dashboard charts show live operational spend. Executive P&L summary on Business HQ adds owner metrics like vendor concentration; use both during month-end review.
Quick reference card
| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Login | /login |
| Register | /register |
| Dashboard | /dashboard |
| Business HQ | /account/business |
| Company | /account/company |
| Reminders | /account/reminders |
| Help | /docs |
| Plans | Free (25/mo), Pro, Business |
| Upload types | PDF only on Dashboard |
| Workspace tabs | Upload, Processing, Ledger, Tasks, Browse |
Keep this table handy when onboarding teammates so nobody searches for a Upload tab that does not exist.