How to build ledgers in Google Sheets and Excel  guide

### 1. Manual ways to build a business ledger template**1) Start from a blank Google Sheets workbook** 1. Go to [Google Sheets](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets) and click **Blank**. 2. Rename the file to `Business General Ledger`. 3. In row 1 create headers: `Date`, `Description`, `Account`, `Type (Debit/Credit)`, `Amount`, `Balance`, `Reference`. 4. Format `Date` column via **Format b7 Number b7 Date**. See Googles date formatting guide: . 5. In `Balance`, add a running total formula, e.g. in G2: `=IF(D2="Debit",G1+E2,G1-E2)` and copy down. 6. Freeze the header row (**View b7 Freeze b7 1 row**) for easier scrolling. 7. Protect formulas with **Data b7 Protect sheets and ranges** so team members dont overwrite logic.**2) Build a clean ledger in Excel from scratch** 1. Open Excel and choose **Blank workbook** (help: ). 2. Set up similar headers as Sheets. Use **Home b7 Format as Table** so your ledger behaves like a data table. 3. Use a structured reference for running balance, for example in `Balance` column: `=[@Balance] + IF([@Type]="Debit", [@Amount], -[@Amount])`. 4. Turn on **File b7 Options b7 Formulas b7 Error Checking** to catch common entry mistakes. 5. Save a copy as `Ledger_Template.xlsx` for reuse across clients or projects.**3) Create account-specific tabs** Whether in Sheets or Excel, add separate tabs for major account groups: `Revenue`, `Expenses`, `Cash`, `Payroll`. - Keep a `Master` tab where every transaction is recorded once. - Use `FILTER` in Sheets (see ) or **Data b7 Filter** in Excel to show only selected accounts. - This mirrors the Smartsheet approach: one standardized structure, many filtered views.**4) Add validation to reduce human error** - In Sheets, use **Data b7 Data validation** to constrain `Type` to `Debit` or `Credit`. Docs: . - In Excel, use **Data b7 Data Validation** and a list for the same choices: . - This single step prevents many reconciliation headaches later.**5) Build simple reporting views** - Create a pivot table by Account and Month. - In Sheets, use **Insert b7 Pivot table** (help: ). - In Excel, use **Insert b7 PivotTable** (help: ). - This gives sales, marketing, or agency owners a fast view of spend by channel, client, or campaign.---### 2. No-code automation on top of your templatesOnce your templates are stable, you can reduce the copy-paste work without writing code.**1) Automate imports into Google Sheets** - Use Google Forms for expense submissions from your team (receipts, ad spend, SaaS fees). Guide: . - Form responses land in a Sheet; from there, use an `ARRAYFORMULA` to push rows into your `Master Ledger` tab automatically. - Pair this with add-ons or tools like Zapier/Make (no-code) to send Stripe, PayPal, or Shopify transactions into a staging tab in Sheets.**2) Use Excel with Power Query for bank feeds** - Export CSVs from your bank and ad platforms. - In Excel, go to **Data b7 Get Data b7 From File b7 From Text/CSV** (docs: ). - Clean and rename columns, then load into your ledger table. - Next month you only click **Refresh All** and Power Query pulls and reshapes new data in seconds.**3) Use conditional formatting as a visual control layer** - In Sheets, highlight overdue invoices or negative cash balances using **Format b7 Conditional formatting** (guide: ). - In Excel, similar rules live under **Home b7 Conditional Formatting**. - These no-code cues flag anomalies before they hit your P&L.---### 3. Scaling with AI agents (Simular) at the desktop levelNo-code helps, but theres still a lot of clicking: logging into banks, downloading files, reconciling exceptions. This is where a desktop-grade AI agent like Simular Pro changes the game.**1) Agent-driven transaction collection** - You define the routine once: open browser, log into bank/Stripe/PayPal, export CSV, save it to a folder, open Sheets or Excel, and append rows to the ledger tab. - Simular Pro, designed to automate full desktop workflows with thousands of steps, can replicate this flow reliably across all your accounts. - Pros: massive time savings for finance teams, consistent imports every day, works across browser, desktop Excel, and Google Sheets. - Cons: initial configuration and testing take effort; you still need human review for edge cases and approvals.**2) Agent-powered categorization and reconciliation** - Teach your Simular AI agent the rules for mapping merchants or invoice memos to accounts (e.g., `"Meta Ads" -> Paid Social Advertising`). - The agent reads each new row, edits the `Account` column, and highlights any unclear items for human review. - It can also compare ledger totals to bank balances, mirroring a reconciliation template but executed automatically. - Pros: fewer misclassified expenses, faster month-end close, better audit trails. - Cons: needs clear instructions and periodic rule updates when vendors or accounts change.**3) Multi-entity scaling for agencies and franchises** - For agencies or multi-brand businesses, Simular can repeat the same end-to-end flow for each client workbook or Sheet: fetch data, update ledgers, refresh reports. - Because every action is transparent and modifiable in Simular Pro, finance leads can inspect exactly how the agent touched each Google Sheets or Excel file before sending reports to clients. - Pros: true hands-off scale, consistent structure across dozens of ledgers, easy onboarding of new clients. - Cons: requires a deliberate template standard and governance so the agent isnt fighting one-off spreadsheet designs.When you combine well-designed templates in Google Sheets and Excel with a production-grade AI agent, your ledger stops being a chore and becomes an always-on financial nerve center for the business.