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. Matching is case-insensitive for all four types — both the transaction description and your matching text are compared in lowercase, so “AMAZON” and “amazon” are treated the same.

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 Add Rule
2. Fill in the fields:
   • Matching Type: Contains, Starts With, Ends With, or Equals
   • Matching Text: 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:

• Matching Type
• Matching Text
• Account
• Vendor

Editing a Rule

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

When you save a rule, it is applied immediately to existing imported transactions that are still awaiting review (pending or uncategorized), as well as to future imports. Transactions you have already accepted and journaled are not changed.

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 the same transaction:

• The first matching rule wins, in the order the rules were created
• Match type does not affect priority — there is no specificity precedence
• 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 change accepted transactions: Only transactions still awaiting review are recategorized
• Don’t override manual categories: Manual entry takes precedence

Troubleshooting

Rule Not Matching

Check:

• Is the matching text in the actual bank description?
• Is there extra whitespace?
• Has the transaction already been accepted/journaled?

Wrong Account Assigned

Look for:

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

Transactions Still Uncategorized

Possible causes:

• No matching rule exists
• Bank description different than expected
• Transaction was already accepted before the rule was created

Limitations

• No regular expressions (just text matching)
• No amount-based rules
• Matching text is limited to 100 characters
• Rules don’t change transactions you’ve already accepted

Common Questions

Can I apply rules to existing transactions? Yes. When you create or edit a rule, it is applied immediately to imported transactions still awaiting review. Transactions you have already accepted and journaled are not changed.

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.