> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.contazen.ro/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Retrieve Expense Category
> Get details of a specific expense category by its ID
## Overview
The Retrieve Expense Category endpoint allows you to get detailed information about a specific expense category by its ID. This works for both system default categories and your custom categories.
## Path Parameters
The unique identifier of the expense category to retrieve
## Query Parameters
When `true`, includes all subcategories under this category in the response (only applicable for parent categories)
## Response
The expense category object with full details
Unique identifier for the category
Category name
Parent category ID (0 for root categories, null if no parent)
Whether this is a system default category
Whether the category is visible and active for use
Category type: `"system"` for default categories, `"custom"` for user-created categories
Array of subcategory objects (only included when `include_children=true` and category has subcategories)
Child category ID
Child category name
Parent category ID
Whether child is a system category
Whether child category is visible
Child category type
## Access Control
* You can only retrieve categories that belong to your firm
* Both system and custom categories are accessible
* Category must exist and not be deleted
```bash Basic Retrieval theme={null}
curl -X GET "https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/5" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```
```bash With Children theme={null}
curl -X GET "https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/5?include_children=true" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```
```javascript Basic Retrieval theme={null}
const categoryId = 5;
const response = await fetch(`https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/${categoryId}`, {
method: 'GET',
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log('Category details:', data.category);
```
```javascript With Children theme={null}
const categoryId = 5;
const params = new URLSearchParams({
include_children: 'true'
});
const response = await fetch(`https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/${categoryId}?${params}`, {
method: 'GET',
headers: {
'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type': 'application/json'
}
});
const data = await response.json();
console.log('Category with children:', data.category);
if (data.category.children) {
console.log('Subcategories:', data.category.children.length);
}
```
```php Basic Retrieval theme={null}
$categoryId = 5;
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/{$categoryId}",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type: application/json'
]
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$data = json_decode($response, true);
curl_close($curl);
echo 'Category: ' . $data['category']['name'];
echo ' (Type: ' . $data['category']['type'] . ')';
```
```php With Children theme={null}
$categoryId = 5;
$params = http_build_query([
'include_children' => 'true'
]);
$curl = curl_init();
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
CURLOPT_URL => "https://api.contazen.ro/v1/expense-categories/{$categoryId}?{$params}",
CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY',
'Content-Type: application/json'
]
]);
$response = curl_exec($curl);
$data = json_decode($response, true);
curl_close($curl);
echo 'Category: ' . $data['category']['name'] . "\n";
if (isset($data['category']['children'])) {
echo 'Subcategories: ' . count($data['category']['children']) . "\n";
foreach ($data['category']['children'] as $child) {
echo ' - ' . $child['name'] . " (ID: {$child['id']})\n";
}
}
```
```json 200 - Success (Root Category) theme={null}
{
"success": true,
"category": {
"id": 5,
"name": "Marketing Expenses",
"parent_id": 0,
"is_default": false,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "custom"
}
}
```
```json 200 - Success (With Children) theme={null}
{
"success": true,
"category": {
"id": 2,
"name": "Travel & Transportation",
"parent_id": 0,
"is_default": true,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "system",
"children": [
{
"id": 15,
"name": "Fuel",
"parent_id": 2,
"is_default": false,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "custom"
},
{
"id": 16,
"name": "Public Transport",
"parent_id": 2,
"is_default": false,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "custom"
},
{
"id": 17,
"name": "Hotel Accommodation",
"parent_id": 2,
"is_default": false,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "custom"
}
]
}
}
```
```json 200 - Success (Subcategory) theme={null}
{
"success": true,
"category": {
"id": 15,
"name": "Fuel",
"parent_id": 2,
"is_default": false,
"is_visible": true,
"type": "custom"
}
}
```
```json 400 - Missing ID theme={null}
{
"success": false,
"error": {
"message": "Category ID is required",
"type": "invalid_request_error",
"code": "parameter_missing",
"param": "id"
}
}
```
```json 404 - Not Found theme={null}
{
"success": false,
"error": {
"message": "Category not found",
"type": "invalid_request_error",
"code": "resource_missing",
"param": "id"
}
}
```
```json 401 - Unauthorized theme={null}
{
"success": false,
"error": {
"message": "Unauthorized. API key is required.",
"type": "authentication_error",
"code": "api_key_required"
}
}
```
## OpenAPI
````yaml GET /expense-categories/{id}
openapi: 3.1.0
info:
title: Contazen API
version: 1.2.0
description: >
Build powerful integrations with the Contazen invoicing platform. The
Contazen API is organized around REST,
has predictable resource-oriented URLs, accepts JSON request bodies, returns
JSON-encoded responses,
and uses standard HTTP response codes, authentication, and verbs.
## Authentication
The API uses Bearer token authentication. Include your API key in the
Authorization header.
### Getting your API Key
1. Log in to your Contazen account
2. Navigate to Settings > API
3. Generate or copy your API key (starts with `sk_live_` for production or
`sk_test_` for testing)
### Using the API Key
Include your API key in the Authorization header:
```
Authorization: Bearer sk_live_YOUR_API_KEY
```
### Example Request with cURL
```bash
curl --request GET \
--url https://api.contazen.ro/v1/clients \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer sk_live_YOUR_API_KEY' \
--header 'Accept: application/json'
```
## Rate Limiting
- 1000 requests per hour per API key
- 100 create operations per minute per API key
Rate limit information is included in response headers:
- `X-RateLimit-Limit`: Maximum requests allowed
- `X-RateLimit-Remaining`: Requests remaining
- `X-RateLimit-Reset`: Reset time (Unix timestamp)
## Pagination
All list endpoints return paginated results with the following format:
```json
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"object": "list",
"data": [...],
"has_more": true,
"total": 245,
"page": 1,
"per_page": 50,
"total_pages": 5
},
"meta": {
"version": "v1",
"request_id": "req_1a2b3c4d",
"response_time": "23.45ms"
}
}
```
## Multi-Work-Point Access
API keys belong to a specific work point but can access data from all work
points
within the same parent company.
## Error Handling
The API uses conventional HTTP response codes to indicate success or
failure.
In general: 2xx codes indicate success, 4xx codes indicate an error due to
the
information provided, and 5xx codes indicate an error with Contazen's
servers.
## Expanding Nested Objects
Many endpoints support the `expand` parameter to include related objects in
the response.
This follows the Stripe API pattern. For example:
- `expand[]=lines` - Include invoice line items
- `expand[]=payments` - Include payment records
- `expand[]=client` - Include full client object
## Localization
The API supports multiple languages through:
- `locale` query parameter (en, ro)
- `Accept-Language` header
- Default: English
contact:
name: Contazen Support
email: support@contazen.ro
url: https://contazen.ro
license:
name: Proprietary
url: https://www.contazen.ro/termeni-si-conditii-de-utilizare/
servers:
- url: https://api.contazen.ro/v1
description: Production API server
security:
- bearerAuth: []
tags:
- name: Authentication
description: API authentication and test endpoints
- name: Clients
description: Manage your customers (B2B and B2C)
- name: Invoices
description: Create and manage invoices, proformas, and receipts
- name: Products
description: Manage your product and service catalog
- name: Expenses
description: Track and manage business expenses
- name: Expense Categories
description: Organize expenses with categories
- name: Suppliers
description: Manage expense suppliers and vendors
- name: Settings
description: API settings and configuration
- name: Payments
description: Payments received against invoices
- name: Receipts
description: Cash receipts (chitanțe) — standalone or paired with an invoice
- name: Company Lookup
description: Romanian company lookup (ANAF / VIES)
- name: Invoice Series
description: Manage invoice numbering series
- name: Bank Accounts
description: Manage IBAN bank accounts
- name: E-Factura
description: Romanian e-invoicing status and configuration
- name: Supplier Bills
description: Supplier invoices imported from the ANAF SPV inbox
- name: VAT Rates
description: Firm-scoped custom VAT rates on top of the Romanian catalog
- name: Currencies
description: Currencies enabled for the firm's bill templates
- name: Languages
description: Languages enabled for the firm's bill templates
- name: Conta
description: |
Public ANAF data for the firm's CUI: fiscal profile (TVA scope, RTVAI,
split TVA, status, e-Factura registration, CAEN) and annual balance
sheets (cifra de afaceri, profit, capitaluri, datorii, salariați).
Powered by the public ANAF webservices (no OAuth required for these
endpoints). The data is cached locally and refreshed on demand via
the `/sync` actions.
paths:
/expense-categories/{id}:
get:
tags:
- Expense Categories
summary: Get category details
description: Get a specific expense category
operationId: getExpenseCategory
parameters:
- name: id
in: path
required: true
schema:
type: integer
description: Category ID
- name: include_children
in: query
schema:
type: boolean
default: false
description: Include child categories
responses:
'200':
description: Category details
content:
application/json:
schema:
type: object
properties:
success:
type: boolean
data:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ExpenseCategory'
meta:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ResponseMeta'
'401':
$ref: '#/components/responses/UnauthorizedError'
'404':
$ref: '#/components/responses/NotFoundError'
components:
schemas:
ExpenseCategory:
type: object
required:
- id
- name
- type
properties:
id:
type: integer
name:
type: string
parent_id:
type: integer
nullable: true
is_default:
type: boolean
description: Whether this is a system default category
is_visible:
type: boolean
type:
type: string
enum:
- system
- custom
expense_count:
type: integer
description: Number of expenses in this category
children:
type: array
items:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ExpenseCategory'
ResponseMeta:
type: object
properties:
version:
type: string
default: v1
request_id:
type: string
format: uuid
description: Unique request identifier for debugging
response_time:
type: string
example: 23.45ms
ErrorResponse:
type: object
required:
- success
- error
properties:
success:
type: boolean
default: false
error:
type: object
required:
- message
- type
- code
properties:
message:
type: string
description: Human-readable error message
type:
type: string
enum:
- api_error
- authentication_error
- invalid_request_error
- rate_limit_error
- permission_error
- validation_error
code:
type: string
description: Machine-readable error code
param:
type: string
description: The parameter that caused the error
doc_url:
type: string
format: uri
description: URL to relevant documentation
meta:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ResponseMeta'
responses:
UnauthorizedError:
description: API key is missing or invalid
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
NotFoundError:
description: The specified resource was not found
content:
application/json:
schema:
$ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorResponse'
securitySchemes:
bearerAuth:
type: http
scheme: bearer
description: Use your API key (sk_live_xxx or sk_test_xxx)
````