The basic idea of rules is that you can set up a rule to categorize/review specific transactions automatically. To create a rule, you can follow the steps below!

Step 1: Go to the "Transactions" tab.

Step 2: Click on the "Rules" button.

Step 3: Click "+ Add Rule".

Step 4: Rule Name - You will begin filling in the rule information. First, type in the Rule Name. This will be whatever you want the rule titled.

Step 5: Direction - Select the direction of the transaction/funds. For the transactions you're trying to match with this rule, is money going out or going into the bank account. Money out is an expense, money in is income. Transfers can be either.

Step 6: Apply to bank accounts - Select the bank account the transactions will occur in or you can leave this as all bank accounts.

Step 7: Conditions - Conditions are the most important part of the rule. The conditions tell the system what to look for/grab in terms of those transactions. You want your condition/s specific enough to not grab extra transactions, but not so specific that it doesn't grab the ones intended.

Select either Apply all conditions or Apply any condition. Apply all conditions means if you have more than one condition then the transaction would have to meet all of those to be grabbed by the rule. Apply any condition means the transaction can meet any condition you set and still be picked up by the rule.

Set your conditions based on the transactions you are trying to grab. For example, if your association has a garbage expense every month and the transaction that comes in has Garbage Pickup Ref 12306044 in the description field, you would put the condition as description contains Garbage Pickup. You would leave out the ref number as it would likely change each charge/month.

Step 8: Transaction type - Select the transaction type from the dropdown based on what the transaction is. Is the transaction an expense, income, or transfer?

Step 9: Classify Transaction - Select the category from the dropdown menu to which all transactions picked up by this rule need to be categorized.

Step 10: Add Vendor - Only do this if the transactions categorized off this rule need a vendor attached. For some expenses, you may want this. The Vendor must already be in your vendor tab to be selected here. If a vendor should not be attached, leave this field blank.

Step 11: Auto-Approve Transactions Based on Rule - Decide if you want the rule to review the transactions or leave them unreviewed for your final approval. If you want the rule to mark the transactions, it picked up as reviewed, checkmark the yes box. If you do not want the rule to mark the transactions as reviewed, check mark the no box. If you select no, you'll need to review the transactions the rule picks up.

Step 12: Click the blue "Save Rule" button!