How do I use smart import rules?

smart import rules Smart import rules can be used to help you import transactions more efficiently. Files imported from banks often contain extraneous information or are not worded the way you would like them to be - smart import rules allow you to import your data using words that make sense to you.

For example, let's say that a purchase you made at your local market shows a payee of "123 Main St. Market ID:992311" when downloaded from the bank. Using a smart import rule, you can choose to have any imported transaction that contains "123 Main St" in the payee field be automatically changed to "Mimi's Market" with a category of "Groceries."

To add a smart import rule:

First, start an import. After configuring import settings (if required), the import window will appear. Select a transaction in the top half of this window upon which you would like to base the new smart import rule:

import window before applying rules

Click the + import rule button. A sheet will appear with a new smart import rule based on the payee and memo of the transaction you had selected:

add smart import rule 1

First, give the rule a name by changing the "Name" field at the top - choose anything that will help to distinguish it from other rules you create. In the space below, you will see several criteria upon which the rule is based. Each transaction, before it is imported, will be compared against these critieria in order to determine whether or not the rule should be applied to it.

To configure smart import rule criteria:

When you first create a rule, iBank tries to guess which criteria you want to use, but you can edit the list however you see fit. Click the round plus and round minus buttons, respectively, to add and remove the criteria that will determine which transactions are to be modified by the smart import rule. The following criteria are available:

Following our example from above, here is how the rule looks after adding a name and a couple more "payee" criteria:

add smart import rule 2

To specify smart import rule actions:

The last step is to specify what the smart import rule actually does, that is how it will change those transactions to which it is applied. Use the four fields at the bottom of the window (Payee, Memo, Type, and Category) to specify how you want the transaction to look after the rule has been applied. If you change the payee to "Mr. Rogers," for example, then any transaction that satisfies the rule's criteria will be given a payee of "Mr. Rogers." If you don't want the rule to change a particular field, leave it blank or leave the menu set to "No Value."

Here is a finished version of the example rule we created above. For any imported transaction whose payee contains "Pure Foods Market," "Albertson," or "Safeway," this rule will assign to it the category "Groceries" and will not change any other fields. Note that we had to clear the payee field so that it wouldn't change the payee field of the transactions to which it was applied:

add smart import rule 3

When you are done configuring your rule, click "OK" to return to the import window. The rule will be applied automatically and any transactions to which it applies will be modified immediately. In our example, note that both "Pure Foods Market" transactions now have the category "Groceries" assigned to them.

import window after applying rules

To add and remove additional smart import rules:

Click the show import rules button to bring up the smart import rules window again. To add additional smart import rules, click the plus button. A new rule will added to the list, ready for editing. To delete a rule, select it in the list and click the minus button.

To edit your smart import rules:

Any smart import rules you create will be applied not only to the current import, but to all future imports as well. To edit the list of rules that are applied during an import, select "Smart Import Rules" from the source list in the main window. You will see all of your smart import rules listed - click on a rule to view its criteria. You can modify the criteria for each rule on the right side of the screen, and use the buttons at the bottom of the window to add and delete smart import rules from the list.

edit smart import rules