Data Import Hub

Overview

All imports start from Settings > Data Import. The Import screen offers two cards:

• Migrate from another app moves accounts, transactions and your budget from YNAB, Monarch, Actual or Mint in one go.
• Import a CSV or JSON file loads a transaction file into one account you already have.

Pick the migration when you're leaving another budgeting app and want everything at once. Pick the file import when you have a bank export or a spreadsheet for one account.

Imports are available on every plan, including Free.

Migrate from Another App

The migration wizard reads the export file your old app produces and shows you exactly what it will create before it writes anything.

Choose your app

Go to Settings > Data Import and tap Migrate from another app. Under Which app are you coming from?, pick YNAB, Monarch Money, Actual Budget, or Mint / EveryDollar / Other. A How to export box tells you how to get the right file out of that app.

Upload the export

Tap Choose file, select the export, then tap Start import. YNAB and Actual use a .zip file. Monarch and the Mint / Other option use a .csv file.

Review what will be imported

The Here's what we'll import screen lists the number of accounts and transactions, the budget it found, and any notes about rows it couldn't read.

Make your choices

Check the category matches, choose which accounts stay active if your plan has a limit, and decide what happens if you already have a budget. Details are below.

Import

Tap Import. You can leave the screen while it runs. When it finishes you'll see Import complete (or Imported with some issues) with counts, plus Link these accounts to a bank, View budget and Done.

What the Migration Brings Across

Account Limits on Your Plan

If the export has more accounts than your plan can keep active, the preview shows Choose which accounts stay active. Tick the ones you want. The rest still import, but they're view-only until you upgrade. Account types your plan doesn't include appear under Imported, needs a higher plan to use.

If You Already Have a Budget

When you already have an active budget, the preview shows You already have an active budget with two choices:

• Keep mine, import as inactive brings the budget in but leaves your current one active.
• Replace it archives your current budget and activates the imported one.

Limits

Import a CSV or JSON File

Use this for a bank export, a spreadsheet, or any app that isn't in the migration list.

Open the file import

Go to Settings > Data Import and tap Import a CSV or JSON file. This opens Import Transactions. To import into a specific account, you can also start from that account's page under Data Import > Import Transactions.

Choose the file and account

Tap Choose CSV or JSON file and pick the account the transactions belong to.

Map your columns

If the format is recognized, choose Import directly or Customize. Otherwise tap Map columns and tell Forbidden Finance which column holds the date, amount and merchant. Date and amount are required.

Set the currency

Leave Currency on Auto to use a currency column from the file or the account's own currency, or pick a currency to apply to every row.

Import

Tap Import. The summary shows total rows, how many were imported, how many were duplicates, and any errors by row.

Saved Mappings

When you map columns by hand, you can type a name under Save mapping as (optional). Next time, pick it from the Saved Mappings section at the top of the import screen and your columns are set for you. When an account has a mapping saved for it, imports started from that account's page apply it automatically and show its name.

Undo an Import

Imports started from an account's page end with an Undo this import button. It's available for 24 hours and removes every transaction that import created. To bring them back, import the file again.

Duplicates

Before saving a file import, Forbidden Finance checks each row against transactions already in that account. A row with the same date, amount and description as an existing transaction is counted as a duplicate and skipped, so importing an overlapping file doesn't double your history. Account-page imports show Estimated duplicates before you confirm.

Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I run a migration twice?

Yes, but try to get it right the first time: you have 5 attempts per 24 hours. If the first run looks wrong, check the export file and the category matches before trying again.

Which file types can I import?

The migration takes .zip (YNAB, Actual) or .csv (Monarch, Mint and others). The file import takes .csv, .json and .txt files.

Does importing count against my account limit?

Migrated accounts count as manual accounts. On Free you can keep up to 10 active, and the wizard asks you to choose if the export has more.

Are imported transactions treated like bank transactions?

They show up in your lists, budgets and reports like any other transaction. Unlike bank-synced ones, you can delete imported transactions yourself.

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