Not everyone wants to link their bank to a budgeting app. Some people prefer to download statements, work with CSV files, or bring in data from an older budgeting tool they are leaving behind.

Koody is built for exactly that.

Instead of forcing live bank connections, Koody gives you a powerful import system that lets you:

  • Upload CSV files and bank statements from almost any bank.
  • Import transaction exports from other budgeting apps.
  • Automatically clean, categorize, and detect recurring transactions.
  • Fix anything you do not like with bulk edit tools.
  • Ask Koody AI for help when you get stuck.

Importing matters because it lets you keep your history, move off older tools, and maintain a manual-first workflow where you decide when and how your data enters your budget.

Where You Can Import From

Koody's importer is designed to handle a variety of sources. In practice, most people import from one of three places.

Bank And Card Statements

Most banks and card providers let you download transaction history as a CSV or spreadsheet. That might include:

  • Checking and savings accounts.
  • Credit cards.
  • Online banks and digital wallets.
  • Payment services such as PayPal or similar tools.

If you can download it as a CSV, there is a good chance Koody can work with it.

Other Budgeting Apps

If you are leaving another budgeting app, you can often export your transaction history there, too. Typical cases include:

  • Exports from Mint or similar tools.
  • CSV exports from zero-based budgeting apps.
  • Transaction downloads from envelope-based budgeting apps.

Your old app may not say "Export for Koody," but as long as you get a CSV, Koody's importer can take a shot at cleaning and categorizing it.

Your Own Spreadsheets

Maybe you have been tracking spending in a spreadsheet for years. In that case, you can:

  • Save or export the sheet as a CSV file.
  • Upload it to Koody just like a bank statement.

You do not need to rewrite everything. Koody will look at your headers and values and try to make sense of them for you.

Step 1: Download A CSV Or Statement File

The first step in any import is getting your data into a file.

From your bank or card provider:

  1. Sign in to online banking.
  2. Go to your transactions or statements area.
  3. Look for an option such as "Download," "Export," or "Export transactions."
  4. Choose CSV if it is available. Excel works in many cases, too, as long as you can save it as CSV.

From another budgeting app:

  1. Open the app's settings or account area.
  2. Look for "Export," "Download data," or "Download transactions."
  3. Export as CSV if you can.

From your own spreadsheet:

  1. Open the sheet in your spreadsheet tool.
  2. Use "Download as CSV" or "Save As → CSV."

You do not need a perfect file. Koody is designed to handle typical messy exports, including extra columns, unusual date formats, and bank-specific quirks.

Step 2: Upload Your File To Koody

Once you have your file, you are ready to bring it into Koody.

  1. Open Koody and go to the Overview or Transactions tab.
  2. Look for the option to Import Bank Transactions.
  3. Select your downloaded file and upload it.

As soon as the file is uploaded, Koody starts processing it in the background. There is no manual column mapping step where you have to tell the app which header is which. The importer is built to recognize common bank and app exports and infer the structure for you.

Step 3: What Koody Does Automatically

This is where Koody's importer earns its keep. After you upload a file, Koody automatically:

  • Detects the file format. It figures out the separator, decimal style, and date format your file uses.
  • Cleans up obvious noise. It strips out duplicate header rows, summary lines, totals, and formatting artifacts that banks sometimes include in downloads.
  • Normalizes merchants. It tidies up messy descriptions so similar transactions are grouped together under a recognizable merchant name.
  • Automatically categorizes transactions. Based on merchant names, amounts, and patterns, Koody assigns categories so you get a meaningful breakdown right away.
  • Detects recurring transactions. It looks for regular patterns, such as monthly subscriptions, rent, or recurring transfers, and flags them as likely recurring.

You do not have to tell Koody which column is the Date or which one is the Amount. The importer is designed around real-world statement formats and CSV exports, including the kind that come from older budgeting apps.

Step 4: Review And Fix Anything With Bulk Edit

Once Koody finishes processing, you land on the bank or cash account screen. This is where you can check how the importer interpreted your file. If something does not look right, navigate to the Transactions tab.

On the Transactions tab, you can:

  • See a list of imported transactions, their merchants, and the categories Koody assigned.
  • Filter or group by merchant, category, account, or date range.
  • Use bulk edit tools to change many transactions at once.

Bulk edit is how you fix things quickly:

  • Change the category for a group of similar transactions in a single action.
  • Reassign a recurring payment from a generic category to a specific goal.
  • Clean up edge cases without touching the rest of your file.

This turns what used to be a long, line-by-line cleanup into a short review session. Most people can tidy an import in minutes, not hours.

Step 5: How Koody Learns From Your Edits

The importer is not meant to stay static. Over time, Koody can learn from how you correct its guesses.

When you:

  • Re-categorize a group of transactions from one category to another, or
  • Regularly rename or retag the same type of merchant,

Koody can use those corrections as training signals so future imports get smarter. The more you teach it what looks right for you, the less you need to adjust in later uploads.

You can think of this as building your own rules without having to write rules. You use bulk edit tools to make changes, and Koody quietly learns the patterns.

This learning layer is evolving. As it grows, future imports will feel more and more tailored to the way you personally budget and categorize your spending.

Step 6: Get Help From Koody AI

Importing is not just about getting data in. It is also about understanding what you imported and how it fits into your budget.

If you reach a point in the review where you are unsure what to do, you can open Koody AI right inside the app and ask questions such as:

  • "What is the simplest way to group these transactions?"
  • "Which of these look like subscriptions?"
  • "How should I categorize these transfers?"
  • "What changed the most compared to my last import?"

Because Koody AI can see your imported transactions and your existing categories and budgets, it can give you answers that match your actual situation, not generic advice from a template.

You stay in control, but you do not have to figure everything out on your own.

Step 7: Importing Without Linking Your Bank

One of the biggest reasons people look for CSV import and file-based import is that they do not want to link their bank accounts at all.

Koody is designed to work well in that mode:

  • You download statements from your bank whenever you are ready.
  • You import them into Koody using the flow described above.
  • Koody cleans, categorizes, and highlights recurring payments.
  • You adjust anything with bulk edit and Koody AI.

You get the benefits of a modern budgeting app without handing over your bank login details or waiting for live sync. If you prefer a more offline, manual-first approach, this is the best of both worlds.

For more on this philosophy, see our article on using Koody without bank linking and how manual-first budgeting can work better than you might think.

Step 8: How Often Should You Import?

There is no single right answer for how often you should import, but a few patterns work well for most people.

Weekly Imports

Weekly imports are great if you like to check in regularly and keep your budget very current. You download statements or recent activity once a week, import them into Koody, review with bulk edit, and move on.

Twice A Month

Importing twice a month works well if you want to match pay cycles. You might import after each paycheck so that your budget and transaction view reflect the latest changes when you plan the next two weeks.

Monthly Imports

Monthly imports are a good fit if you prefer a single "money day" each month. You pull statements for all your accounts, import them into Koody, review them, and then adjust your budget for the next month.

You can mix and match by account. For example, you might import card transactions weekly but only import savings account activity once a month. Koody cares more about bringing everything into the same place than about the exact schedule you choose.

FAQs: Importing Transactions Into Koody

Can I Import Transactions Without Linking My Bank?

Yes. The whole import system in Koody exists so that you can use CSV files, statements, and exports without ever linking a bank account. You choose when to download from your bank, when to upload into Koody, and what to keep.

What File Types Does Koody Support?

Koody focuses on CSV because it is the most widely supported export format across banks and apps. In many cases, you can save other spreadsheet formats, such as Excel, as CSV and then upload the result.

If your bank gives you multiple options, choose CSV where possible.

Will Koody Automatically Categorize Imported Transactions?

Yes. Koody will try to automatically categorize imported transactions based on merchants, amounts, and patterns. After that, you can use bulk edit to fix anything that does not match how you think about your money.

Over time, Koody can learn from your edits so it can make better guesses on future imports.

Can I Use Imports If I Also Link My Bank To Koody?

If you choose to use bank connections where available, you can still use imports. Some people use live connections for everyday accounts and CSV import for accounts that do not connect well or for older historical data.

The important thing is that everything ends up in the same place, which is your Koody budget.

What If My CSV Import Fails?

If a file fails to import, it is usually because:

  • The file is not really a CSV, such as a PDF or a formatted report.
  • The file is empty or only contains headers and no transactions.
  • The structure is extremely unusual or corrupted.

In those cases, try:

  • Redownloading from your bank as a CSV instead of a formatted report.
  • Opening the file in a spreadsheet and saving it again as CSV.
  • Checking that there is at least one real transaction row.

If problems persist, you can reach out to support with a sample file so Koody can learn how to handle it better in the future.

Ready to see your own data inside Koody? Create an account and start importing your transactions today.