Workflow guide · 3 min read

Automate categories with your own rules

Teach SimpleTaxFlow that a merchant or phrase always belongs to a category — your rules run before the AI on every capture.

Follow the sequence

Work through the steps in order and return to this guide whenever the next action is unclear.

Keep the records current

Capture and review information as it happens, rather than leaving the whole quarter until the end.

Review before you finish

Check the details and any supporting evidence before completing the task.

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What this guide covers

If you buy fuel at the same garage every week, you should not have to categorise it every week. Categorisation rules map a word or merchant to a category once, and every future WhatsApp message or receipt that matches is categorised instantly.

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1. Open Categorisation rules in Account

Go to Account and open the Categorisation rules card. You will see any rules you have already created, with the option to add or delete.

Open Account
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2. Add a rule: a match word and a category

Enter the text to match — a merchant name like "Shell" or a phrase like "client lunch" — and pick the category it should always get. Matching is case-insensitive and looks inside the description, so "shell" matches "SHELL GARAGE LEEDS".

Open Account
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3. Rules run before the AI, on every capture

Whenever a WhatsApp message or a receipt (WhatsApp or web upload) matches one of your rules, the category is applied immediately and marked confirmed — no AI involved, so rule matches never use your monthly AI allowance. When several rules match, the most specific (longest) one wins.

See WhatsApp capture
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4. Prune rules that misfire

If a rule is too broad — "shop" will match more than you expect — delete it and add a more specific one. Rules only affect new captures; existing transactions keep their categories until you edit them.

Review transactions
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Before you move on

  • Rules exist for your regular merchants and repeat purchases
  • Match text is specific enough not to catch unrelated spending
  • New captures from those merchants arrive already categorised
  • Misfiring rules are deleted rather than worked around
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