Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Google Sheets Expense Tracker agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
This guide shows you how to use the recipe-create-expense-tracker agent skill, a small set of instructions that lets an AI agent build a basic expense log in Google Sheets for you. It is aimed at readers who have not used agent skills before, so it explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask for it, and what to check before it touches your Google account. By the end you will know whether it fits your setup and how to run it safely.
Google Sheets Expense Trackergoogleworkspace/cli · Apache-2.0 Download the skill Quick start
- 1Confirm the prerequisites. Check that the gws command-line tool is installed and that your Google account is authenticated with access to Google Drive and Google Sheets. Make sure the gws-sheets and gws-drive skills are loaded.
- 2Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it. Place the folder in ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Edit the hard-coded values if needed. Open SKILL.md and change 'Expense Tracker 2025' or 'manager@company.com' if your case needs different values.
- 4Ask for the expense tracker in plain language. Describe the goal, for example asking the agent to set up an expense tracker in Google Sheets and share it with your manager.
- 5Check the result in Google Drive. Open the new spreadsheet in Google Drive and confirm the headers, the sample row, and the sharing setting are correct.
What does the Google Sheets Expense Tracker skill make the agent do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file that tells an AI agent how to carry out a specific task. This skill, named recipe-create-expense-tracker, covers one job: setting up a Google Sheets spreadsheet for tracking expenses with headers and initial entries.
When the skill runs, the agent creates a new spreadsheet named 'Expense Tracker 2025' in your Google Drive, adds a header row (Date, Category, Description, Amount), and adds one sample expense entry (2025-01-15, Travel, Flight to NYC, 450.00). It can also share the sheet with manager@company.com as a reader. The agent does this by running the gws command-line tool against your Google account, so it performs the actions rather than only describing them.
- Creates a spreadsheet in Google Drive named 'Expense Tracker 2025'
- Adds headers: Date, Category, Description, Amount
- Adds one sample expense row
- Shares the sheet with manager@company.com in read-only (reader) mode
What do you need before installing?
The skill depends on several things being in place. Check each one first, because the steps will fail without them.
The skill also loads two other skills, gws-sheets and gws-drive, which the recipe lists as prerequisites.
- The gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI) installed and available to the agent
- A Google account that is authenticated and has access to Google Drive and Google Sheets
- The gws-sheets and gws-drive skills loaded
How do you install the skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it. You can install the skill in one of two ways.
For a personal setup available across your projects, unzip the skill into ~/.claude/skills/. To limit it to one project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. Alternatively, in the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill there.
- Personal: ~/.claude/skills/
- Single project: the .claude/skills/ folder inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You do not need to type a command to use the skill. Describe what you want in plain language and mention expenses, a spreadsheet, or sharing with a manager. The agent should recognise the request as matching this skill's description.
Good requests name the outcome you want. For example, you might ask the agent to set up an expense tracker in Google Sheets, or to create a sheet for logging expenses and share it with your manager. Because the skill hard-codes certain values, check the file name and email address the agent uses before it runs.
- "Set up a Google Sheets expense tracker for me."
- "Create an expense log in Google Sheets and share it with my manager."
- "Make a spreadsheet for tracking expenses with headers and a first entry."
What are the underlying commands?
The SKILL.md file lists four steps. You can read them to see exactly what will run. The placeholder SHEET_ID stands for the ID of the spreadsheet created in step 1.
Step 1 creates the spreadsheet, step 2 adds the headers, step 3 adds the sample entry, and step 4 shares the sheet with the manager.
gws drive files create --json '{"name": "Expense Tracker 2025", "mimeType": "application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet"}'
gws sheets +append --spreadsheet SHEET_ID --range 'Sheet1' --values '["Date", "Category", "Description", "Amount"]'
gws sheets +append --spreadsheet SHEET_ID --range 'Sheet1' --values '["2025-01-15", "Travel", "Flight to NYC", "450.00"]'
gws drive permissions create --params '{"fileId": "SHEET_ID"}' --json '{"role": "reader", "type": "user", "emailAddress": "manager@company.com"}'What safety points should you check?
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. It writes to a live Google account: it creates a file in your Google Drive and changes sharing settings. Read the SKILL.md before you run it, and be sure you want those changes.
The recipe hard-codes the file name 'Expense Tracker 2025' and the address manager@company.com. If you need a different name or manager address, edit SKILL.md first. Otherwise the agent will use these values. Sharing is set to reader, so the manager can view the sheet but the step does not give edit rights.
- It creates files and changes sharing in your Google Drive
- Edit the hard-coded file name and manager email before running if they do not fit your case
- Review the commands in SKILL.md so you know exactly what runs
What tips help the result work for you?
The skill builds a basic starting point. Treat the sheet as a template you can extend, adding more rows and columns yourself as your needs grow.
If you have used the skill before, check whether a sheet with the same name already exists in your Drive, so you do not end up with duplicates. The steps as written create a new file each time they run.
- Use the sheet as a starting point and add your own columns or formulas
- Rename the file or change the manager address in SKILL.md before the first run if needed
- Confirm the gws tool is authenticated before asking for the skill
What people use it for
- A freelancer who wants a quick expense log with the standard columns without building one by hand.
- A small team member who needs to share an expense sheet with a manager in read-only mode.
- A starting point for a personal expense sheet that you extend with your own columns or formulas.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the Google Sheets expense tracker agent skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for one project. In the Claude apps, you can also upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to run this skill?
You need the gws command-line tool (Google Workspace CLI), an authenticated Google account with access to Google Drive and Google Sheets, and the gws-sheets and gws-drive skills loaded. Without these, the steps will not run.
Is the Google Sheets expense tracker skill free?
The source does not state pricing or licence terms beyond the item's Apache-2.0 licence, so check the repository's licence and any terms of your own Google account before relying on it.
Can I change the file name or the manager's email address?
Yes. The recipe hard-codes 'Expense Tracker 2025' and manager@company.com, so edit SKILL.md to use your own file name and email address before you run it.
Does the skill give the manager edit access?
No. The sharing step sets the role to reader, so the manager can view the sheet but the step does not grant edit rights.
Why did the skill create a sheet with only one sample row?
The skill is designed to set up a basic sheet with headers and one initial entry. It is not a full budgeting or accounting system, so you will need to add more rows and any extra features yourself.
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Our verdict
This skill suits people who want a quick, ready-made expense log in Google Sheets and already have the gws tool authenticated with Google Workspace. It is a poor fit if you do not want an agent changing files or sharing settings in your Drive, or if you need a full budgeting or accounting system.
Download the skill