Teach the system a bank's statement layout

Teach it once

Under Settings, Statement layouts, choose Teach a layout. Choose the bank account, the file's format and a sample statement. CSV, Excel XLSX, old Excel XLS and PDF are supported. OFX holds its own tags and needs no layout. Give the delimiter for CSV, or the worksheet name for Excel if the transactions are not on the first sheet. The file is checked for viruses before it is read.

1. Give the layout a name the firm will recognise.
2. Choose Column headings, then click the sample's heading row. Use the select above each column to name what it holds: date, value date, description, reference, amount, debit, credit or balance. Leave columns the system should ignore as Not used.
3. Choose First transaction and click the first row of money. Choose Stop reading here and click a printed total or closing row, or set the stop texts and the number of blank rows that ends the statement. A description continued on the next row stays with its transaction; headings repeated on later pages are skipped.
4. Choose the date format. Check the three sample dates beside their read dates, then confirm them. Choose the separators the bank prints and whether signed amounts use a minus sign or end in DR and CR. Separate debit and credit columns may be mapped instead.
5. Set each balance to derive from the transactions' running balances, or choose Read a labelled row and name its printed label and figure column. You may mark the opening and closing rows directly from the grid.

For a PDF, drag each column boundary into place or focus it and use the arrow keys. Shift with an arrow moves ten points; Home and End move to the permitted edges. The top and bottom bands let you skip letterheads and footers. The sample grid scrolls inside its own box on a phone.

Check the complete statement

The Live read checks the whole file, even when the grid shows only its first 300 rows. Check its lines, opening and closing balances. Save layout is offered only after the sample reconciles and the dates are confirmed. Every transaction must be readable and the opening balance plus every amount must equal the closing balance. A scanned PDF is marked Read from a scan and must pass the same reconciliation.

Saving makes version 1 and selects this layout as the sample account's default. Its record shows the versions, accounts using it and statements read with it.

Import each month

Choose Import statement under Banking, Statements. The account's default layout is selected. Read the new month's file, check its span and balances, and import it. The statement keeps the exact layout version it was read with. Download its original file from its record; viewing it inside the browser is a later feature.

When the bank changes its layout

A refused read says which headings are missing and found, or gives the opening, closing and difference. Choose Update the layout from this statement. The retained file opens as the sample on the saved layout, so you only need to re-mark what moved and check the live read. Save layout adds the next version. Earlier statements keep their original versions. If someone else saves first, reload before saving your changes.

Retire an old layout

Choose Retire layout on its record and give the reason. It is no longer offered for new imports and its account defaults are cleared. Its versions and the statements that name them stay on file. Teaching, version saves, retirement, refused imports and successful imports are recorded in the audit trail.