How to use Dext to Automate Your Bookkeeping Fast in 2026?

Do you hate digging through piles of crumpled receipts?

It is a total pain. You waste hours manually entering data every week.

One small mistake can actually mess up your whole tax return.

This stress keeps you away from growing your actual business.

There is a much better way. Dext handles the hard work for you.

This guide shows you exactly how to use Dext to save time.

Let’s make your life easier right now.

Dext

Ready to reclaim 10+ hours a month? See how Dext’s automated data entry, expense tracking, and reporting can streamline your finances. 

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Dext Tutorial

Getting started is easy and takes just a few minutes.

First, download the app on your phone.

Snap a clear photo of any receipt you have. The AI reads the data for you.

Finally, send it to your accounting software.

How to use Dext Bookkeeping Automation

Automating your books is the best way to save time.

Dext Prepare does the heavy lifting for you.

It connects your real-world spending to your digital books.

You do not have to type in data by hand anymore.

Follow these steps to set up your workflow and let the system run itself.

Step 1: Connect Your Software

You need to link your accounts first. This tells Dext where to send your data.

• Log in to your Dext account using the web app on your computer.
• Go to the “Connections” tab to link your accounting software.
• Navigate to the “Bank” section.
• Click “Add Bank Account” to set up a bank feed.
• This lets the system match your receipts to your bank account transactions effortlessly.

Step 2: Feed Data into the System

Automation needs data to work. You can submit receipts and invoices in many ways.

• Mobile Capture: Open the mobile app (also called the Dext app).
  • Use “Single Mode” for one document.
  • Switch to multiple modes if you have several documents. This lets you snap many photos in a row.
  • Usethe combine mode if a bill has multiple pages.
  • If you have a very long bill, take a picture of the long receipt, and the app stitches it together.
• Computer Upload: You can start uploading documents directly on the web. If you have a lot of files, you can even drop in a zip file.
• Email Forwarding: Every user gets a unique Dext email address. Forward your digital bills there to skip the manual upload.

Step 3: Set Rules to Auto Publish

Now you can tell Dext what to do with that data.

• The system will automatically pull the date, total, and tax from your photos.
• You can also upload supplier statements to check if you missed any invoices.
• Go to your supplier settings and turn on auto-publish for regular bills.
• Once this is on, your paperwork goes straight to your accounting software without you having to click a thing.

How to use Dext for Business Management

Running a company means watching every penny.

Dext helps you manage your team and money in one place.

Getting started with Dext for business management is simple.

It lets you track who spends what and keeps your records straight.

Here is how to process your admin work without the stress.

Step 1: Add Your Team Members

You do not have to do everything alone.

You can create accounts for your staff to work collaboratively.

• Go to the “Users” tab in the menu.
• Click to add a new user by entering their email.
• This lets them submit items themselves.
• They can upload receipts or use the app to submit expenses.
• You can control their access so they only see what they need to see.

Step 2: Control How Data is Captured

Make sure your team knows how to send in a document.

• Most employees will be using the mobile app.
• Teach them to use single mode for a quick snap of one receipt.
• They can also forward digital invoices to their designated email address.
• You can set rules for line item extraction. This reads every single line on a bill, not just the total.
• This is how Dext works to provide more detail about what you are buying.

Step 3: Track Costs and Reports

You need to see where your money goes.

This step helps you organize financial data for you and your clients.

• Use the dashboard to view all transactions in real time.
• This helps you control costs before they get too high.
• You can connect Dext to your accounting software to keep the two systems in sync.
• When you are ready, you can bundle these expenses into a report.
• This makes it easy to spot errors before you officially file your taxes.

How to use Dext to Capture Receipts & Invoices

Capturing paperwork is easy with Dext.

It moves data from paper into your computer systems.

You can stop losing receipts and save time.

Step 1: Snap Photos on Your Phone

Use your phone to capture data quickly.

• Open the app and look at the camera screen.
• Select the camera mode that fits your needs.
• Take a clear image of the receipt.
• Make sure the date and total paid are visible.
• You can add a note to your team explaining the cost.
• This helps you skip typing it out later.

Step 2: Send Digital Files

You do not need to print out online bills.

• Forward files and PDFs directly to your Dext inbox.
• You can invite your suppliers or a new vendor to email bills to you.
• You can also upload a single page from your computer.
• This keeps all relevant documents in one place.

Step 3: Review and Publish

Once the data is in, you need to check it.

• Start by navigating to your inbox to see new items.
• Log in and review the details.
• You can edit the sales tax or category if needed.
• Set rules so the system learns for next time.
• Match the receipt to your bank feed.
• Finally, hit publish to finish.
• This article helps you master every step.

Alternatives to Dext

• Xero: This is a popular cloud-based accounting platform. It’s an alternative for Atera’s bookkeeping features, offering tools for invoicing, bank reconciliation, and expense tracking.
• Sage: A well-known provider of business management software, Sage offers a range of accounting and financial solutions that can serve as an alternative to Atera’s financial management module.
• Zoho Books: Part of the Zoho suite, this is a strong accounting tool for small to medium businesses. It helps with invoicing, expense tracking, and inventory management, and is a good alternative for those who need comprehensive financial tools.
• Synder: This software focuses on syncing your e-commerce and payment platforms with your accounting software. It’s a useful alternative for businesses that need to automate data flow from sales channels into their books.
• Easy Month End: This tool is designed specifically to streamline the month-end closing process. It’s a specialized alternative for businesses that want to improve and automate their financial reporting and reconciliation tasks.
• Docyt: An AI-powered bookkeeping platform, Docyt automates financial workflows. It is a direct competitor for Atera’s AI-driven bookkeeping features, offering real-time data and automated document management.
• Puzzle IO: This is a modern accounting software built for startups. It uses AI to automate bookkeeping and provide real-time financial insights. It’s a good alternative for fast-growing companies that want a simple, tech-driven solution.
• RefreshMe: This is a personal financial management platform. While not a direct business alternative, it offers similar features like expense and invoice tracking.
• Wave: This is a popular free financial software. It’s a good choice for freelancers and small businesses for invoicing, accounting, and receipt scanning.
• Quicken: A well-known tool for personal and small business finance. It helps with budgeting, spending tracking, and financial planning.
• Hubdoc: This software is a document management tool. It automatically fetches your financial documents and syncs them to your accounting software.
• Expensify: This platform focuses on expense management. It is great for receipt scanning, business travel, and creating expense reports.
• QuickBooks: One of the most widely used accounting software programs. QuickBooks is a strong alternative that offers a full set of tools for financial management.
• AutoEntry: This tool automates data entry. It is a good alternative for the receipt and invoice capture features within Atera.
• FreshBooks: This program is great for invoicing and accounting. It is popular with freelancers and small businesses that need a simple way to track time and expenses.
• NetSuite: A powerful and complete cloud-based business management suite. NetSuite is an alternative for larger businesses that need more than just financial management.

Dext Compared

Conclusion

Learning how to use Dext changes the way you work.

You no longer have to stress over lost receipts.

You can stop typing data by hand. The app does the hard work for you.

It organizes your money and keeps your team on track.

This gives you more free time to grow your actual business.

You can relax knowing your books are accurate.

Start simple. Snap a few photos today. Connect your bank and let the automation run.

Your future self will thank you for getting organized right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Facts about Dext

• Smart Reading: Dext uses special smart technology (called AI) to read and pull information from the documents you upload.
• Automatic Downloads: The software can connect to supplier websites to automatically find and download your bills.
• Many Connections: Dext integrates with over 30 other accounting programs and connects to more than 11,500 banks and financial institutions.
• Three Main Tools: Dext is a family of three tools: Dext Prepare (for receipts), Dext Precision (for error checking), and Dext Commerce (for online sales).
• Fast Scanning: The software can process a document in about 30 seconds, which is much quicker than typing it in by hand.
• High Accuracy: The technology it uses to read text is very accurate, getting it right more than 99% of the time.
• Mobile App: You can use the Dext app on your phone to snap a photo of a receipt, and it will instantly upload it to your account.
• Catching Mistakes: The “Precision” tool analyzes your data to find duplicate payments orincorrect amountss so you can fix them quickly.
• Health Score: It gives your business data a “Health Score” to show you how accurate and clean your financial records are.
• Online Sellers: The “Commerce” tool is built for people who sell things on websites like Amazon or Shopify. It automatically grabs all the sales data.
• Safe Storage: Dext keeps your digital records safe for 10 years using the same security banks use.
• Expense Tracking: It helps business owners see exactly how much they are spending in real time.
• Mileage Tracking: You can use the app to track how many work miles you drive so you can be reimbursed for travel costs.
• Team Access: You can give your employees their own login so they can upload their own receipts without seeing everything else.