Managing Custom Transaction Categories
Organization Admins can create and manage custom transaction categories to better align transaction coding with their internal accounting practices.
This article explains how to access, create, edit, disable, delete, and bulk import transaction categories.
Who Can Access This Feature
The Transaction Categories dashboard is available to Organization Admins only.
Only Organization Admins can:
Create categories
Edit categories
Activate or disable categories
Delete categories
Bulk import categories
If you do not see this option, please confirm your role with your Organization Admin.
Accessing Transaction Categories
To access the dashboard:
Click the Settings gear in the top navigation.
Select Organization.
Click Transaction Categories.
Understanding the Transaction Categories Dashboard
The dashboard displays all categories available across your organization.
You will see:
System Categories (provided by Estateably — read-only)
Custom Categories (created by your organization)
System categories cannot be edited or deleted.
Category Details
Each category includes:
Category Type (System or Custom)
Category Name
File Type
Estates
Trusts
POA
(Multiple selections allowed)
Cashflow Type
Deposit
Withdraw
(Multiple selections allowed)
Money Type
Canada: Capital or Revenue
United States: Principal or Income
Active Status (Enabled or Disabled)
Custom categories also include:
Edit
Delete (if eligible)
You can use filters and search to quickly locate specific categories.
Creating a Custom Category
To add a new category:
Click + Add Category.
Complete all required fields.
Click Save.
Required Fields
Category Name
File Type (Estates, Trusts, POA — multi-select)
Cashflow Type (Deposit and/or Withdraw — multi-select)
Money Type:
Capital or Revenue (Canada)
Principal or Income (United States)
Once saved:
The category appears in the dashboard.
It becomes available for use in files that match its configuration.
Editing a Category
Updating the Category Name
If you update the category name:
The change applies everywhere, including existing transactions.
Updating File Type, Cashflow Type, or Money Type
If you update these settings:
The changes apply to new transactions only.
Existing transactions are not modified to prevent accounting discrepancies.
If adjustments are needed, individual transactions can be edited directly within a file.
Deleting or Disabling a Category
When Can a Category Be Deleted?
A custom category can only be deleted if it has never been used in a transaction.
If the category has been used:
The delete option will be unavailable.
You may disable the category instead.
Disabling a Category
Disabling a category:
Prevents it from being selected for new transactions.
Does not affect historical transactions.
This helps preserve accounting accuracy while preventing future use.
Bulk Importing Custom Categories
Organization Admins can upload multiple categories at once using an XLSX file.
How to Access Bulk Import
Go to Settings → Organization → Transaction Categories
Click Bulk Import
Upload Requirements
File format must be XLSX
Drag and drop or select your file to upload
Formatting instructions are available from the upload screen
What Happens After Upload
Validation
The system automatically validates the file.
If validation fails:
The import will be rejected.
You will need to correct the file and re-upload.
If validation passes:
You will move to a review screen.
Reviewing Imported Categories
Before finalizing, you can review and edit imported categories.
Each category will display:
Category Name
File Type
Cashflow Type
Money Type
All fields are editable at this stage.
Duplicate Category Names
Category names must be unique across your organization.
Duplicates may be detected:
Within your uploaded file
Against existing categories
If a duplicate is found:
It will be highlighted in red.
You must rename or remove it before completing the import.
Finalizing the Import
Once all categories pass validation:
Click Add Categories
The categories will immediately:
Appear in the dashboard
Be available for use in applicable files
XLSX Formatting Requirements
Your spreadsheet must contain separate columns for:
Category Name
File Type
Cashflow Type
Money Type
Field Formatting Rules
Category Name
Text only
Must be unique
Money Type
Single value only:
Capital or Revenue (Canada)
Principal or Income (United States)
File Type
Multiple values allowed
Use a comma-separated list
Example:
Estates, Trusts, POA
Cashflow Type
Multiple values allowed
Use a comma-separated list
Example:
Deposit, Withdraw
Important Formatting Notes
Use commas (
,) to separate multiple values.Do not use line breaks in cells.
Do not add extra spaces beyond the comma separator.
Files that do not follow this format will fail validation.
If you experience issues with creating, editing, or importing categories, please contact Support with:
A screenshot of the issue
A copy of your XLSX file (if related to import)
The exact error message displayed
We’re happy to help.