Working with Transactions

Guide 5: Working with Transactions

Master transaction entry, editing, and organization

Overview

Transactions are the heart of OtterLedger. Every purchase, payment, deposit, and transfer is recorded as a transaction. This guide covers everything from quick entry to advanced features like splits and attachments.

What you'll learn:

• Adding transactions (quick and detailed)
• Editing and deleting transactions
• Split transactions
• Transfers between accounts
• Bulk operations
• Attachments and receipts

Time required: 20 minutes

Prerequisites

• At least one account created (see Guide 4: Managing Accounts)
• Understanding of the interface (see Guide 3: Interface Overview)

Transaction Basics

Every transaction has these core fields:

Amount Sign Convention

Adding a Transaction

Method 1: Quick Add (Fastest)

1. Press Ctrl+N anywhere in the app
2. Enter: Date, Payee, Amount, Category
3. Press Enter or click Save

[Screenshot: Quick Add bar at top of transactions view]

Method 2: Full Editor

For more control or to add splits/attachments:

1. Click Transactions in the sidebar
2. Click Add Transaction button
3. Fill in all desired fields
4. Click Save

[Screenshot: Full transaction editor dialog]

Method 3: Inline Editing

Add transactions directly in the list:

1. In Transactions view, scroll to the bottom
2. Click in the "New transaction" row
3. Enter details in each column
4. Press Tab to move between fields
5. Press Enter to save

[Screenshot: Inline editing in transaction list]

The Transaction Editor

The full editor provides access to all transaction features.

[Screenshot: Full transaction editor with all fields labeled]

Basic Fields

Additional Fields

Transaction Status

The Transaction List

Toolbar

The transaction list toolbar contains controls for filtering, searching, and customizing the view.

Memo toggle: Click the Memo button in the toolbar to show or hide the memo column. When the column is hidden, memos are still accessible by clicking on a transaction to open the editor.

[Screenshot: Toolbar with memo toggle button highlighted]

Footer: Filtered Total

The transaction list footer always shows the total account balance. When you have active filters — such as a date range, category, or search term — the footer also shows a filtered total alongside the overall total. This lets you instantly see the sum of the transactions matching your current view without leaving the list.

Example: Showing $342.50 of 15 transactions (account total: $4,821.00)

Tip: Use this to quickly total a month's spending in a category — set a date range and category filter, then read the filtered total directly from the footer.

[Screenshot: Transaction list footer showing filtered total and account total]

Performance with Large Accounts

Accounts with 10,000 or more transactions now load noticeably faster. Date sorting and running balance calculation have been optimized so that scrolling and filtering remain responsive even on large datasets.

Editing Transactions

Edit a Single Transaction

Method 1: Click to open

1. Click on any transaction row
2. Editor dialog opens
3. Make changes
4. Click Save

Method 2: Inline editing

1. Double-click a specific field
2. Edit the value
3. Press Enter or click away to save

[Screenshot: Transaction being edited inline]

Edit Multiple Transactions (Bulk Edit)

1. Select multiple transactions:

   • Ctrl+Click to select individual transactions
   • Shift+Click to select a range
   • Ctrl+A to select all visible

2. Right-click and choose:

   • Set Category - Apply same category to all
   • Set Status - Mark all as Cleared/Pending
   • Add Tag - Add a tag to all
   • Delete - Delete all selected

[Screenshot: Multiple transactions selected with context menu open]

Deleting Transactions

Delete a Single Transaction

• Select transaction → Press Delete key
• Or right-click → Delete
• Or open transaction → Click Delete button

Delete Multiple Transactions

1. Select transactions (Ctrl+Click or Shift+Click)
2. Press Delete or right-click → Delete
3. Confirm deletion

Warning: Deleted transactions cannot be recovered (unless you restore from backup). Reconciled transactions will warn before deletion.

Split Transactions

Splits allow one transaction to span multiple categories.

When to Use Splits

• Grocery trip includes household items and food
• Paycheck with taxes, insurance, 401(k)
• Business expense that's partially deductible
• Reimbursable expenses mixed with personal

Creating a Split Transaction

1. Open transaction editor (new or existing)
2. Click Add Split (or the split icon)
3. For each split line:
   • Enter Category
   • Enter Amount
   • Optionally add Memo
4. Verify total matches the transaction amount
5. Click Save

[Screenshot: Split transaction editor with 3 split lines]

Example: Grocery Split

Transaction: Target purchase for $85.47

Split Transaction Tips

• The split total must equal the transaction amount
• Each split line can have its own category and memo
• Splits appear in reports under their respective categories
• You can have up to 100 split lines (though most need far fewer)

Transfers Between Accounts

Transfers move money between your accounts without being income or expense.

Creating a Transfer

Method 1: Transfer button

1. Click Add Transaction
2. Click Transfer button (or Ctrl+T in editor)
3. Select:
   • From Account: Where money is coming from
   • To Account: Where money is going
   • Amount: How much to transfer
   • Date: When the transfer occurs
4. Click Save

[Screenshot: Transfer dialog with From/To accounts]

Method 2: Manual category

1. Create a transaction in the source account
2. Set category to [Transfer:Account Name]
3. OtterLedger automatically creates the matching transaction

How Transfers Appear

A $500 transfer from Checking to Savings creates:

Transfer Tips

• Transfers don't affect income or expense totals
• Transfers don't appear in spending reports (by default)
• Edit either side of a transfer; the other updates automatically
• Delete either side; both are removed

Finding Transactions

Quick Search

1. Click in the search box (or press Ctrl+F)
2. Type your search term
3. Results filter as you type

Search looks in:

• Payee name
• Memo
• Amount
• Check number

Advanced Filters

Click the Filter button for more options:

[Screenshot: Advanced filter panel expanded]

When filters are active, the filtered total in the list footer updates to reflect the sum of matching transactions. See The Transaction List above.

Saving Filters

1. Set up your filter criteria
2. Click Save Filter
3. Enter a name (e.g., "This Month's Expenses")
4. Access saved filters from the Saved Filters dropdown

Attachments

Attach receipts, invoices, or documents to transactions.

Adding an Attachment

1. Open the transaction editor
2. Click Add Attachment (or drag and drop)
3. Select file(s) to attach
4. Click Save

Supported formats: PDF, JPG, PNG, GIF

[Screenshot: Transaction with attachment preview]

Viewing Attachments

• Click the attachment icon on a transaction row
• Or open the transaction and click on the attachment thumbnail

Attachment Storage

Attachments are stored inside your OtterLedger file. This means:

• ✅ Attachments are backed up with your data
• ✅ No separate folder to manage
• ⚠️ Large attachments increase file size

Tip: Resize images before attaching to keep file size manageable.

Recurring Transactions

For transactions that repeat (rent, subscriptions, etc.), see Guide 20: Scheduled Transactions.

Quick setup:

1. Open any transaction
2. Click Make Recurring
3. Set the frequency
4. Save

Tips & Best Practices

1. Categorize immediately - It's faster to categorize one transaction than to face hundreds later.

2. Use consistent payee names - "Starbucks" every time, not "Starbucks", "STARBUCKS #123", "Starbucks Coffee". OtterLedger will auto-suggest. See Guide 47: Payee Management & Merge to clean up duplicate payee names.

3. Add memos for unusual transactions - Your future self will thank you when reviewing. Use the memo toggle in the toolbar to keep the memo column visible while you work.

4. Use splits for mixed purchases - Don't guess; split it properly.

5. Review pending transactions - Mark as cleared when they appear on your bank statement.

6. Attach important receipts - Business expenses, warranties, large purchases.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Troubleshooting

Q: My transaction disappeared.

A: Check your filters. Click Clear Filters and verify the date range includes your transaction date.

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

A: Click on the transaction to open the editor, change the amount, and save. If it's reconciled, you'll need to confirm the edit.

Q: The category I need doesn't exist.

A: Type the category name and press Enter to create it, or go to Categories to create it with full details.

Q: My transfer only shows in one account.

A: This shouldn't happen. Try deleting and recreating the transfer using the Transfer button.

Q: I attached the wrong file.

A: Open the transaction, click the attachment, and click Remove. Then attach the correct file.

What's Next?

Master more transaction features:

• Guide 6: Categories and Organization - Organize transactions effectively
• Guide 7: Tags - Add custom labels
• Guide 8: Importing Bank Files - Import instead of typing
• Guide 10: Reconciliation - Verify your records
• Guide 47: Payee Management & Merge - Clean up and consolidate payee names

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