# Turn your Dext inboxes into an API > Read the Costs inbox, the items still in To review and the Archive of published items from Dext with one API call each. Or have a workflow check each client account every morning and email you the items that cannot be published yet. Page: https://fous.com/automate/dext-prepare Updated: 2026-11-12 Works with your own Dext Prepare account. Fous is an independent product. ## What you can build on Dext ### Get items in the Costs inbox Reads the Costs inbox table for one account: each item's To review or Ready status, what needs fixing, and the extracted supplier, category and amounts. - Takes: Client account (optional), status (optional) - Returns: Status, issues to resolve, uploaded by, date, supplier, category, total, currency, tax ### Get archived cost items for a period Reads the Costs Archive, where published and archived items are kept, for a date range, with the fields from each item's Details tab. - Takes: Client account (optional), from date, to date - Returns: Item ID, type, date, supplier, document reference, category, currency, total, tax amount, net amount, paid, payment method ### Find a document in the Submission history Searches the Costs & Sales tab of the Submission history by supplier name and says where each document is now: Inbox, Archive, Deleted, Merged or a duplicate. - Takes: Supplier name, client account (optional) - Returns: Supplier, date, total, submitted by, where it is now ### Publish Ready items to accounting software Selects the items you name in the Costs inbox that have Ready status and publishes them to the connected accounting software. - Takes: Client account (optional), list of items by supplier, date and total - Returns: Supplier, date, total, published or not, error message ## Automate Dext with a workflow A [workflow](/product/workflows) runs your methods as one process, with nobody at the screen. A schedule or a call from your own system starts it, the steps run in order, and the result arrives in your inbox or in the systems you already use. ### Items in To review, every client account Starts: Every weekday at 8:00 1. For each client account you name, get the Costs inbox items with status To review. 2. Stop when no account has any. 3. Email you the list, one section per client account, with what each item needs. ### Last month's published costs, sent to your system Starts: On the 1st of every month at 7:00 1. For each client account, get the archived cost items dated in the previous month. 2. Post each item's Item ID, date, supplier, document reference, category, total, tax, net amount and payment method to your webhook. ### Items still waiting in To review after a week Starts: Every Friday at 15:00 1. For each client account, get the Costs inbox items with status To review. 2. Keep the items that were also in To review on the last run. 3. Post them, with client account, supplier, date, total and issues, to your Slack webhook. You can run a workflow by hand on every plan, Free included. Schedules and webhook triggers come with the paid plans, from $29 a month. ## Once built, one call from your code Once you have built a [method](/product/methods), it is one POST to /v1/runs from your backend, or a tool an AI agent calls over MCP. This is what “Get items in the Costs inbox” would look like. Example request: ``` curl https://api.fous.com/v1/runs \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "method": "app.dext.com/get_costs_inbox_items", "input": { "client_account": "Northwind Trading Ltd", "status": "To review" } }' ``` Example response: ``` { "status": "completed", "data": { "client_account": "Northwind Trading Ltd", "items": [ { "status": "To review", "issues": [ "Category is missing" ], "uploaded_by": "Accounts team", "date": "2026-11-09", "supplier": "Acme Office Supplies", "category": null, "total": 148.2, "currency": "GBP", "tax": 24.7 } ], "count": 1 } } ``` An example with invented data, not a ready-made endpoint. The method exists in your organization once you build it, and its name, inputs and fields follow your request. ## Dext’s own options Dext's help centre documents no API for the receipts and invoices in your inboxes. A request for one has been Under Review in Dext's feedback forum since March 2021, and staff pointed to Zapier. For practices, a Data Health & Insights API returns client data from that add-on, not your documents. | Option | What it covers | What it takes | | --- | --- | --- | | Zapier | Triggers when receipts are processed or ready to export, up to 20 fields per document. Actions submit receipts and sales invoices and create client accounts. | A Dext account and a Zapier account. | | Data Health & Insights API | A REST API that returns JSON from Data Health & Insights, such as its list of clients. It does not read your Costs or Sales items. | The Data Health & Insights add-on on Practice Essentials or Practice Advanced, and a personal token. 60 requests per minute. | | Publishing to accounting software | Publishes Ready items to Xero, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Sage 50 UK and other connected accounting software. | A connection to your accounting software set up in Dext. | | Dext by hand | The Costs and Sales inboxes, Archive and Submission history. Exports to CSV up to 50,000 items, PDF up to 250 items or ZIP up to 1 GB. | A Dext account. Exporting works in the web app only. | Read on November 12, 2026: [How Dext works with Zapier](https://help.dext.com/en/articles/105757-how-dext-works-with-zapier), [Data Health & Insights API](https://help.dext.com/en/articles/272702-data-health-insights-api), [How can I export my documents from Dext?](https://help.dext.com/en/articles/866627-how-can-i-export-my-documents-from-dext). ## Signing in to Dext Dext signs you in with your email address and password, or with Google, Microsoft, Apple, Xero or a passkey. Two-factor authentication asks for a code from an authenticator app, by SMS or by email; a trusted device can skip it for 30 days. With Fous you sign in once through Dext's own sign-in with your own account: the login is sealed with AES-256, an emailed code is handled, and an expired session is signed back in. ## Worth knowing - **Only Ready items can be published**: An item stays in To review until Category, Supplier and Total amount are complete. Hovering over the To review badge shows what needs to be fixed. - **New uploads wait in Processing first**: Documents being extracted sit in the Processing section, with an estimated time remaining, before they reach the Inbox. A check right after an upload may not see them yet. - **Standard users see their own submissions**: By default a Standard user sees only the documents they submitted in the Submission history. The Access all documents permission shows every item in the account. - **Exports have limits and expire**: A PDF export holds up to 250 items and a ZIP up to 1 GB. A CSV export fails if any item has no total amount. Exports can be downloaded again for 1 month. ## More in Accounting, tax and ERP software - [CONTPAQi](https://fous.com/automate/contpaqi.md) - [Comarch ERP Optima](https://fous.com/automate/comarch-erp-optima.md) - [Cegid Loop](https://fous.com/automate/cegid-loop.md) - [Domínio Sistemas](https://fous.com/automate/dominio-sistemas.md) - [Xero Practice Manager](https://fous.com/automate/xero-practice-manager.md) - [a3innuva](https://fous.com/automate/a3innuva.md) - [Confirmation](https://fous.com/automate/confirmation.md) - [MyCodabox](https://fous.com/automate/codabox.md) - [Xero bank feeds](https://fous.com/automate/xero-bank-feeds.md) - [Exact Online](https://fous.com/automate/exact-online.md) - [Twinfield](https://fous.com/automate/twinfield.md) - [Sage Intacct](https://fous.com/automate/sage-intacct.md) - [CCH Axcess](https://fous.com/automate/cch-axcess.md) - [TallyPrime](https://fous.com/automate/tallyprime.md) - [TaxDome](https://fous.com/automate/taxdome.md) - [Drake Tax](https://fous.com/automate/drake-tax.md) - [Lexware Office](https://fous.com/automate/lexware-office.md) - [MYOB Business](https://fous.com/automate/myob-business.md) - [弥生会計](https://fous.com/automate/yayoi-kaikei.md) - [SAP Concur](https://fous.com/automate/sap-concur.md) Other industries: [Zillow Premier Agent](/automate/zillow-premier-agent), [RepairLink](/automate/repairlink), [USS CIS](/automate/uss-cis), [Paycom](/automate/paycom), [United Rentals Total Control](/automate/united-rentals-total-control), [IndiaMART Seller Panel](/automate/indiamart-seller-panel). ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Dext Prepare have an API? Not for the documents in your inboxes, as far as Dext's help centre shows. Dext offers a Zapier app, publishing to accounting software, and for practices a Data Health & Insights API that returns client data from that add-on. A request for API access has been Under Review since March 2021. ### How do I get extracted receipt data out of Dext in bulk? Export it as CSV from the Costs or Sales inbox or the Archive, up to 50,000 items per export. A CSV export needs a total amount on every item. For the document files, choose PDF, up to 250 items, or ZIP, up to 1 GB. Exporting works in the web app only. ### Why is a Dext item stuck in To review? Dext has found something missing or wrong on it, such as a missing category, supplier or total, a line item discrepancy or a possible duplicate. Hover over the To review badge, or open the item and read the Please resolve these issues panel. ### How do I find a receipt that never showed up in my inbox? Search the Submission history by supplier name. It lists every cost, sale, supplier statement and Vault file, including deleted, merged and duplicate items. Rejected documents and bank statements are not in it. ### Is Fous affiliated with Dext? No. Fous is an independent product. You use it with your own Dext account, and a method reads and does only what that account can. Fous is an independent product: it is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by the operator of Dext Prepare (Dext). The name is used only to say which system this page is about. Something here wrong or out of date? Write to legal@fous.com.