Interface Overview

Guide 3: Interface Overview

Learn your way around OtterLedger

Overview

OtterLedger's interface is designed to give you quick access to your financial information while keeping advanced features just a click away. This guide introduces every part of the interface so you'll always know where to find what you need.

What you'll learn:

• Navigation sidebar and main sections
• Dashboard widgets and customization
• Transaction list and editing
• Toolbar and keyboard shortcuts

Time required: 10 minutes to read, ongoing reference

Startup: Animated Splash Screen

When OtterLedger launches, it displays an animated splash screen while the application initializes. The splash screen shows the OtterLedger logo with spinning rings and floating currency symbols, giving visual feedback that the app is loading. The splash screen disappears automatically once the application is ready — typically within a few seconds.

The Main Layout

OtterLedger uses a three-part layout:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Title Bar (File name, minimize/maximize/close)             │
├──────────┬──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│          │                                                  │
│  Sidebar │              Main Content Area                   │
│          │                                                  │
│  (Nav)   │   (Changes based on selected section)            │
│          │                                                  │
│          │                                                  │
├──────────┴──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Status Bar (AI model, sync status, service indicators)     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Screenshot: Full application window with all areas labeled]

Navigation Sidebar

The sidebar on the left provides access to all major features. Each icon uses a distinct color to help you identify sections at a glance without reading the label.

Main Sections

Planning Section

The Planning group expands to show sub-sections for budgets, scheduled transactions, and bill reminders (visible when those features are enabled in Settings).

Contacts Section

The Contacts group expands to show payees, customers, and vendors.

Sales Section

Visible when invoicing is enabled.

Other Sections

Footer

[Screenshot: Sidebar with all sections visible and one section highlighted]

Tip: Click the Collapse button at the bottom of the sidebar (or the panel icon) to hide the labels and show only icons, giving you more screen space. Hover over any icon to see its name in a tooltip.

Tip: Each sidebar icon uses a distinct color — blue for Dashboard, green for Accounts, teal for Transactions, and so on. These colors make it easier to scan the sidebar without reading every label.

Dashboard

The Dashboard is your financial command center, showing key information at a glance.

Dashboard Widgets

[Screenshot: Dashboard with multiple widgets arranged in grid]

Customizing the Dashboard

1. Click the Customize button (gear icon) in the top-right
2. Drag widgets to rearrange them
3. Toggle widgets on/off with checkboxes
4. Click Save Layout

[Screenshot: Dashboard in customize mode with drag handles visible]

Accounts View

The Accounts view shows all your financial accounts organized by type.

Account List

Accounts are grouped by type:

• Banking - Checking, Savings
• Credit Cards - Credit accounts
• Loans - Mortgages, car loans, etc.
• Investments - Brokerage, retirement
• Assets - Property, vehicles
• Liabilities - Other debts

[Screenshot: Accounts view showing grouped accounts with balances]

Account Actions

Transactions View

The Transactions view is where you'll spend most of your time.

Transaction List Layout

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Account Dropdown ▼]  [Date Range ▼]  [Search...]  [+ Add] [Filter]│
├──────────┬───────────┬─────────────┬──────────┬─────────┬──────────┤
│ Date     │ Payee     │ Category    │ Account  │ Amount  │ Balance  │
├──────────┼───────────┼─────────────┼──────────┼─────────┼──────────┤
│ 01/15    │ Starbucks │ Food:Coffee │ Checking │  -5.50  │ 1,234.50 │
│ 01/14    │ Paycheck  │ Income      │ Checking │+2,500.00│ 1,240.00 │
│ ...      │ ...       │ ...         │ ...      │ ...     │ ...      │
└──────────┴───────────┴─────────────┴──────────┴─────────┴──────────┘

[Screenshot: Transaction list with toolbar and several transactions]

Transaction List Toolbar

Working with Transactions

[Screenshot: Transaction row being edited inline]

Transaction Editor Dialog

When you click a transaction or click Add, the full editor opens:

[Screenshot: Transaction editor dialog with all fields labeled]

Filter Panel

Click Filter in the Transactions toolbar to access advanced filtering.

[Screenshot: Filter panel expanded showing all options]

Filter Options

Tip: Save frequently used filters by clicking Save Filter and giving it a name.

Status Bar

The status bar at the bottom provides quick information about the current state of the application.

┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ✓ Ready    │    AI: GPU  Model: gemini-flash  │ PDF ● │ Gemini ● │ Last sync: Never │
└────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

[Screenshot: Status bar with elements labeled]

Tip: The Active Model indicator only appears when an AI model is configured and available. Hover over it for full model details. If no AI is configured, a "No AI configured" message appears instead — go to Settings > AI Settings to add a provider.

Tip: The PDF dot is clickable. Single-click to start the PDF extraction service; double-click to restart it if it becomes unresponsive.

Window Placement and Multi-Monitor Support

OtterLedger remembers where you left it. When you close and reopen the application:

• The window restores to its previous size and position
• If you use multiple monitors, the window reopens on the same monitor it was on when closed
• If that monitor is no longer connected, the window falls back to the primary display

This means you can keep OtterLedger on a secondary monitor alongside your browser or other applications and it will always reopen in the right place.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Master these shortcuts to work faster:

Global Shortcuts

Navigation

Transaction List

Right-Click Context Menus

Right-click on items for quick actions:

Transaction Context Menu

• Edit
• Duplicate
• Set Category
• Set Status
• Add Tag
• Delete

Account Context Menu

• View Transactions
• Edit Account
• Reconcile
• Export Transactions

[Screenshot: Context menu open on a transaction]

Tips & Best Practices

1. Learn the shortcuts - Ctrl+N for new transaction and Ctrl+T for transactions view will save you time.

2. Use the search - It's faster than scrolling. Search works on payee, amount, and memo.

3. Collapse the sidebar - Click the Collapse button at the bottom of the sidebar for more space when working with data.

4. Customize your dashboard - Put the widgets you use most at the top.

5. Use filters, save filters - Create saved filters for common views like "This month's expenses" or "Uncategorized".

6. Watch the status bar - The AI model indicator tells you which model is active. If it's blank, check Settings > AI Settings to confirm your provider is configured correctly.

Troubleshooting

Q: I can't find a feature I'm looking for.

A: Check the sidebar sections. Some features like Reconciliation and Import are in the Banking section or File menu. Payees, Customers, and Vendors are grouped under the Contacts section, which expands when clicked.

Q: The sidebar is missing.

A: Click the panel expand icon at the bottom of the collapsed sidebar (or the hamburger menu if visible) to show it again.

Q: Transactions are missing from the list.

A: Check your filters. Click Clear Filters to show all transactions, then verify the date range.

Q: The dashboard widgets aren't showing data.

A: Widgets show data from your default file. Make sure you have transactions entered and the correct date range is selected.

Q: The status bar shows "No AI configured".

A: Go to Settings > AI Settings and add at least one provider (Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, or Ollama). The status bar updates automatically once a provider is configured and connected.

Q: The PDF dot in the status bar is red.

A: Click the red dot to start the PDF extraction service. If it stays red after a few seconds, try double-clicking to restart it. The service is required for bank statement imports.

What's Next?

Now that you know the interface, start using the features:

• Guide 4: Managing Accounts - Master account management
• Guide 5: Working with Transactions - Transaction entry and editing
• Guide 6: Categories and Organization - Organize your finances

Need help? Visit the OtterLedger community at github.com/openledger or check the FAQ.