Supported file formats for Expense Management
Continia Expense Management supports a wide range of file formats to use for attachments with expense documents, expense reports, and other such records. Use this article to gain an overview of all supported file formats, their common file extensions, and how you would typically use them in Expense Management.
You can attach the following file types to expenses in Business Central, the Continia Expense Portal, and via the Continia Expense Mobile App. The formats listed in the following table apply to attachments uploaded by expense users, approvers, and admins.
| File format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bitmap image | .bmp | This is a raster graphic image format that is used for storing uncompressed bitmap graphics. In Expense Management, you can attach BMP files to expense documents as images. |
| Comma-separated values | .csv | A plain-text format used to store tabular data, with values separated by commas. Use CSV files for importing and exporting data contained in tables, such as expense records or user lists. |
| Cryptographic signature | .p7s | This file format is commonly used to store digital signatures that are applied to email messages or documents. Attach P7S files to expense documents to support digitally signed invoices or receipts. |
| Email message (Outlook) | .eml, .msg | Email file formats are used to store electronic mail messages. EML is the standard internet email format, whereas MSG is specific to Microsoft Outlook. You can use either to attach email messages to expense documents as supporting evidence, (for example, booking confirmations or invoice emails). |
| Extensible Markup Language | .xml | A structured data format used to store and exchange information in both a human-readable and machine-readable form. Use XML files to attach structured electronic documents to expenses. |
| GIF image | .gif | This is a raster image format that supports animation and is commonly used for web graphics. Attach GIF files to expense documents as receipt images. |
| High Efficiency Image Container | .heic | This is an image format used by Apple devices, such as iPhones and iPads, for storing photos. If you are using the Continia Expense App on an iOS device, you can upload receipts in the HEIC format. |
| HTML document | .htm, .html | These web page file formats are used to store content written in HyperText Markup Language. Attach HTML files to expense documents as electronically generated receipts or booking confirmations downloaded from a website, for example. |
| JPEG image | .jfif, .jpe, .jpeg, .jpg | These are raster image formats with lossy compression, commonly used for photographs and receipt images. JPEG files are the most commonly used image attachment type in Expense Management, particularly for receipts captured via the Continia Expense Mobile App. |
| Microsoft Excel spreadsheet | .xls, .xlsm, .xlsx | These are spreadsheet formats used for files created in Microsoft Excel. XLS is the legacy binary format, XLSX is the modern Open XML format, and XLSM is the macro-enabled variant. Attach these files to expense documents as supporting documentation to ensure they can be opened and processed by Excel software. |
| Microsoft PowerPoint presentation | .pptx | A presentation format used for files created in Microsoft PowerPoint. Attach PPTX files to expense documents as supporting documentation such as conference expenses, for example. |
| Microsoft Word document | .doc, .docx | These are document formats used for word files created in Microsoft Word. Attach DOCX files to expense documents or expense reports as supporting documentation when it's important that the latest features in Word are used in the document and you want the file to be smaller and more secure than a DOC file. |
| Open XML Paper Specification | .oxps | A fixed-layout document format developed by Microsoft as an open alternative to XPS. Attach OXPS files to expense documents as supporting documentation when you need to preserve the original layout and formatting of the document. |
| OpenDocument spreadsheet | .ods | An open-standard spreadsheet format used by applications such as LibreOffice Calc. Attach ODS files to expense documents as supporting documentation for budget tracking or financial statements. |
| OpenDocument text | .odt | An open-standard word processing format used by applications such as LibreOffice Writer. Attach ODT files to expense documents as supporting documentation for legal and financial documents that require transparency and security for example. |
| Plain text | .txt | A simple format for storing unformatted text. Attach TXT files to expense documents as supporting documentation. |
| PNG image | .png | A raster image format that uses lossless compression, making it suitable for screenshots and graphics with sharp edges. Attach PNG files to expense documents as receipt images. |
| Portable Document Format | A widely used document format that preserves formatting across different platforms and devices. PDF is the most common format for attaching invoices, receipts, and other supporting documents to expenses in Expense Management. | |
| Rich Text Format | .rtf | A document format that supports basic text formatting and styling and is compatible with a wide range of word processing applications. Attach RTF files to expense documents as supporting documentation. |
| WebP image | .webp | A modern image format developed by Google that provides high-quality compression for web images. Attach WebP files to expense documents as receipt images. |
| XML Paper Specification | .xps | A fixed-layout document format developed by Microsoft, similar to PDF. Attach XPS files to expense documents as supporting documentation, particularly for documents generated by Windows applications. |
| ZIP archive | .zip | A compressed archive format used to package one or more files into a single file. Attach ZIP files to expense documents to bundle multiple supporting documents together. |
Related information
For more information, see:
Expenses overview (about uploading receipts and attachments)
Expense Management business functionality
Setting up Expense Management (an overview)
Frequently Asked Questions