Bank statement PDF to YNAB
YNAB imports CSV with a specific column expectation, and its direct import does not cover every bank or reach back far. Starting a budget from several months of history means converting statements first.
Drop a PDF statement to get a YNAB-ready CSV
Drop your PDF statement here
or click to browse · 10MB max · nothing is stored
The YNAB CSV shape
YNAB wants Date, Payee, Memo and either an Amount column or separate Outflow and Inflow columns. Rename description to Payee, keep the signed amount, and the file imports directly.
Outflow and inflow
If you prefer the two-column style, split the signed amount into Outflow for negatives and Inflow for positives. Both approaches work; the single amount column is fewer steps and less error prone.
Starting a budget with history
Import oldest month first so the running balance builds correctly, then set the starting balance to match the opening figure on the first statement. Categorise month by month rather than all at once.
Cleaning payee names
Bank descriptions include store numbers, cities and reference codes. A find and replace pass in the spreadsheet before import gives YNAB clean payee names, and clean payees make its auto-categorisation far more useful.
Frequently asked questions
+What columns does YNAB require?
Date, Payee, Memo and Amount, or Date, Payee, Memo, Outflow and Inflow.
+How far back can I import?
As far as you have statements. There is no date limit on converting a PDF you already hold.
+Will YNAB duplicate transactions from direct import?
Import history only up to the date your direct connection starts to avoid overlap.