[No QA] Lydia update unreported flow by lydiabarclay · Pull Request #90535 · Expensify/App

lydiabarclay · 2026-05-13T16:01:24Z

Explanation of Change

Updating three articles in the context of unreported expense flow updates

Fixed Issues

https://github.com/Expensify/Expensify/issues/533133

no tests

Updated the guide on managing expenses in reports to provide clearer instructions on adding, deleting, and editing expenses, as well as collaboration features.

Updated references from 'Expensify' to 'New Expensify' and made minor adjustments for clarity.

Updated content for clarity and consistency throughout the Spend page guide, including rephrasing sentences and adjusting formatting for better readability.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:02:37Z

Thank you for your submission, we really appreciate it. Like many open-source projects, we ask that you sign our Contributor License Agreement before we can accept your contribution. You can sign the CLA by just posting a Pull Request Comment same as the below format.

I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA

_{You can retrigger this bot by commenting recheck in this Pull Request.}_{Posted by the CLA Assistant Lite bot.}

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:02Z

+- Once added, the **Submit** button appears in the header (replacing **Add expense**, which moves to the **More** menu).

 ---



Heading violation: # Filters is a noun-only heading and also uses a # level (only one # heading is allowed per article, plus # FAQ). Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, all headings must be task-based and start with an action verb or question word. Per Section 4, content sections must use ##.

Suggested fix: ## How to use filters to find reports and expenses

@stephanieelliott this heading change was authored by the SDO when I originally drafted these. Have guidelines since changed or is GH off the beam here?

Yeah only one # is allowed per article, and they must be task-based ("how to", "who can") - this is for AZ retrieval. So I would go with the bot's suggestion in this case!

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:04Z

+**Note**: If no filters are applied, the page defaults to showing your most recent unreported expenses.

 ---



Heading violation: # Smart Suggestions is a noun-only heading and also uses a # level (only one # heading is allowed per article, plus # FAQ). Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Sections 2 and 4, headings must be task-based and content sections must use ##.

Suggested fix: ## How to use Smart Suggestions

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:07Z


-Smart suggestions recommend the next best action—like submitting a report or adding unreported expenses—based on your activity.
+Smart suggestions recommend the next best action based on your activity.



Heading violation: ## Where they appear does not include the feature name and uses a vague pronoun. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings must be explicit, feature-specific, and searchable.

Suggested fix: ## Where Smart Suggestions appear

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:09Z

+- **SelfDM**: Suggests unreported expenses to add to a report.
+- **Empty draft reports**: Prompts you to add recent unreported expenses.
+- **Global create/quick actions**: Suggests creating a report if you frequently submit grouped expenses



Heading violation: ## Benefits is a generic, noun-only heading. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings must be task-based and start with an action verb or question word. Generic headings like "Benefits" are forbidden.

Suggested fix: Merge this content into the parent Smart Suggestions section, or use a heading like ## How Smart Suggestions help you report faster.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:12Z

 **Note:** The bulk action menu appears after selecting at least one expense.

-## Steps to Move Expenses Between Reports
+## Moving Expenses Between Reports


Heading violation: ## Moving Expenses Between Reports uses a gerund rather than starting with an action verb or question word. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings must be task-based.

Suggested fix: ## How to move expenses between reports

@stephanieelliott same question here: this was also authored by the SDO originally. Have guidelines since changed or is GH off the beam here too?

Yes this a another one where I would accept the bot's suggestion - the headings should be task-based!

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:14Z

- The expense appears in the table  
- Its row is briefly highlighted as new  
- Once added, the **Submit** button appears in the header (replacing **Add expense**, which moves to the **More** menu)
+## Adding a New Expense to the Table


Heading violation: ## Adding a New Expense to the Table uses a gerund rather than starting with an action verb or question word. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings must be task-based.

Suggested fix: ## How to add a new expense to the table

melvin-bot · 2026-05-13T16:05:17Z

melvin-bot · 2026-05-13T16:05:20Z

@twisterdotcom Please copy/paste the Reviewer Checklist from here into a new comment on this PR and complete it. If you have the K2 extension, you can simply click: [this button]

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:05:26Z

HelpDot Documentation Review

Overall Assessment

This PR updates three articles in the reports-and-expenses section: Getting-Started-with-the-Spend-Page, Managing-Expenses-in-a-Report, and Track-Expenses. The changes improve sentence clarity, add punctuation consistency (trailing periods on list items), and introduce useful content (Tags column, Comments and Collaboration section, expanded tracked-expense options). However, several proposed heading changes move away from governance compliance rather than toward it, and metadata gaps remain unaddressed.

Scores Summary

Readability: 8/10 - The proposed changes generally improve clarity. Bullet lists now have consistent punctuation, intro paragraphs are tightened, and steps are cleaner. Minor issues: a duplicate sentence in Managing-Expenses ("Each report includes a table" / "Each report includes an expense table") and step numbering jumps (steps go 1-2-3-5 in Track-Expenses due to inserted sub-bullets).
AI Readiness: 4/10 - Multiple proposed heading changes replace task-based headings with noun-only or gerund headings, reducing searchability and retrieval precision. All three files continue to lack internalScope in YAML metadata. Track-Expenses keywords are not in array format. Multiple # headings (beyond # FAQ) persist in two files.
Style Compliance: 5/10 - References to More (e.g., "Click More > Add expense") violate the three dots menu rule, which requires "Select the three dots (vertical-ellipsis)" phrasing. A full URL is used for cross-linking instead of a relative path. Some new headings lack feature names.

Key Findings

Heading Regressions (HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2)
The following proposed heading changes replace compliant task-based headings with non-compliant noun-only or gerund forms:

# How to Use Filters to Find Reports and Expenses changed to # Filters (noun-only, no action verb or question word)
# How to Use Smart Suggestions changed to # Smart Suggestions (noun-only)
## Smart Suggestion Locations changed to ## Where they appear (missing feature name)
## Steps to Move Expenses Between Reports changed to ## Moving Expenses Between Reports (gerund instead of action verb)
## Add a New Expense to the Table changed to ## Adding a New Expense to the Table (gerund)
## How to View and Use the Expense Table changed to ## Understanding the Expense Table (gerund)
New heading ## Comments and Collaboration is noun-only
New heading ## Benefits is generic and noun-only

Multiple # Headings (HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 4)
Governance requires exactly one # heading (the article title) plus optional # FAQ. Two of the three files use multiple # headings for content sections. This pre-exists in the Spend Page article but is newly introduced in Track-Expenses (# Where to Find Tracked Expenses, # What You Can Do With Tracked Expenses).

Missing internalScope Metadata (HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 3)
None of the three files include internalScope in their YAML frontmatter. This is a required field per the authoring guidelines.

Three Dots Menu Violations (HELPSITE_NAMING_CONVENTIONS.md)
Multiple references use More (e.g., "Click More > Add expense"). The naming conventions explicitly prohibit calling it "More" and require: Select the three dots (vertical-ellipsis).

Full URL Instead of Relative Link (HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 7)
Managing-Expenses-in-a-Report and Getting-Started-with-the-Spend-Page use full https://help.expensify.com/... URLs for cross-links. Governance requires relative links only.

Positive Aspects

Consistent trailing punctuation on list items across all three files
Improved intro paragraph in Getting-Started (more focused, less marketing-like)
Useful content additions: Tags column mention, Comments and Collaboration section, expanded tracked-expense action options
Track-Expenses description updated from "Expensify" to "New Expensify" for product clarity
FAQ questions rewritten to be more user-centric (e.g., "Can someone comment on a report?" is clearer than "How do comments work on a report?")
Step instructions improved with clearer context (e.g., "Choose yourself under Personal")

Track-Expenses Step Numbering
Steps in both SmartScan and Manual sections jump from 3 to 5 (skipping 4) due to inserted sub-bullets. These should be renumbered sequentially.

Recommendations

Restore task-based headings - Revert noun-only and gerund headings back to action-verb or question-word forms per Section 2 of the authoring guidelines. For example: # Filters should be # How to use filters to find reports and expenses, ## Benefits should be ## How Smart Suggestions help you report faster.
Add internalScope to all three files - This is a required YAML metadata field. Define the audience, covered workflow, and explicit exclusions for each article.
Replace "More" with three dots notation - All instances of **More** referring to the overflow menu should use the three dots (vertical-ellipsis) per naming conventions.
Convert full URLs to relative links - Replace https://help.expensify.com/articles/... with relative paths like /articles/....
Fix step numbering in Track-Expenses - Renumber steps sequentially (1-2-3-4-5 instead of 1-2-3-5).
Reduce multiple # headings - In Track-Expenses, demote # Where to Find Tracked Expenses and # What You Can Do With Tracked Expenses to ## headings. Same pattern should be addressed in the Spend Page article.
Fix duplicate sentence in Managing-Expenses - The "Each report includes..." line appears twice in the expense table section after the proposed changes.
Fix Track-Expenses keywords format - Keywords should be in array format [keyword1, keyword2] per the template.

Files Reviewed

docs/articles/new-expensify/reports-and-expenses/Getting-Started-with-the-Spend-Page.md - Heading regressions, missing internalScope, More menu references, full URL cross-link
docs/articles/new-expensify/reports-and-expenses/Managing-Expenses-in-a-Report.md - Good structural improvements, but has duplicate sentence, missing internalScope, More menu references, full URL cross-link
docs/articles/new-expensify/reports-and-expenses/Track-Expenses.md - Good content additions, but step numbering errors, new multiple # headings, missing internalScope, keywords format

Review based on governance files: HELPSITE_NAMING_CONVENTIONS.md, HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md, and TEMPLATE.md.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:06:09Z

 ---

-## How to View and Use the Expense Table
+## Understanding the Expense Table


Heading violation: ## Understanding the Expense Table uses a gerund rather than starting with an action verb or question word. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, all ## headings must be task-based.

The previous heading ## How to View and Use the Expense Table was already compliant. Consider keeping it, or use something like ## How to view and use the expense table.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:06:12Z

 Additional columns such as **Attendees** and **Per attendee** can be enabled via the **Columns** picker when attendee tracking is available.

-Clicking a row opens the full expense in a side panel (web) or details screen (mobile).
+Clicking a row opens the full expense details in a side panel (web) or details screen (mobile).


Heading violation: ## Comments and Collaboration is a noun-only heading. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, all headings must be task-based and start with an action verb or question word. Noun-only or topic-only headings are explicitly forbidden.

Suggested fix: ## How to use comments and collaboration on a report

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:11Z


-**Follow these steps to create an expense that stays in your records but isn't submitted:**
+There are two ways you can create an expense that stays in your records but isn't submitted:



Heading violation: ## SmartScan a Receipt does not start with an action verb imperative or a question word. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings must be task-based.

Suggested fix: ## How to SmartScan a receipt

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:13Z

 Other ways to SmartScan receipts include:
 - Forward your digital receipts to `receipts@expensify.com`.
 - Text a photo of your receipts to 47777 (US numbers only). Just make sure you [add your phone number to Expensify](https://new.expensify.com/settings/profile/contact-methods).



Heading violation: ## Manually Add an Expense -- while it contains an action verb, "Manually" is an adverb prefix that weakens searchability. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 2, headings should be explicit and searchable task phrases.

Suggested fix: ## How to manually add an expense

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:16Z

+   - Members without a default workspace will see the expense fields: Amount, Description, Merchant, Category, Date, Report.
+7. Click **Create expense**.

 ---


Structure violation: # Where to Find Tracked Expenses uses a # heading. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 4, only one # heading is allowed (the article title), plus # FAQ. All other content sections must use ##.

Suggested fix: ## Where to find tracked expenses

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:17Z

+
+After creating an expense, go to **Spend > Expenses** to find it.  Use the filters to search for the expense if it isn't immediately visible.
+
+After tracking an expense, it also appears in an **Expense Chat** in the left-hand navigation menu.


Structure violation: # What You Can Do With Tracked Expenses uses a # heading. Per HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md Section 4, only one # heading is allowed (the article title), plus # FAQ. All other content sections must use ##.

Suggested fix: ## What you can do with tracked expenses

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:30Z

+2. Choose yourself under Personal.
 3. Add details like description, category, tags, and tax.
-4. Tap **Create expense**.
+   - Members with a default workspace will see expense fields that mirror their workspace's rules.


Step formatting issue: Step numbering jumps from 3 to 5 (there is no step 4). The sub-bullets on lines 25-27 are not numbered steps, so the next step after step 3 should be step 4, not 5.

Suggested fix: Change 5. Tap **Create expense**. to 4. Tap **Create expense**.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:32Z

+2. Choose yourself under Personal. 
 3. Add details like description, category, tags, and tax.
-4. Click **Create expense**.
+   - Members with a default workspace will see expense fields that mirror their workspace's rules.


Step formatting issue: Step numbering jumps from 3 to 5 (there is no step 4). Same issue as the mobile section above.

Suggested fix: Change 5. Click **Create expense**. to 4. Click **Create expense**.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:33Z

+4. Choose yourself under Personal.
 5. Add optional fields like category, tags, or description.
-6. Tap **Create expense**.
+   - Members with a default workspace will see expense fields that mirror their workspace's rules.


Step formatting issue: Step numbering jumps from 5 to 7 (there is no step 6). The sub-bullets on lines 51-52 are informational notes, not numbered steps.

Suggested fix: Change 7. Tap **Create expense**. to 6. Tap **Create expense**.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:07:35Z

+4. Choose yourself under Personal.
 5. Add optional fields like category, tags, or description.
-6. Click **Create expense**.
+   - Members with a default workspace will see expense fields that mirror their workspace's rules.


Step formatting issue: Step numbering jumps from 5 to 7 (there is no step 6). Same issue as the mobile section above.

Suggested fix: Change 7. Click **Create expense**. to 6. Click **Create expense**.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:08:03Z

- **Empty draft reports**: Prompts you to add recent unreported expenses  
- **Global create and quick actions**: Suggests “Create report” if you frequently submit grouped expenses
+- **SelfDM**: Suggests unreported expenses to add to a report.
+- **Empty draft reports**: Prompts you to add recent unreported expenses.


Formatting: This bullet is missing a period at the end, while the other bullets in this list (lines 116-117) end with periods. Keep punctuation consistent across all list items.

github-actions · 2026-05-13T16:08:40Z

- Visible to **all members** in the workspace chat  
- Only the **creator** sees interactive options like **Add expense**  
- **Workspace admins** can approve and pay a report
+- Visible to **all members** in the workspace chat.


Button naming issue: The period is inside the bold formatting (**Add expense.**), which makes it appear as if the button label includes a period. Per HELPSITE_NAMING_CONVENTIONS.md, button names must match the UI exactly. Move the period outside the bold markers.

Suggested fix: - Only the **report creator** sees interactive options like **Add expense**.

OSBotify · 2026-05-13T16:10:54Z

A preview of your ExpensifyHelp changes have been deployed to https://d0e6f6bf.helpdot.pages.dev ⚡️

Updated articles:

chatgpt-codex-connector

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stephanieelliott · 2026-05-15T04:35:12Z

@lydiabarclay the rules the reviewer bot are following are in this file: HELP_AUTHORING_GUIDELINES.md

You should be able to get Melvin to apply them for you in bulk if you wanted to!

stephanieelliott · 2026-05-15T04:41:11Z

@MelvinBot why is the CLA Assistant test failing? the assignee lydiabarclay is an internal Expensify employee who does not need to sign the CLA

MelvinBot · 2026-05-15T04:44:59Z

The CLA check is failing because these commits were made via the GitHub web UI, which sets the committer to web-flow (a GitHub system account). The CLA bot checks both commit authors and committers — lydiabarclay is a confirmed Expensify org member, but web-flow is not in the org and isn't on the allowlist (snyk-bot, OSBotify, os-botify[bot], imgbot[bot]).

To fix: lydiabarclay can comment recheck on this PR to retrigger the CLA bot — it sometimes resolves itself on retry. If it persists, web-flow needs to be added to the allowlist in the CLA workflow config, or lydiabarclay can post the CLA signing comment (I have read the CLA Document and I hereby sign the CLA) to bypass the check for this PR.

stephanieelliott · 2026-05-15T21:26:01Z

@MelvinBot can you suggest changes on this PR, rather than just leaving comments?

MelvinBot

Here are the suggested changes based on the review comments. You can accept each one individually by clicking Apply suggestion or batch them with Add suggestion to batch.

MelvinBot · 2026-05-15T21:29:40Z

Done! I've posted a review with GitHub suggestion blocks for 18 actionable items across all three files. lydiabarclay can accept them individually or batch them.

Note: I skipped the "More" → "three dots" naming suggestions since stephanieelliott confirmed the UI does use "More."

Co-authored-by: MelvinBot <MelvinBot@users.noreply.github.com>

lydiabarclay added 3 commits May 12, 2026 18:06

Revise managing expenses guide for clarity and detail

301fadb

Updated the guide on managing expenses in reports to provide clearer instructions on adding, deleting, and editing expenses, as well as collaboration features.

Update Track Expenses documentation for New Expensify

f36ae3e

Updated references from 'Expensify' to 'New Expensify' and made minor adjustments for clarity.

Revise Spend page documentation for clarity

f7b00ca

Updated content for clarity and consistency throughout the Spend page guide, including rephrasing sentences and adjusting formatting for better readability.

lydiabarclay requested a review from stephanieelliott as a code owner May 13, 2026 16:01

melvin-bot Bot assigned lydiabarclay May 13, 2026