BrightBooks provides an easy way to move data from your CSV files and upload them for any necessary adjustments. If you’ve already reviewed our Bank Feed article, you’re ready to take the next step.

In this article, we’ll explore the Rules feature—a valuable tool that helps you maintain a structured approach to your business finances. By mastering this feature, you can save significant time by creating rules tailored to your specific business needs.

The Rules feature is designed to automate repetitive tasks, ensuring consistency and accuracy in your financial records. Whether you’re categorizing transactions, setting up alerts, or applying specific criteria to your bank feeds, this feature can significantly reduce manual effort and minimize errors.

Prerequisite:

When setting up Rules, keep in mind that it can be applied to the Bank Feed based on the Narrative/Notes alone. This means you’ll need to ensure your transaction descriptions are clear and consistent to fully leverage this feature.

Viewing Bank Feed Rules

To view your business rules, click the Rules button on the Bank Feed page. This new shortcut was added for the navigation path: Settings > Banking > Bank Import Rules. Here, you can easily Edit or Delete any rule.

Edit Rule

If you need help modifying an existing rule, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Bank Feed Rule page.
2. Click the down arrow next to the rule you want to edit.
3. Select Edit to make changes to the rule.
4. Update the Narrative in the narrative box, if needed.
5. Assign a Customer/Supplier Code to set the rule for the specified narrative.
6. Assign a Customer/Supplier Name to set the rule for the specified narrative.
7. Adjust the Analysis Code and VAT Code as required.
   
   Note: Moving forward, these selected fields will be automatically applied each time the narrative is set.

Delete Rule

If you need help deleting a rule you’ve set, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the Bank Feed Rules page.
2. Click the down arrow next to the rule you want to delete.
3. Select Delete to remove the rule.
4. Confirm by clicking Yes when prompted.
5. The rule will now be removed. You cannot use this going forward until it is reset.

Make Rule

In this scenario, we are assuming that you have already loaded your feed. If you do not know how, click here. After the feed is loaded, to make a rule on the loaded feed follow the below steps to complete the same. 

Scenario 1: Setting a Rule for a Loaded Feed

1. Ensure Feed is Loaded: Make sure you have already loaded your feed. If you need help with this, click here.
2. Allocate Details: Confirm that you have allocated the details for each uploaded entry, such as Customer/Supplier and Nominal Code.
3. Select Checkbox: Click on the checkbox to the left of the item, if you want to set it as a rule.
4. Make Rule: Click the Make Rule button. A new window will appear.
5. Enter Narrative: In the new window, provide a narrative under which you would like to set the rule. The set Nominal Code and Customer/Supplier will be automatically applied every time the narrative gets selected.
6. Adjust Narrative: If necessary you can change the narrative.
7. Confirm: Click OK to set the rule.

Scenario 2: Setting a Rule Without Allocated Details

1. Select Item: Click the checkbox next to the entry you want to set as a rule.
2. Allocate Customer/Supplier: Assign the Customer/Supplier that you want to be applicable for the stated narrative.
3. Select Nominal Code: Choose the Nominal Code that you want to apply for the stated narrative.
4. Initiate Rule Creation: Click the Make Rule button. A new window will appear.
5. Enter Narrative: In the new window, provide a narrative under which you want to set the rule. The specified Nominal Code and Customer/Supplier will be automatically applied every time the narrative gets selected.
6. Modify Narrative: You can edit the narrative if required.
7. Confirm Rule: Click OK to set the rule.

Note: Whenever you edit a single feed and allocate details to the entry, you will be prompted to set these details as a rule for future entries. If you prefer not to see this prompt again, select Don’t ask me again.

Refresh Rule

Previously, when you updated a feed with details and set it as a rule for a specific narrative, the rule would only apply to future bank feeds that you upload. This meant that the rule wouldn’t affect entries in the current feed, which could cause inconsistencies. You can avoid this by using the Refresh Rule Button.

To ensure that the new rule applies to all relevant entries in the existing feed, follow these steps:

1. Update Feed with Details: When you update a feed with details and set it as a rule for a specific narrative, the rule is created.
2. Click Refresh Rule: After setting the rule, click the Refresh Rule button.
3. Apply Rule to Existing Entries: The Refresh Rule button will update the new rule for every other entry in the existing feed having the same narrative. This ensures consistency across all entries.

By using the Refresh Rule button, you can avoid the issue of rules only applying to future feeds and ensure that all relevant entries in the current feed are updated accordingly.