Transaction Rules

Why Transaction Rules?

When you connect your bank, transactions flow in without categories. Manually categorizing each one is tedious, especially for recurring transactions that happen the same way every time.

Transaction rules automate this:

• Save Time: Categorize automatically
• Ensure Consistency: Same transaction, same category
• Reduce Errors: No manual mistakes
• Handle Volume: Scale with any number of transactions

How Rules Work

Rules match transaction descriptions and assign accounts and vendors:

When: Description CONTAINS "AMAZON" Then: Assign to "Office Supplies" expense account Link to vendor "Amazon"

When a bank transaction imports with “AMAZON.COM ORDER #123” in the description, it’s automatically categorized as Office Supplies and linked to the Amazon vendor.

Match Types

BeeKeeper supports four match types:

Contains

Matches if the description includes the text anywhere.

Best for: Flexible matching, partial keywords

Starts With

Matches only if description begins with the text.

Best for: Consistent prefixes, check numbers

Ends With

Matches only if description ends with the text.

Best for: Business suffixes, specific endings

Exact Match

Matches only if description is exactly the text.

Best for: Very specific, consistent descriptions

Creating Rules

Step 1: Access Rules

1. Go to Settings
2. Select Rules (or Transaction Rules)

Step 2: Add a New Rule

1. Click New Rule
2. Fill in the fields:
   • Name: Descriptive name for the rule
   • Match Type: Contains, Starts With, Ends With, or Exact
   • Pattern: The text to match (case-insensitive)
   • Account: The account to assign
   • Vendor (optional): Link matched transactions to a vendor
3. Click Save

Vendor Linking

When a rule includes a vendor:

• The vendor’s display name is used as the transaction payee
• If the rule has no account but the vendor has a default expense account, that account is used
• Vendor payment history is updated automatically

Step 3: Test Your Rule

After creating:

1. Import or sync new transactions
2. Check that matching transactions are categorized
3. Adjust the rule if needed

Managing Rules

Viewing All Rules

The rules list shows:

• Rule name
• Match type and pattern
• Assigned account
• Status (active/inactive)

Editing a Rule

1. Click the rule to open it
2. Modify any fields
3. Click Save

Changes apply to future transactions (not retroactively).

Deleting a Rule

1. Open the rule
2. Click Delete
3. Confirm the action

Previously categorized transactions keep their categories.

Rule Priority

If multiple rules could match:

• More specific rules (Exact, Starts With) take precedence
• First matching rule wins
• Order may matter for overlapping patterns

Tips for Effective Rules

Start Specific

Begin with narrow patterns, then broaden if needed:

1. Start: “OFFICE DEPOT #1234”
2. Broaden: “OFFICE DEPOT”
3. If needed: Contains “DEPOT”

Watch for Conflicts

Ensure rules don’t accidentally catch wrong transactions:

• “PAYMENT” might match both incoming and outgoing
• “SCHOOL” might match purchases and deposits
• Test patterns before creating rules

Use Consistent Naming

Bank descriptions vary. Check your actual transaction descriptions:

• Same store may appear differently
• Card vs. ACH transactions differ
• Online vs. in-store differ

Review Regularly

Periodically check:

• Rules still matching correctly
• New recurring transactions need rules
• Obsolete rules should be removed

Common Rule Examples

Recurring Bills

Fundraising

Banking

Vendors

What Rules Don’t Do

Rules have limitations:

• Don’t split transactions: One account per transaction
• Don’t handle amounts: Match by description only, not amount
• Don’t retroactively apply: Only new imported transactions
• Don’t override manual categories: Manual entry takes precedence

Troubleshooting

Rule Not Matching

Check:

• Is the pattern in the actual bank description?
• Is case matching correctly?
• Is there extra whitespace?
• Is the rule active?

Wrong Account Assigned

Look for:

• More general rule matching first
• Typo in the pattern
• Conflicting rules

Transactions Still Uncategorized

Possible causes:

• No matching rule exists
• Bank description different than expected
• Rule created after transaction imported

Limitations

• No regular expressions (just text matching)
• No amount-based rules
• Maximum 100 rules per organization
• Rules don’t apply retroactively

Common Questions

Can I apply rules to existing transactions? No. Rules apply to newly imported transactions only. Manually categorize existing ones.

What if my bank changes description formats? Update your rules to match the new format. You may need multiple rules for the same vendor.

Can I import/export rules? Not currently. Rules must be created in BeeKeeper.

Do rules work with manual transactions? No. Rules only apply to bank-imported transactions.

Can I disable a rule without deleting it? Not currently. Delete and recreate if needed.

What happens if no rule matches? Transaction goes to your “Uncategorized” account for manual review.