Importing from YNAB into Allotti
Importing from YNAB brings accounts, envelopes and transactions into Allotti: each YNAB category finds its category in Allotti, chosen by hand where needed. YNAB groups become groups or collections.
What you need
The whole YNAB export: the zip that contains the Register. The import is done from a computer, in the web app.
The steps
- Open Accounts and tap Import. On your computer open Accounts and tap Import.
- Choose the file. Tap Choose the file and pick the YNAB zip. Allotti recognises the format from the content: a zip that is not from YNAB cannot be read.
- Check the accounts. For each YNAB account you see what is already in Allotti. Where there is nothing, the import creates a new account. Each new account has a type: Allotti suggests one, and where the name does not tell, you choose.
- Check the categories. For each YNAB category Allotti suggests one of its own. The ones it cannot find are at the top: choose our category from the menu or "None of these", and the category is created as a group with its name and its budget. If two categories go to the same category of ours the budgets are merged and Allotti tells you. Before going on you see a preview of how the groups will look in Allotti.
- Income to assign. In YNAB they are «Inflow: Ready to Assign». In Allotti they become income on their account, with the category you choose here.
- Balance check. The balances in Allotti must equal those in YNAB on the cut-off day, to the cent. Until they match, Import stays off. If an account does not match, next to Cancel the import you find the button Create an adjustment of with the amount of the difference: Allotti asks for confirmation and writes an "Import adjustment" transaction dated the day before the cut-off. If To assign does not match, an adjustment cannot fix it: Import stays off, and the page offers Cancel the import.
- Import. Everything is written together. Each import can be undone in full from the Imports of the account.
What happens to the transactions?
From the cut-off day, the YNAB transactions come first and the Allotti ones after. The starting balance is the YNAB balance on the day before.
Questions
Can I undo the import?
Yes, each import can be undone in full. If there are reconciled transactions, the import cannot be undone and Allotti tells you.
What happens if the balances do not match?
Import stays off until the balances in Allotti equal those in YNAB on the cut-off day, to the cent. You have two ways. The main one is Cancel the import. For an account that does not match you can instead create an adjustment: Allotti offers it next to Cancel the import, asks for confirmation and writes an "Import adjustment" transaction dated the day before the cut-off, which is removed by cancelling the import. If To assign does not match, an adjustment cannot fix it: Import stays off, and the page offers Cancel the import.
Two YNAB categories go to the same category of ours?
If they are in the same YNAB group the two budgets are merged into one and Allotti tells you under the two rows: you can choose another category for one of them or "None of these". If they are in two different YNAB groups nothing is added up and there is no notice.
Can I import from my phone?
No, the import is done from a computer, in the web app. It is not available on the phone.