YNAB Budget Management

Complete YNAB budget automation toolkit with best practices, automated monitoring, and ready-to-use helper scripts.

✨ Features

• 📊 Goal Progress Tracking - Monitor category goals with visual progress bars
• 📅 Scheduled Transaction Alerts - Never miss upcoming bills
• 💰 Age of Money Monitoring - Track financial stability
• 📈 Month-over-Month Analysis - Compare spending trends
• ⚠️ Overspending Alerts - Get notified when exceeding budgets
• 🔄 Automated Daily Check - Morning budget summary via WhatsApp/Telegram
• 🎯 Smart Categorization - Learn from transaction history
• 💸 Real Transfer Support - Properly linked account transfers

🚀 Quick Start

This skill provides best practices for managing YNAB budgets via API, including transaction categorization, data consistency, and automated workflows.

📋 Installation & Setup

1. Get Your YNAB API Key

1. Go to https://app.ynab.com/settings/developer
2. Click "New Token" and copy your Personal Access Token
3. Get your Budget ID from the YNAB URL (e.g., https://app.ynab.com/abc123... → abc123...)

2. Configure the Skill

Create config file at ~/.config/ynab/config.json:

{
  "api_key": "YOUR_YNAB_TOKEN_HERE",
  "budget_id": "YOUR_BUDGET_ID_HERE"
}

Or set environment variables:

export YNAB_API_KEY="your_token"
export YNAB_BUDGET_ID="your_budget_id"

3. Set Up Automated Reports (Recommended)

🚀 ONE-COMMAND SETUP:

/home/node/clawd/skills/ynab-api/scripts/setup-automation.sh

This interactive script creates all recommended cron jobs:

• ✅ Daily Budget Check (7:15 AM) - Age of Money, upcoming bills, alerts
• ✅ Weekly Spending Review (Monday 8:00 AM) - Month comparison
• ✅ Mid-Month Goal Check (15th, 9:00 AM) - Category goals progress
• ✅ Upcoming Bills Alert (10:00 AM daily) - Next 2 days transactions

Preview changes first:

/home/node/clawd/skills/ynab-api/scripts/setup-automation.sh --dry-run

Manual setup (alternative):

If you prefer to create cron jobs manually:

openclaw cron add --name "Daily Budget Check" \
  --schedule "15 7 * * *" \
  --session isolated \
  --model gemini-flash \
  --delivery announce \
  --task "Run YNAB daily budget check and send via WhatsApp"

4. Test Your Setup

Run a quick test:

/home/node/clawd/skills/ynab-api/scripts/goals-progress.sh

If you see your budget goals, you're all set! 🎉

Core Best Practices

1. Always Categorize Immediately

Never create transactions without a category. Uncategorized transactions break budget tracking.

When adding a transaction, categorize it at creation time—don't defer.

2. Check Transaction History for Unknown Merchants

When you encounter an unfamiliar merchant/payee:

1. Search YNAB for past transactions with the same payee name
2. Use the same category as previous transactions
3. Maintain consistency with historical categorization

Why: This preserves categorization consistency and reduces user interruptions.

Example:

# Search for past transactions by payee
curl -s "https://api.ynab.com/v1/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/transactions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" | \
  jq '.data.transactions[] | select(.payee_name | contains("MERCHANT_NAME"))'

3. Check for Pending Transactions Before Adding

Before creating a new transaction:

1. Check if an unapproved transaction already exists for the same amount
2. If found → approve it and update payee/memo if needed
3. If not found → create new transaction

Why: Avoids duplicates from imported bank transactions.

4. Use Milliunits for Amounts

YNAB API uses milliunits for all amounts:

• €10.00 = 10000 (positive for income)
• -€10.00 = -10000 (negative for expenses)

Always divide by 1000 when displaying, multiply by 1000 when submitting.

5. Monthly Expense Calculation

When calculating monthly spending:

• Only count transactions with amount < 0 (actual expenses)
• Consider excluding non-discretionary categories like:
• Tax payments (mandatory, not spending choices)
• Advances/reimbursements (temporary, not true expenses)
• Uncategorized (often transfers/investments)
• Extraordinary one-time expenses (if tracking discretionary budget)

Note: Exclusion rules depend on your budget goals. Configure your specific exclusions in a local config or notes file.

6. Handle Split Transactions

Transactions with category "Split" contain subtransactions.

Never show "Split" as a category in reports—always expand to subcategories:

# For each split transaction
if [ "$category_name" = "Split" ]; then
  for subtx in subtransactions; do
    echo "$subtx.category_name: $subtx.amount"
  done
fi

7. Transfer Transactions (CRITICAL)

⚠️ IMPORTANT: To create a real transfer that YNAB recognizes as linked transactions between accounts, you MUST use the account's transfer_payee_id, NOT a payee name.

How Transfers Work

Each account has a special field transfer_payee_id - this is the payee ID that represents transfers TO that account.

✅ CORRECT - Real Transfer:

# Transfer from Account A to Account B
# Get Account B's transfer_payee_id first, then:
curl -X POST "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/transactions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{
    \"transaction\": {
      \"account_id\": \"ACCOUNT_A_ID\",
      \"date\": \"2026-02-21\",
      \"amount\": -50000,
      \"payee_id\": \"ACCOUNT_B_TRANSFER_PAYEE_ID\",
      \"approved\": true
    }
  }"

❌ WRONG - NOT a Real Transfer:

# Using payee_name creates a regular transaction, NOT a transfer
"payee_name": "Transfer: To Account B"  # YNAB won't link this

Getting Transfer Payee IDs

Get all accounts with their transfer_payee_id:

curl "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/accounts" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" | \
  jq -r '.data.accounts[] | "\(.name): \(.transfer_payee_id)"'

Store these IDs in your personal config (TOOLS.md or local config file) for quick reference.

What Happens When Done Correctly

When you use transfer_payee_id:

• YNAB creates two linked transactions (one in each account)
• The matching transaction appears automatically in the destination account
• Both transactions are marked as transfers (not regular expenses/income)
• Category is automatically set to "Transfer" (no budget impact)
• Deleting one side deletes both

Common Transfer Mistakes

1. Using payee_name → Creates regular transaction, not a transfer
2. Manually creating both sides → Creates duplicates instead of linked pair
3. Setting a category → Transfers shouldn't have categories (YNAB ignores it)
4. Wrong transfer_payee_id → Transfer goes to wrong account

Transfer vs. Regular Transaction

| Transfer (payee_id = transfer_payee_id) | Regular Transaction (payee_name) |

|----------------------------------------|----------------------------------|

| Two linked transactions created | Single transaction |

| Automatically categorized as Transfer | Needs category |

| No budget impact | Affects budget |

| Both sides auto-reconcile | Manual reconciliation |

Common Account IDs Structure

Store account IDs in config (example structure):

{
  "accounts": {
    "primary_checking": "UUID-HERE",
    "savings": "UUID-HERE",
    "cash": "UUID-HERE"
  },
  "default_account": "primary_checking"
}

Never hardcode account IDs in scripts—use config references.

Common Operations

Add Transaction

YNAB_API="https://api.ynab.com/v1"

curl -X POST "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/transactions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{
    \"transaction\": {
      \"account_id\": \"$ACCOUNT_ID\",
      \"date\": \"2026-02-21\",
      \"amount\": -10000,
      \"payee_name\": \"Coffee Shop\",
      \"category_id\": \"$CATEGORY_ID\",
      \"memo\": \"Morning coffee\",
      \"approved\": true
    }
  }"

Create Transfer Between Accounts

# Step 1: Get destination account's transfer_payee_id
DEST_ACCOUNT_NAME="Savings"
TRANSFER_PAYEE_ID=$(curl -s "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/accounts" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" | \
  jq -r ".data.accounts[] | select(.name == \"$DEST_ACCOUNT_NAME\") | .transfer_payee_id")

# Step 2: Create transfer transaction
curl -X POST "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/transactions" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d "{
    \"transaction\": {
      \"account_id\": \"$SOURCE_ACCOUNT_ID\",
      \"date\": \"2026-02-21\",
      \"amount\": -50000,
      \"payee_id\": \"$TRANSFER_PAYEE_ID\",
      \"memo\": \"Monthly savings transfer\",
      \"approved\": true
    }
  }"

# YNAB will automatically create the matching transaction in the destination account

Important: Only create ONE transaction - YNAB creates the matching side automatically.

Search Transactions

# Get transactions since date
curl "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/transactions?since_date=2026-02-01" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY"

# Filter by payee (client-side with jq)
... | jq '.data.transactions[] | select(.payee_name | contains("Coffee"))'

Get Categories

curl "$YNAB_API/budgets/$BUDGET_ID/categories" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" | \
  jq '.data.category_groups[].categories[] | {id, name}'

Monthly Spending Report

To calculate monthly spending:

1. Get all transactions for the month
2. Filter: amount < 0 (expenses only)
3. Exclude configured non-discretionary categories (taxes, transfers, etc.)
4. Expand Split transactions into subcategories
5. Sum by category or total

Tip: Consider separating small recurring expenses from large one-time purchases for better budget analysis.

🛠️ Available Scripts

All scripts are in /skills/ynab-api/scripts/ and ready to use.

setup-automation.sh [--dry-run]

⭐ START HERE - One-command automation setup.

./setup-automation.sh          # Interactive setup
./setup-automation.sh --dry-run # Preview changes

Creates all recommended cron jobs:

• Daily Budget Check (7:15 AM)
• Weekly Spending Review (Monday 8 AM)
• Mid-Month Goal Check (15th at 9 AM)
• Upcoming Bills Alert (10 AM daily)

What it does:

1. Validates YNAB config exists
2. Prompts for your WhatsApp number
3. Creates 4 automation cron jobs
4. Confirms successful setup

This is the recommended way to get started!

goals-progress.sh [month]

Shows visual progress bars for all category goals.

./goals-progress.sh          # Current month
./goals-progress.sh 2026-01  # Specific month

Example output:

📊 PROGRESSI OBIETTIVI - 2026-02-01

Palestra 🏋️♂️:
  ████░░░░░░ 8% (€22/€270) 🟢

Salute ⚕️:
  ████████░░ 43% (€261/€500) 🟡

Mangiare Fuori 🍝:
  ██████████ 119% (€178/€150) 🔴

scheduled-upcoming.sh [days]

Lists upcoming scheduled transactions.

./scheduled-upcoming.sh     # Next 7 days
./scheduled-upcoming.sh 30  # Next 30 days

Example output:

📅 TRANSAZIONI PROGRAMMATE - Prossimi 7 giorni

2026-03-01 💸 Lisa Valent: €-42.18 - Spotify
2026-03-02 💸 Andrea Schiffo: €-84.36 - Spotify lui e moglie
---
TOTALE: €-126.54

month-comparison.sh [month1] [month2]

Compares spending between two months.

./month-comparison.sh                    # Current vs last month
./month-comparison.sh 2026-02 2026-01    # Specific months

Example output:

📊 CONFRONTO SPESE
2026-02-01 vs 2026-01-01

Casa 🏠: €1,241 (era €450) ⚠️ +176%
Mangiare Fuori 🍝: €178 (era €120) ↗️ +48%
Palestra 🏋️♂️: €100 (era €100) = 0%
---
TOTALE 2026-02: €5,298
TOTALE 2026-01: €3,450
Differenza: +€1,848 (+53.6%)

transfer.sh SOURCE_ACCOUNT DEST_ACCOUNT AMOUNT DATE [MEMO]

Creates a proper linked transfer between accounts.

./transfer.sh abc-123 "Savings" 100.50 2026-02-21 "Monthly savings"

Important: Uses transfer_payee_id for real transfers recognized by YNAB.

daily-budget-check.sh

Comprehensive morning budget report (designed for cron).

./daily-budget-check.sh

Example output:

☀️ BUDGET CHECK MATTUTINO

💰 Age of Money: 141 giorni ✅

📅 Prossime uscite (7gg)
• Domani: Lisa Valent €42.18

⚠️ Alert Budget Superato
• Mangiare Fuori 🍝: €178 / €150 (+€28)

🎯 Obiettivi in ritardo
• Palestra 🏋️♂️: 8% (€22/€270)

This script is perfect for automated cron jobs to get daily budget insights.

Personal Configuration

For personal preferences (merchant mappings, category exclusions, default accounts):

Option 1: Add to your workspace TOOLS.md:

## YNAB Personal Config
- Default account: [account_id]
- Exclude from budget: Category1, Category2
- Merchant mappings: Store → Category

Option 2: Create local config file (e.g., ~/.config/ynab/rules.json):

{
  "exclude_categories": ["Taxes", "Transfers"],
  "merchant_map": {
    "Coffee Shop": "category_id_here"
  }
}

The skill will check transaction history for consistency—your personal preferences stay private.

Security Notes

• Never commit API keys to version control
• Store YNAB_API_KEY in environment or secure config (~/.config/ynab/config.json with 600 permissions)
• Never log or display full API keys in output

API Documentation

Official YNAB API docs: https://api.ynab.com

Rate limit: ~200 requests per hour per IP.

🤖 Automation Ideas

Daily Morning Check (Recommended)

Get a comprehensive budget overview every morning at 7:15 AM:

openclaw cron add --name "Daily Budget Check" \
  --schedule "15 7 * * *" \
  --session isolated \
  --model gemini-flash \
  --delivery announce \
  --task "Run YNAB daily budget check and send via WhatsApp"

Weekly Spending Review

Every Monday morning, compare last week with previous week:

openclaw cron add --name "Weekly Spending Review" \
  --schedule "0 8 * * 1" \
  --session isolated \
  --model gemini-flash \
  --delivery announce \
  --task "Compare current month vs last month YNAB spending"

Goal Progress Reminder

Mid-month reminder (15th) to check goal progress:

openclaw cron add --name "Mid-Month Goal Check" \
  --schedule "0 9 15 * *" \
  --session isolated \
  --model gemini-flash \
  --delivery announce \
  --task "Show YNAB goals progress for current month"

Scheduled Transaction Alerts

Get notified 2 days before scheduled payments:

openclaw cron add --name "Upcoming Bills Alert" \
  --schedule "0 10 * * *" \
  --session isolated \
  --model gemini-flash \
  --delivery announce \
  --task "Show YNAB scheduled transactions for next 2 days"

💡 Pro Tips

1. Set realistic goals: Use YNAB's goal feature for categories you want to track closely
2. Review Age of Money: Target 30+ days minimum, 90+ is excellent
3. Check scheduled transactions weekly: Avoid surprises from forgotten subscriptions
4. Use import_id: When importing from CSV, use unique import_id to avoid duplicates
5. Transfer payee IDs: Store these in your personal TOOLS.md for quick reference
6. Categorize immediately: Never leave transactions uncategorized
7. Monthly comparison: Use month-comparison.sh to spot spending trends

🔒 Security Best Practices

• Store API key in config file with permissions 600
• Never commit config.json to version control
• Add to .gitignore: config/ynab.json, .config/ynab/
• Rotate API tokens periodically (every 6-12 months)
• Use read-only tokens when possible (YNAB doesn't support this yet, but request it!)

🆘 Troubleshooting

401 Unauthorized: API key invalid or expired

• Regenerate token at https://app.ynab.com/settings/developer

404 Not Found: Budget ID or transaction ID doesn't exist

• Verify budget ID in YNAB URL or with /budgets endpoint

429 Too Many Requests: Rate limit exceeded (~200 requests/hour)

• Add delays between bulk operations
• Cache frequently-used data (accounts, categories)

Transfer not linking: Using payee_name instead of transfer_payee_id

• See "Transfer Transactions (CRITICAL)" section above

Common mistakes:

• Forgetting milliunits (using 10 instead of 10000)
• Wrong date format (use YYYY-MM-DD)
• Missing required fields (account_id, date, amount)
• Using payee_name for transfers (use transfer_payee_id)

📚 Resources

• YNAB API Docs: https://api.ynab.com
• Budget templates: https://www.ynab.com/learn
• OpenAPI Spec: https://github.com/ynab/ynab-sdk-ruby/blob/main/open_api_spec.yaml
• Rate limits: ~200 requests/hour per IP
• Support: https://support.ynab.com

🎉 What's Next?

After installation:

1. ✅ Test with goals-progress.sh
2. ✅ Set up daily budget check cron
3. ✅ Store transfer_payee_ids in TOOLS.md
4. ✅ Configure personal category exclusions
5. ✅ Enjoy automated budget insights!

Happy budgeting! 💰