Rules let Cybooks code your repeating bank transactions for you. Set them up once, and every matching bank line is automatically assigned to the right account, vendor, tax rate and memo — either as a one-click suggestion or fully on autopilot.
What rules do
When a transaction lands in your bank inbox, Cybooks checks it against your rules in priority order. The first rule that matches fills in the suggested coding for you. With Auto-add turned on, the transaction is also confirmed without you lifting a finger.
Rules only apply to unreviewed transactions. Anything you've already confirmed in the bank inbox stays as it is.
Where to find them
Go to Bookkeeping › Rules in the sidebar. You'll see all your rules in priority order, with a count of how many transactions each one applies to.
Screenshot needed: The Rules list page at /bookeeping/rules/list, showing the table with Priority, Rule name, Applied to, Conditions and Settings columns, plus the "New rule" button in the top right.
Create a rule
Click New rule to open the rule editor. A rule has four parts: when it applies, what to look for, what to do, and whether to auto-confirm.
1. Name the rule
Give it a short name you'll recognise, like Hellenic bank fees or Office rent.
2. Choose where it applies
Pick the bank account the rule should run on, or choose All bank accounts if it applies everywhere. Then choose the direction:
Money in – for incoming transactions (sales, refunds, transfers in).
Money out – for outgoing transactions (payments, fees, transfers out).
3. Add conditions
Conditions tell Cybooks which transactions to match. You can mix and match as many as you need. Choose whether All conditions must match, or Any of them.
Available conditions:
Description – Contains, Doesn't contain, Is exactly, Doesn't equal.
Amount – Equals, Doesn't equal, Is greater than, Is less than.
Tip: Description matching looks at the bank memo. Use a short, distinctive word that always appears in those transactions, like the merchant name.
4. Set what the rule should do
Tell Cybooks how to code the transaction when the rule matches:
Chart of Account – the GL account to post it to (for example, "Bank charges" or "Office rent").
Tax rate – the VAT treatment to apply.
Payee – the vendor or customer to link the transaction to.
Memo – a clean description to use in your books. You can replace the bank memo, or append your text and keep the original.
5. Decide on Auto-add
Turn on Auto-add if you want Cybooks to confirm matching transactions automatically, with no review needed. Leave it off if you'd prefer to see the suggestion first and click confirm yourself.
Important: Only turn on Auto-add when you're confident the rule is tight enough. A loose rule on autopilot can mis-code a lot of transactions before you notice.
Test before you save
Use the Test rule button at the bottom of the editor. Cybooks shows you exactly how many of your currently unreviewed transactions the rule will apply to, so you can spot mistakes before you save.
Screenshot needed: The rule create form with conditions filled in and the "Test rule" result text showing how many transactions it matches.
Priority order
If a transaction matches more than one rule, the rule with the highest priority wins. Drag rules up or down in the list to change the order. Put your most specific rules at the top, and your catch-all rules at the bottom.
Edit, pause or delete a rule
Open any rule from the list to edit it. Each rule also has an Active toggle — switch it off to pause the rule without deleting it. To delete a rule for good, open it and confirm by typing the rule name.
Pausing a rule is safer than deleting. You can switch it back on later without rebuilding the conditions.
Good rules to start with
Bank charges – Money out, description contains "fee" or your bank's fee wording, post to Bank Charges, no VAT.
Subscriptions – Money out, description contains the vendor name, post to Software Subscriptions, payee set to that vendor.
Stripe payouts – Money in, description contains "STRIPE", post to your Stripe clearing account.
Rent – Money out, exact amount, post to Rent Expense, payee set to your landlord.
Frequently asked
Will rules touch transactions I've already confirmed?
No. Rules only run on transactions still sitting in your bank inbox waiting for review.
What happens if I change a rule later?
The new version applies from that point onwards. Transactions already booked in your ledger stay as they were.
Can I have a rule for all my bank accounts at once?
Yes. Choose All bank accounts when you set up the rule.
Why didn't my rule match a transaction?
Most often it's because the description doesn't quite match (extra spaces, different wording from the bank), or because a higher-priority rule matched first. Open the transaction and compare its bank memo against your rule conditions.