> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pluvel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Bank Rules
> Automate transaction categorization with rules.
You just imported 47 transactions from your business checking account. Only 8 are categorized. The other 39? You're going to review each one manually.
Or you could spend 5 minutes setting up bank rules.
Bank rules watch for patterns in your transactions — a specific vendor name, an amount range, a description — and automatically categorize matches. Create a rule once, and every future transaction from that vendor gets sorted without you lifting a finger.
## The basics
When a new transaction comes in:
1. Pluvel checks it against all your active rules
2. First matching rule wins
3. Transaction gets categorized automatically
4. You can still override it if needed
The magic is in step 2. A single rule for "AMAZON" can match 30 transactions a month. That's 30 fewer things to manually categorize.
## Creating your first rule
The easiest way is from a transaction you've already categorized:
1. Find a transaction (say, your monthly Dropbox charge)
2. Categorize it as "Software Subscriptions"
3. Click **Create Rule**
4. Pluvel pre-fills conditions based on that transaction
5. Save
Done. Every future Dropbox charge auto-categorizes.
You can also create rules from scratch in **Settings → Accounting → Bank Rules → New Rule**.
## Writing good conditions
Rules match based on conditions you define:
| Field | Options | Example |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Description | Contains, equals, starts with | "Contains ADOBE" |
| Amount | Equals, greater than, less than, between | "Between $10 and $100" |
| Account | Is (specific bank account) | "Is: Operating Checking" |
### Combining conditions
**All conditions (AND)** — Everything must be true. Use this when you need precision.
* "Description contains AWS AND amount greater than \$500"
**Any condition (OR)** — At least one must be true. Use this to catch variations.
* "Description contains GUSTO OR description contains ADP"
### Start specific, expand later
Here's a mistake people make: they create a rule for "Description contains FEE" and suddenly half their transactions auto-categorize as bank fees — including that \$500 "CONSULTING FEE" from a client.
Better approach: Start narrow. "Description contains MONTHLY SERVICE FEE AND account is Chase Business Checking." If you miss some legitimate fees, you can always broaden it later.
## Real examples that work
### The recurring software rule
You pay for 12 SaaS tools. Each one shows up with a slightly different description: "NOTION\*TEAM", "SLACK T03K", "FIGMA INC".
One option: Create 12 rules.
Better option: Create a rule group with OR conditions:
* Description contains "NOTION" OR
* Description contains "SLACK" OR
* Description contains "FIGMA" OR
* Description contains "DROPBOX"
* → Category: Software Subscriptions
### The coffee shop problem
Your team buys coffee during client meetings. You want these as "Meals & Entertainment" but you keep seeing transactions from the same three coffee shops.
Create a rule:
* Description contains "STARBUCKS" OR "BLUE BOTTLE" OR "PHILZ"
* Amount less than \$50 (to avoid gift card purchases)
* → Category: Meals & Entertainment
### The payroll catch-all
Payroll processors use consistent naming. Match them:
* Description contains "GUSTO" OR "ADP" OR "PAYCHEX"
* Amount greater than $1,000 (to skip the $4.99 fee transactions)
* → Category: Payroll Expense
* → Add note: "Payroll run"
* → Mark as reviewed
That last action — mark as reviewed — tells Pluvel you trust this rule enough to skip manual review.
## Rule actions
Beyond categorizing, rules can:
| Action | When to use |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Set category | Always — this is the main point |
| Add note | When you want context ("Client lunch with Acme Corp") |
| Mark reviewed | When you fully trust the rule, skip your review queue |
| Apply to both sides | For transfers between your own accounts |
## Managing your rules
Go to **Settings → Accounting → Bank Rules** to see all your rules.
Each rule shows:
* How many transactions it's matched (ever)
* When it last matched
* Whether it's active
### Priority matters
If two rules could match the same transaction, the first one wins. Drag rules to reorder.
Put your most specific rules at the top. General catch-alls (like "contains FEE") should be near the bottom.
### Test before you save
Every new rule has a **Test** button. Click it to see which existing transactions would match. If you see surprises, tighten your conditions.
## When rules go wrong
**Override rate is high:** If you're constantly changing auto-categorized transactions, your rule is too broad. Make conditions more specific.
**Vendor changed their name:** Companies get acquired, rebrand, or just change how charges appear. "GOOGLE CLOUD" became "GOOGLE\*CLOUD" one day and broke a rule. Check your rules quarterly.
**New account, rules don't apply:** Rules can be account-specific. If you open a new bank account, check if your rules apply to it or just the old one.
## Importing rules
Migrating from QuickBooks or another system? You might be able to export your rules as CSV and import them:
1. Export rules from your old system
2. Go to **Bank Rules → Import**
3. Map columns to Pluvel's format
4. Review and import
The mapping isn't always perfect — you may need to adjust after import.
## How to know it's working
After a month of using rules, check your metrics:
| Metric | What good looks like |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Match rate | 60-80% of transactions auto-categorize |
| Override rate | Under 5% (you rarely change auto-categorized items) |
| Time saved | You used to spend 2 hours/month on categorization, now it's 20 minutes |
If your match rate is under 50%, you need more rules. Look at your uncategorized transactions — what patterns do you see?
Power users often have 30-50 rules. That sounds like a lot, but each one took 30 seconds to create and saves minutes every month.
Manual categorization for transactions rules don't catch.
The categories your rules assign to.