Getting started

Budget vs Actual has two installable surfaces. Use the dashboard widget for a portfolio view across boards or a budget that deserves a place on a dashboard. Use the board view when the report belongs next to the board it reads.

Before you begin

• You need permission to add widgets or views in the destination monday.com account.
• The board needs at least two Numbers columns: one with the planned amount (Budget) and one with what has been spent (Actual).
• Optional: a third Numbers column for amounts that are committed but not yet spent, such as purchase orders or signed contracts.
• Optional: a Timeline column on the items, which lets the app derive the project period for burn rate and forecast.
• Formula columns are not supported. The monday.com API returns no value for formulas, so the amount has to live in a Numbers column.

Add the dashboard widget

1. Open a monday.com dashboard and choose Add widget.
2. Find Budget vs Actual and add it.
3. On the welcome screen, click Set up.
4. Pick a board. The Budget column and Actual column are guessed from the column titles; correct them if the guess is wrong.
5. Optional: pick a Committed column, restrict the row to Only some groups, or give the source a Label.
6. Under Display, choose One row per group or board, the Currency, and the At-risk threshold.
7. Optional: under Burn rate and forecast, set a Project period from start and end dates or from a Timeline column.
8. Save.

To connect more boards, open the settings and click Add another board. Portfolio roll-ups usually pair well with one row per board.

Add the board view

1. Open the board and click the plus beside the view tabs.
2. Choose Apps and add Budget vs Actual.
3. Click Set up on the welcome screen.
4. Confirm the Budget column and Actual column. The board itself is locked as the source.
5. Optional: add a Committed column and a Project period, then save.

Change the settings later

Hover the widget or view and click the gear in its top-right corner. Settings are stored per app instance, so two widgets can report different boards or use different thresholds.

Next steps

• Decide what each row represents with sources and breakdown.
• Tune when a row turns yellow or red with status and thresholds.
• Add a project period to unlock burn rate and forecast.