[No QA] Create View-the-Top-Categories-report.md

[stephanieelliott]

Resource tracking issue: https://github.com/Expensify/Expensify/issues/588072
Design request: https://github.com/Expensify/Expensify/issues/594912

I requested a screenshot for this for design, I can add it later so no need to hold the doc on it.

@trjExpensify this is ready for you!

[github-actions]

HelpDot Documentation Review

Overall Assessment

This PR introduces a new documentation file for the Top Categories report feature in New Expensify. The document provides clear, user-focused guidance for Workspace Admins, Approvers, and Auditors. The structure is well-organized with proper headings, FAQ section, and good use of context-setting introductions. However, there are several areas where the document can be strengthened for AI readiness, style compliance, and consistency with Expensify documentation standards.

Scores Summary

• Readability: 8/10 - Well-structured content with clear headings and logical flow. The language is accessible and user-friendly. Minor issues include some redundancy and a few instances where more concise phrasing would improve clarity.
• AI Readiness: 6/10 - Good YAML metadata and heading structure, but lacks breadcrumb navigation, has some heading inconsistencies (mixing H1 and H2 for main sections), and contains placeholder text that should be removed before merge.
• Style Compliance: 7/10 - Generally follows Expensify voice and formatting standards. However, there are terminology inconsistencies, navigation instruction variations, and some formatting issues that need correction.

Key Findings

Positive Aspects:

• Strong YAML frontmatter with comprehensive metadata including title, description, keywords, and internal scope
• Clear section organization with logical progression from "what" to "how" to "why"
• Excellent FAQ section addressing common user questions
• Good use of role-based access information (Workspace Admins, Approvers, Auditors)
• Contextual explanations help users understand the purpose and value of the report

Critical Issues:

1. Placeholder content remains: "ADD A SCREENSHOT HERE" should be resolved before merging
2. Missing breadcrumb navigation: No breadcrumb path in YAML frontmatter for AI context
3. Inconsistent heading levels: Mixes H1 (#) and H2 (##) for main sections, should use only H2
4. Navigation instruction inconsistencies: Different styles for web vs mobile instructions
5. Vague reference: "Each row represents..." appears without sufficient context about where this view is

Pattern Issues:

• Terminology varies between "expense categories" and "categories" - should be consistent
• Some procedural lists use numbered steps, others use bullets - standardize format
• Link formatting could be improved for better AI parsing

Recommendations

Priority Actions (Must Address Before Merge):

1. Remove or replace the "ADD A SCREENSHOT HERE" placeholder
2. Add breadcrumb navigation to YAML frontmatter (e.g., breadcrumb: New Expensify > Reports > Insights > Top Categories)
3. Change the H1 heading "View the Top Categories report in New Expensify" to H2 (##)
4. Change the H1 heading "FAQ" to H2 (##)
5. Ensure all main section headings use H2 (##) consistently

Style and Consistency Improvements:

1. Standardize navigation instructions format - use consistent style for web and mobile (bold labels, clear steps)
2. Use consistent terminology throughout - prefer "category" over "expense category" once established
3. Remove "Note:" formatting - just state the information directly
4. Consider rephrasing "Can you..." questions to "Can I..." for user-centric FAQ
5. Add more context to "Each row represents..." section - specify where users are viewing this

AI Readiness Enhancements:

1. Add breadcrumb metadata to YAML frontmatter
2. Ensure all section headings contain full feature names (already mostly done)
3. Consider adding more specific cross-references to related features
4. Expand the link text "Learn how to create custom reports" to be more descriptive

Content Improvements:

1. The "How to interpret" section could include an example scenario
2. Consider adding a "Best practices" subsection under "Ways to use"
3. The FAQ about calculation mentions "top 10 categories" but the main content doesn't - clarify if there's a limit
4. Export instructions in FAQ are detailed but could be streamlined

Files Reviewed

• docs/articles/new-expensify/insights/View-the-Top-Categories-report.md - New file, requires revisions - Good foundation with clear structure and comprehensive content. Needs placeholder removal, heading hierarchy fixes, and breadcrumb navigation before merge.

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Note: This assessment focuses on documentation quality, AI readability, and style compliance per HelpDot standards. Technical accuracy of feature descriptions should be verified by the product team.

[OSBotify]

A preview of your ExpensifyHelp changes have been deployed to https://37a1a10b.helpdot.pages.dev ⚡️

Updated articles:

• articles/new-expensify/insights/View-the-Top-Categories-report
• articles/new-expensify/reports-and-expenses/Using-search-operators

[chatgpt-codex-connector]

💡 Codex Review

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Reviewed commit: 53196d37d3

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[chatgpt-codex-connector]

Correct Top Categories access roles

SearchUIUtils shows the Top Categories suggested search is available to any member of a paid policy with categories enabled (isEligibleForTopCategoriesSuggestion = isPaidPolicy && policy.areCategoriesEnabled === true, no role check). This means regular members can see it, so stating that only Admins/Approvers/Auditors have access is inaccurate and will mislead users who do see it. Consider aligning the doc with the actual eligibility (or update the product gating if the restriction is intended).

Useful? React with 👍 / 👎.

[chatgpt-codex-connector]

Avoid claiming Top Categories is sorted by spend

The Top Categories suggested search is built with createTopSearchMenuItem, which sets sortBy to GROUP_CATEGORY and sortOrder to ASC when grouping by category (SearchUIUtils.ts:470-482). That means the default result ordering is alphabetical, not by total spend, so statements that it’s sorted in descending spend (or shows the highest spend categories) are inaccurate.

Useful? React with 👍 / 👎.

[stephanieelliott]

this is not true

[trjExpensify]

Haha agreed.

[trjExpensify]

Looking pretty great! ❤️

[trjExpensify]

Top Categories is available to all workspace members. Members would just see their own categories.

[trjExpensify]

Haha agreed.

[trjExpensify]

We've got the bar chart view on staging, which means once that gets to prod, we'll ship this PR to make the Top categories view a bar chart by default: #81074