Recipe Create Expense Tracker
Spin up a shared Google Sheets expense tracker with headers, a sample row, and manager read access via the gws CLI.
Overview
recipe-create-expense-tracker is an agent skill for the Operate phase that provisions a Google Sheets expense log and sharing via gws CLI commands.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/googleworkspace/cli --skill recipe-create-expense-trackerWhat is this skill?
- 4-step recipe: create spreadsheet, append headers, add first expense row, share with manager
- Uses gws drive files create and gws sheets +append with explicit column schema
- Drive permissions create grants reader access to a specified email
- Declares prerequisites gws-sheets and gws-drive skills plus gws binary
- 4 recipe steps
- 4 column headers (Date, Category, Description, Amount)
Adoption & trust: 15.3k installs on skills.sh; 26.9k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You need a simple expense ledger in Google Sheets but want your coding agent to create it reproducibly from the terminal.
Who is it for?
Solo builders already on gws who want a one-shot Sheets tracker without custom backend code.
Skip if: Teams needing automated bank sync, multi-currency accounting, or expense approval workflows beyond a static sheet.
When should I use this skill?
You need a new Google Sheets expense tracker with headers, a sample row, and manager sharing via gws.
What do I get? / Deliverables
A named spreadsheet exists with standard headers, one sample entry, and reader permission for your manager contact.
- Expense Tracker spreadsheet with header row
- Initial expense row and Drive reader permission for manager email
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Operating a solo business means iterating on lightweight finance tooling without building a full app—this recipe lives in Operate. Iterate subphase covers ongoing ops tweaks like new spreadsheets, sharing rules, and bookkeeping structure.
How it compares
A fixed CLI recipe, not a SaaS expense product or Google Apps Script maintenance project.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is recipe-create-expense-tracker for?
Indie operators and freelancers using Google Workspace and the gws CLI who want agent-driven spreadsheet setup.
When should I use recipe-create-expense-tracker?
In Operate when starting quarterly bookkeeping, replacing a messy CSV, or onboarding a VA with a shared read-only sheet.
Is recipe-create-expense-tracker safe to install?
It runs Drive and Sheets API calls via gws; confirm OAuth scope and sharing targets, and check Security Audits on this Prism page.
Workflow Chain
Requires first: gws sheets, gws drive
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Recipe Create Expense Tracker
# Create a Google Sheets Expense Tracker > **PREREQUISITE:** Load the following skills to execute this recipe: `gws-sheets`, `gws-drive` Set up a Google Sheets spreadsheet for tracking expenses with headers and initial entries. ## Steps 1. Create spreadsheet: `gws drive files create --json '{"name": "Expense Tracker 2025", "mimeType": "application/vnd.google-apps.spreadsheet"}'` 2. Add headers: `gws sheets +append --spreadsheet SHEET_ID --range 'Sheet1' --values '["Date", "Category", "Description", "Amount"]'` 3. Add first entry: `gws sheets +append --spreadsheet SHEET_ID --range 'Sheet1' --values '["2025-01-15", "Travel", "Flight to NYC", "450.00"]'` 4. Share with manager: `gws drive permissions create --params '{"fileId": "SHEET_ID"}' --json '{"role": "reader", "type": "user", "emailAddress": "manager@company.com"}'`