Overview
Categorizing a transaction is a core action in Puzzle. It’s how you make sure your spending and cash receipts are included in the correct accounts for accounting purposes. In Puzzle, we try to make this process as simple as possible; this guide is designed to explain how you can do it.
Where to categorize
When you integrate your third-party accounts (e.g. banks, credit cards, payroll providers, payment processors), the primary accounting transactions get aggregated into a single Transaction feed within Puzzle.
Finding Transactions Using Filters and Search
To locate a specific transaction effectively, you can use filters and search capabilities. Ensure the appropriate date range is set to include the period of the transaction (e.g., November).
Within the Transaction feed, you can categorize these transactions within either 1) the Transaction feed itself or 2) the side drawer for an individual transaction. Categorizing a transaction tells Puzzle the nature of what happened, allowing us to account for it!
Transaction feed categorization
When you open your Transaction feed, which you can access using the navigation panel within Puzzle, you will see a listing of transactions and the associated categories. Some of the categories are based on Puzzle-recommended rules and others are based on categorization that you have already performed in the past; all transactions remain in this feed. (See our Rules and Categories user guide for the different types of Rules that can determine the Category for a transaction.)
You can click on the Category label of any transaction to modify its category. A screen will pop up allowing you to select or search based on account title or associated keywords. Additionally, you can use the Filters panel to search by specific criteria.
The new Category should be reflected both in the Transaction feed as well as any relevant financial statements and reports within Puzzle.
Splitting Transactions into Multiple Categories
Within the transaction drawer, Puzzle allows splitting a transaction into multiple categories. This is helpful when a single transaction corresponds to different accounts or purposes. For example, you can split a $6,000 expense into $3,000 for Development and $3,000 for R&D.
You can click on the blank space of any transaction line to open a “drawer” on the right side of your screen. The transaction drawer reveals additional information about that particular transaction. The transaction drawer also allows you to split the transaction, create or edit a Rule for this type of transaction, assign another Puzzle user a task, upload supporting documents, and add comments.
To split a transaction:
Open the Transaction Drawer: Locate and click on the transaction row to open its details.
Initiate the Split Action: Select the "Split" option within the drawer.
Specify the Splits: Enter the desired amounts per category and assign them accordingly.
Save the Changes: Confirm and save the updates to reflect the split.
Within the drawer, you can click on the Category assigned currently to begin the same workflow of assigning a different category.
Overview of the Transactions Import Template
The Transactions Import Template is used to upload and categorize transactions in bulk within the Puzzle application. A key feature of this template is the Display ID column, which enables automated mapping of transactions to specific Chart of Accounts.
Using the Display ID Column to Categorize Transactions
To categorize transactions to a specific Chart of Account, do the following:
Open the Transactions Import Template: Ensure you are working with the correct version of the template provided by Puzzle.
Input the Account Code: In the Display ID column, enter the account code (or Display ID) corresponding to the Chart of Account you want each transaction to be categorized under. Each transaction row should include the appropriate code for its category.
Save the Template: After you’ve entered all necessary account codes, save the file in the format required (e.g., .csv).
Correcting Errors After CSV Import
If you have uploaded incorrect data via a CSV file, you can bulk delete transactions by following these steps:
Filter the Transactions:
Navigate to the Transactions page in the Puzzle app.
Use the filter options to search for transactions based on their source and input method.
Select Transactions to Delete:
The application allows you to select and delete multiple transactions at a time, up to a batch size of 100.
Repeat if Necessary: For larger datasets, you may need to repeat this process until all incorrect transactions have been removed. By following these correction procedures, you can streamline the management of your transactions in Puzzle and minimize import errors.
Follow these tips for a successful import experience:
Start Small: Before importing a large dataset, test the process with a single transaction to confirm proper formatting and successful categorization. This helps identify and resolve any potential issues in advance.
Verify Account Codes: Double-check the Display ID column to ensure that all codes entered match the intended Chart of Accounts.
Backup Data: Maintain a backup of the original dataset to avoid data loss or errors during the import process.
Avoid Duplicate Transactions: Ensure the data in your CSV file doesn’t overlap with already ingested transactions by setting a non-overlapping date range (e.g., if the bank sync has recorded transactions up to January 31, start the import with February 1 onward).
Verify Data Accuracy: Review your CSV file for formatting errors or inaccuracies before uploading.
Still Puzzled?
Reach out to us as [email protected] — we’re here to help!