Rules
Rules categorize, rename and split transactions for you. They run on every new transaction, whether you add it by hand, import a CSV file or sync it from your bank, and you can run them on the transactions you already have.
A rule has two parts
Conditions decide which transactions the rule applies to. Choose whether all of them or any of them must match.
Actions say what to change.
For example:
If imported description contains
DAILY GRIND→ rename the payee to Daily Grind Coffee and set the category to Coffee Shops.
Conditions
| Field | What it looks at | You can check that it… |
|---|---|---|
| Payee name | The payee's name as text | is, is not, contains, doesn't contain, starts with, ends with, matches regex (a regular expression), is one of, is not one of, is empty, is not empty |
| Imported description | The bank's or CSV file's original text (like SQ *DAILY GRIND 1142), or the payee name if there is none | the same as above |
| Notes | The transaction's notes | the same as above |
| Payee | A payee you pick from your list | is, is not, is one of, is not one of, is empty, is not empty |
| Account | An account | is, is not, is one of, is not one of |
| Category | A category | is, is not, is one of, is not one of, is uncategorized, is categorized |
| Amount | The amount, ignoring whether it's in or out | is, is not, is more than, is at least, is less than, is at most, is between, is about (within 7.5%) |
| Inflow / outflow | Whether money comes in or goes out | is an inflow, is an outflow |
| Date | The transaction's date | is on, is before, is after, is between |
Text comparisons ignore upper and lower case. Regular expressions can be up to 200 characters.
Actions
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Set category | Puts the transaction in a category. |
| Rename payee | Changes the payee (creating it if it's new). |
| Set notes | Replaces the notes. |
| Add text before notes | Adds text at the start of the notes. |
| Add text after notes | Adds text at the end. |
| Split transaction | Splits it into parts: fixed amounts, percentages, and one part for whatever is left, each in its own category. |
A split always adds up to the whole amount. If there's no "whatever is left" part, the leftover becomes an uncategorized part.
Order matters
Every matching rule runs, from top to bottom, and each one sees the changes made by the rules
above it. So a rule that renames SQ *DAILY GRIND 1142 to Daily Grind Coffee can sit above one
that categorizes Daily Grind Coffee. Once a rule sets a field, rules further down don't change
it; text added before or after notes adds up. Drag a rule by its handle to move it (on a phone,
use Move up and Move down in its menu).
The switch on each rule turns it on or off without deleting it.
Writing a rule
Add rule opens the editor. As you type, it shows how many of your transactions the rule matches, and the latest few, so you can check it before saving.
Tick Apply to existing transactions after saving to run it on what you already have.
Each rule's ⋮ menu (or the buttons that appear when you point at it) can Edit, Duplicate, Apply to existing transactions or Delete it.
Running rules on past transactions
Run rules applies your enabled rules to transactions you already have, to Uncategorized only or All transactions. You'll see every change first, and tick the ones to make. Running every rule also fills in payees' default categories.
Reconciled transactions, transfers and splits are never changed by rules, and neither are balance adjustments.
What rules don't overwrite
When you add a transaction by hand and pick a category or type notes yourself, rules keep them. A rule pointing at a payee or category you've since deleted skips that action.
Quick ways to create a rule
- From a transaction: open it and choose Create rule. The payee and category are filled in.
- From a payee: set a default category on the Payees page. It's used when no rule sets a category.