Quick Start

Guide 1: Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with OtterLedger in under 10 minutes

Overview

Welcome to OtterLedger! This guide will take you from first launch to tracking your first transaction in just a few minutes. Whether you're managing personal finances, running a small business, or both, OtterLedger gives you one place to see your complete financial picture.

What you'll accomplish:

• Create your first OtterLedger file
• Add a bank account
• Enter your first transaction
• See your dashboard come to life

Time required: 5-10 minutes

Prerequisites

• OtterLedger installed on your computer
• Basic information about one of your bank accounts (name, current balance)

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Launch OtterLedger

Open OtterLedger from your applications menu or desktop shortcut. You'll see the Welcome screen.

[Screenshot: Welcome screen showing "Create New File" and "Open Existing File" options]

Step 2: Create Your First File

1. Click Create New File
2. Choose a location to save your file (we recommend your Documents folder)
3. Enter a name for your file (e.g., "My Finances" or "Business 2026")
4. Click Create

[Screenshot: New File dialog with file name field and location picker]

Note: If database provider selection is enabled in your installation, the wizard will also ask you to choose a database engine (SQLite is the default and recommended for most users).

Tip: Your OtterLedger file (.oledger) contains all your financial data. Back it up regularly!

Step 3: Add Your First Account

The New File Wizard will guide you through adding your first account.

1. Click Add Account

2. Select the account type:

   • Checking - for everyday spending accounts
   • Savings - for savings accounts
   • Credit Card - for credit cards
   • Cash - for cash on hand

3. Enter the account details:

   • Name: A friendly name (e.g., "Chase Checking" or "Primary Savings")
   • Opening Balance: Your current account balance
   • Opening Date: Today's date (or when you want to start tracking)

4. Click Save

[Screenshot: Add Account dialog showing account type selection and name/balance fields]

Tip: OtterLedger supports 28 different account types, including investment accounts, loans, and physical assets. You don't need to add them all at once — start with the accounts you use most often and expand as needed.

Step 4: Enter Your First Transaction

Now let's record a transaction to see OtterLedger in action.

1. Click Transactions in the sidebar (or press Ctrl+T)

2. Click Add Transaction (or press Ctrl+N)

3. Fill in the transaction details:

   • Date: Select the transaction date
   • Payee: Who you paid or received money from (e.g., "Coffee Shop" or "Paycheck")
   • Amount: Enter the amount
     • Positive for money IN (deposits, income)
     • Negative for money OUT (expenses, payments)
   • Category: Select a category (e.g., "Food & Dining" or "Income:Salary")
   • Account: Select the account (your new account should be selected)

4. Click Save (or press Ctrl+S)

[Screenshot: Transaction editor with fields filled in for a sample expense]

Step 5: View Your Dashboard

Click Dashboard in the sidebar to see your financial overview.

[Screenshot: Dashboard with one account and one transaction showing in widgets]

Congratulations! You've created your first OtterLedger file, added an account, and recorded a transaction. Your dashboard now shows:

• Your account balance
• Recent transaction
• Beginning of your spending history

Common Tasks

Now that you're set up, here are the most common things you'll do:

Quick Keyboard Shortcuts

Tips & Best Practices

1. Start with your most-used account - You don't need to add everything at once. Start with your primary checking account and add others as needed.

2. Use meaningful payee names - "Starbucks" is better than "Card Purchase". OtterLedger will remember payees and auto-suggest them.

3. Categorize as you go - It's easier to categorize one transaction at a time than to face a backlog of hundreds.

4. Import bank statements - Instead of typing transactions manually, import QBO, OFX, QFX, QIF, CSV, or PDF statement files from your bank. Go to File → Import. OtterLedger's duplicate detection ensures you won't import the same transactions twice, so it's safe to re-import overlapping date ranges.

5. Let AI do the categorizing - After import, OtterLedger's tiered categorization engine analyzes each transaction: rules first, then machine learning (XGBoost), then a local LLM if available, and optionally a cloud AI provider. Review the suggestions and correct any that look off — the system learns from your feedback over time.

6. Watch for recurring charges - OtterLedger automatically detects subscriptions and recurring charges from your imported transactions. Check Subscriptions in the sidebar to see what it found.

7. Back up your file - OtterLedger can auto-backup. Go to Settings → Backup to configure.

Troubleshooting

Q: I entered the wrong opening balance. How do I fix it?

A: Go to Accounts, click on the account, then click Edit. Update the opening balance and save.

Q: I can't find my transaction.

A: Check the date range filter at the top of the Transactions view. It may be filtering out older or newer transactions. Click Clear Filters to show all.

Q: My balance looks wrong.

A: Make sure you're entering expenses as negative amounts and income as positive amounts. You can edit any transaction by clicking on it.

What's Next?

Now that you have the basics down, explore these guides:

• Guide 2: First-Time Setup - Configure OtterLedger for your needs
• Guide 3: Interface Overview - Learn your way around
• Guide 5: Working with Transactions - Master transaction entry
• Guide 8: Importing Bank Files - Save time with imports
• Guide 49: Subscription Tracking - See your detected recurring charges

Going further:

• Budgets - Track spending against per-category targets
• Marketplace sales - Import settlement reports from Amazon, Shopify, Etsy, and eBay to track revenue, fees, and profitability
• Reports & Schedule C - See spending summaries and tax-ready Schedule C data for self-employed users
• Bank reconciliation - Verify your records match your bank statements at month-end

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