Failed export troubleshooting

If your export fails, the error message usually tells you what to fix. Use this guide to identify the cause quickly, unblock your export, and know when to contact Support.

Before you start

What you’ll need:

Access to Export and Settings → Accounting in Pleo (typically an admin or controller role).
The exact error message shown in Pleo (copy/paste it if possible).
The name of your accounting integration (e.g. Datev, e-conomic, Xero, Exact Online, Business Central) or whether you’re exporting a file (CSV/XLSX).

Good to know: Export errors can be caused by:

A specific expense in the batch (one issue can block the whole export).
A configuration issue (accounts, tags, tax codes, periods, permissions).
A connection/authentication issue (token expired, integration needs reconnecting).
Year/period setup in your accounting system (common around year-end).

1) Identify the error type

Start by checking what kind of message you’re getting:

A clear error message (e.g. “Export Job Expired”, “Validation failed”, “Missing accounting year”, “Fiscal year…”).
A “something went wrong” / timeout style message.
A receipt/attachment error (file too large, corrupt, failed to export receipt).
A “one expense breaks the batch” message (generic/critical error alongside a more specific error).

2) Check the Help Centre for the exact error

If you see a specific error message, search for the exact text in the Pleo Help Centre. Many export errors have dedicated fix steps.

Examples of common error patterns:

Export Job Expired: often resolved by disconnecting and reconnecting the accounting integration
Validation failed: often related to blocked/invalid accounts, or codes/tags that don’t match what the accounting system accepts
Fiscal year / missing accounting year / no open year: often means the year/period is missing or closed in your accounting system
Receipt/attachment failed: often caused by one receipt that’s too large/corrupt or not accepted by the integration

3) Retry with a small batch (to narrow down the cause)

Export issues are much easier to troubleshoot when you reduce the scope.

Go to Export
Select a small batch (for example, 1–5 expenses)
Export again

How to interpret the result:

If a small batch works, one (or a few) expenses in the larger batch are likely the cause
If a small batch still fails, it’s more likely a configuration or connection issue

If you’re exporting a large queue, split it by date range (for example one week at a time) or by expense type to narrow it down.

4) Isolate the expense that blocks the export (if the small batch works)

If the small batch works, the next step is to find the specific expense causing the failure.

Export one expense (or a very small set)
If it succeeds, add a few more and export again
Repeat until it fails — the last added expense is usually the root cause

On the failing expense, check for missing or invalid values (depending on your setup):

Category/account mapping
Tags (cost centre/department/project)
VAT/tax code
Supplier/invoice fields (if you’re exporting invoices)
Receipt attachment (size/format)

5) Test by spend type (to pinpoint misconfiguration)

Sometimes failures are specific to a spend type. Try exporting separately:

Card expenses
Reimbursements / out-of-pocket
Invoices (if enabled)
Mileage (if applicable)

If only one spend type fails, the issue is usually linked to that workflow’s required fields or export mapping.

6) Do fiscal year/period checks (especially around year-end)

Year closing is a common time for export failures. If you’re exporting across years:

Export the old year first, then export the new year
Make sure the new year (and required periods) are created and open in your accounting system before exporting

Why this matters:

Some accounting systems require the financial year/period to exist before accepting entries
Some systems won’t allow exporting older expenses after the new year is created/activated, or they require the old year to be fully closed first (system-specific)

If you’re unsure whether to close the year or create the new year first in your accounting system, check your accounting system’s guidance. Export behaviour can vary by integration and by accounting system settings.

7) Check if the integration connection is stable

If the error looks like an authentication/connection issue (token expired, export job expired, refresh token failed, repeated timeouts):

Go to Settings
Access Accounting
Check whether the integration shows as connected
If reconnecting is recommended for your integration/error:
- Disconnect the integration
- Reconnect it
- Retry the export with a small batch

Signs this is the issue:

Errors that mention expired jobs/tokens
Repeated “Unexpected error occurred” / timeout errors
Exports fail suddenly after working previously, without configuration changes

Common error patterns

Error pattern	Likely cause	What to do
Export job expired / token/refresh issues	Connection likely needs refreshing	Reconnect the integration, then retry a small batch
Fiscal year / missing accounting year / no open year	Year/period isn’t created or open	Create/open the required year/period, and export the old year first when relevant
Validation failed	Blocked/invalid account or code/tag mismatch	Check mapping and verify accounts/tags/codes match what your accounting system accepts
Receipt/attachment failed	One receipt is too large/corrupt/not accepted	Try exporting without receipts, or remove the problematic receipt and re-add it later
Generic critical error + batch fails	One expense blocks the whole batch	Isolate the culprit by exporting smaller batches

When to contact Support

Contact Pleo Support if:

You can reproduce the issue with one specific expense, and it still fails after fixing obvious fields
The export fails after reconnecting and trying small batches
The error message is unclear, repeats consistently, or suggests a technical issue in the accounting system/integration

Include:

The exact error message (copy/paste or screenshot)
Which accounting system/integration you’re using
Whether it fails for one expense or all exports
Approximate date range and how many expenses you tried
If relevant: whether this happens around year-end and which year/period you’re exporting