How to Import Data from a CSV File

Learn how to import bills from a CSV file and how our smart import process works.

Importing Bills from a CSV File

The import feature allows you to add multiple bill records at once from a CSV file. Our system is designed to be smart and prevent common issues like duplicate entries or problems with mismatched categories.

How to Import

  1. Go to Settings: Open the app and navigate to the Settings screen.
  2. Find CSV Section: Tap on the CSV Import/Export option.
  3. Tap Import: Select the Import Bills from CSV button.
  4. Choose a File: Your device’s file picker will open. Locate and select the CSV file you want to import.
  5. Review the Results: After the import process is complete, a summary will be displayed, showing:
    • Total Records Processed: The total number of rows found in your file.
    • New Bills Added: The number of new bills successfully added to your app.
    • Bills Skipped: The number of bills that were skipped (usually because they already exist).
    • New Categories Added: The number of new spending or income categories that were created automatically.

Our Smart Import System

To make your life easier, our import tool has several intelligent features built-in:

1. Automatic Duplicate Prevention

The importer checks the id of each bill in the CSV file against the bills already in your app. If a bill with the same ID already exists, it will be skipped. This ensures you never have to worry about accidentally importing the same file twice.

2. Smart Category Handling

This is one of the most powerful features. You don’t need to create categories before importing. Here’s how the importer finds or creates a category for each transaction:

  1. Exact Match First: It first tries to match the transaction to one of your existing categories using its unique ID or a system translation key (this is useful when importing data from Zyn on another device).
  2. Name Match Second: If that fails, it looks for an existing category with the exact same name as what’s in the category column of your file.
  3. Create If Needed: If no match is found, it automatically creates a new category for you!
    • The new category’s name is taken from the category column.
    • If the category column is empty, it will be named “Unknown Expense” or “Unknown Income,” making it easy for you to find and edit later.
    • A default icon is assigned based on whether it’s an expense or income transaction.

This system ensures that 100% of your valid bills are imported, saving you the manual effort of pre-sorting categories.