---
title: "Managing the accounting templates"
slug: "managing-the-accounting-templates"
description: "Add, rename, duplicate, archive, or delete accounting export templates, map external account IDs, publish your changes, and restore earlier template versions."
updated: 2026-10-27T14:18:20Z
published: 2026-10-27T14:18:20Z
canonical: "payhawk.com/managing-the-accounting-templates"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://payhawk.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Managing the accounting templates

Finance teams can export expense and payment data for settled transactions from the **Export** app and, then, use that data for accounting purposes to share it with external ERP systems and accounting software.

For the Finance team to select and use an accounting template from the **Export** app, Payhawk Administrators need to enable it from the Payhawk account of the respective entity.

> [!TIP]
> If you have already customized Excel or CSV templates, some of the features for the pre-defined accounting templates may not be available.

## Adding new templates

To enable the desired accounting export template:

1. In the [Payhawk Web Portal](https://portal.payhawk.com), open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings**, then select **Exports** (under **OTHER**) in the left pane and open the **Templates** tab.
2. Click on the **+ Add template** button.
3. In the panel that opens, find the template you need and click on **Use this**. You can search for a template or filter the list by **All**, **ERP systems** or **Accounting tools**.
4. Provide a name for the template and click on **Add**.

Once you confirm the selection, the accounting template will be added to the list of templates under the **ACTIVE** section.

![Exports page with the Add template button, the panel with pre-built templates and the Use this buttons, and the template name step with the Add button](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/add_new_template_4_20261009_ai.png)

## Mapping accounts for accounting templates

To be able to share the accounting data from the specified export template to the external ERP system or accounting software you are using, you need to fill in the external ID values so that the accounts between the two systems can be mapped.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Accounts Mapping** tab.
2. Against the listed spend types, bank accounts, Payhawk specific accounts, and entity names, fill in the corresponding external IDs.

![Accounts Mapping tab with external ID fields for spend types, bank accounts and Payhawk specific accounts](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/accounts_mapping_4_20261009_ai.png)
3. Under **Custom mappings**, fill in any custom fields you have created in Payhawk and want to be exported with the accounting template. To add more custom fields, use the **+ Add** button.
4. When done, click on **Save** so that the mapping data can be applied to the template.

![Custom mappings section with the Add button and the Save button](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/custom_mappings_4_20261009_ai.png)

## Archiving accounting templates

If you no longer need an accounting template, you can archive it.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates**.
2. Click on the three dots menu of the accounting template you want to archive and select the **Archive** option.

As a result, the archived template will be moved under the **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates** > **ARCHIVED** section.

![Templates list with the three dots menu of a template and the Archive option](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/archive_template_4_20261009_ai.png)

Alternatively:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Select the desired template by clicking on it.
3. Click on the three dots menu to the upper right and select **Archive**.

![Template page with the three dots menu open and the Archive option](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/archive_template_page_3_20261009_ai.png)

## Re-activating accounting templates

Even though you might have archived an accounting template, you can restore its active state if you need to use it again:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates** > **ARCHIVED** section.
2. Click on the three dots menu of the accounting template you want to activate and select the **Reactivate** option.

As a result, the restored template will be moved under the **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates** > **ACTIVE** section.

![Archived template with the three dots menu and the Reactivate option](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/reactivate_template_3_20261009_ai.png)

## Renaming accounting templates

To rename an accounting template:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Select the desired template by clicking on it.
3. Click on the three-dot menu to the upper right and select **Rename**.
4. In the panel that opens, update the name and click on **Rename**.

![Template page three dots menu with the Rename option and the Rename template panel with the new name](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/rename_template_3_20261009_ai.png)

## Deleting accounting templates

> [!TIP]
> To delete an accounting template used for [scheduled export](/help/managing-scheduled-email-reports), you need to configure another template that will be used for the scheduled export.

To permanently remove an accounting template:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Click on the three dots menu of the desired template and select the **Delete** option.
3. In the dialog that opens, select the checkbox and click on **Delete template**.

![Templates list with the three dots menu of a template and the Delete export template dialog with the checkbox selected](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/delete_template_list_3_20261009_ai.png)

Alternatively:

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Select the desired template by clicking on it.
3. Click on the three dots menu to the upper right and select **Delete**.
4. In the dialog that opens, select the checkbox and click on **Delete template**.

![Template page three dots menu with the Delete option and the Delete export template dialog with the checkbox selected](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/delete_template_page_3_20261009_ai.png)

## Publishing and enabling the templates

For the Payhawk Accountants at your company to start using accounting templates, you need to publish them so that their latest version becomes available to use in the **Export** app.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Select the desired template by clicking on it.
3. Click on **Publish template**. This button appears only when the template has unpublished changes, shown by the **Unpublished changes** label next to the template name. As a result, a confirmation message is displayed above the list of sheets or files.

![Template with unpublished changes and the Publish template button, and the confirmation that the template change was published](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/publish_template_3_20261009_ai.png)

## Viewing the history of template updates

Any changes Payhawk Administrators make to an accounting template are available to see in the history log of that template.

1. Open the app switcher in the top-left corner and go to **Settings** > **Exports** > **Templates.**
2. Select the desired template by clicking on it.
3. Click on the three dots menu to the upper right and select **View history**. As a result, the **Template history** panel opens for you to view.

![Template page three dots menu with the View history option and the Template history panel with the versions](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/view_template_history_3_20261009_ai.png)

From here, you can [restore a previous version](/help/managing-the-accounting-templates#h_1aeea11af6) or [duplicate a previous version](/help/managing-the-accounting-templates#h_18840ebf47) and set it as a new template.

### Restoring previous template versions

From the **Template history** panel, click on the three dots menu against the version you want to restore and select the **Restore this version** option. The version is loaded as unpublished changes. To make it the current version, click on **Publish template**. The restored version is then added to the history log as a new version.

![Restore this version option in the Template history panel and the template with unpublished changes and the Publish template button](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/restore_template_version_3_20261009_ai.png)

### Duplicating accounting templates

You can use an existing accounting template and build another one on top of it. In such cases, you can duplicate the existing template.

From the **Template history** panel, click on the three-dot menu against the version you want to duplicate and select the **Duplicate as new template** option. As a result, a copy of that version is added to the list of active templates with the number 1 after its name, and its page opens.

![Duplicate as new template option in the version menu of the Template history panel](https://cdn.payhawk.com/Navigation%20images%20Desi_20261009/duplicate_template_version_4_20261009_ai.png)

## Useful resources

- [Formatting the templates](/help/formatting-the-accounting-templates)
- [Managing the template files and sheets](/help/managing-the-template-files-and-sheets)
- [Configuring rows, columns, and cells for files and sheets](/help/configuring-rows-columns-and-cells-in-files-and-sheets)