Bank rules let you automatically categorise incoming transactions in the Bank workspace. Each rule defines which transactions to target and what to apply to them - so uncoded transactions are categorised without manual effort.
Note: Bank rules are only available in Dext Solo. They only apply to uncoded transactions and don't affect transactions that are already categorised or matched to a document.
How bank rules work
A bank rule has two parts: matching criteria and update transactions.
Matching criteria define which transactions the rule targets, based on description text, exact match, bank accounts, paid in/out direction, date range, and amount range. You can assign a rule to one account, multiple accounts, or leave the Bank accounts field unassigned to apply it across all accounts.
Update transactions define what Dext applies to any transaction that meets those criteria - income source, category, and rental property.
When a new transaction arrives that matches the criteria, Dext applies the rule automatically. The rule doesn't apply to existing transactions unless you trigger it manually.
Create a bank rule
To create a bank rule, open a Solo client's Dext account and go to Bank in the sidebar, then select Bank rules.
Select Create rule.
Enter a name in the Rule name field.
Under Matching criteria, enter the transaction description text you want to target in the Description text field.
Set the Exact match toggle if you want the rule to match only that exact description. When off, the rule matches any transaction whose description contains that text.
Use the Bank accounts field to select one or more accounts. Leave it unassigned to apply the rule across all accounts.
Set Paid in/out, Date, and Amount to narrow the criteria further. These fields are optional.
Under Update transactions, set the Income source, Category, and Rental property values you want to apply.
Review the transaction preview on the left to confirm the criteria are targeting the right transactions.
Select the Apply to existing uncoded transactions checkbox if you also want the rule applied to transactions that already match the criteria.
Select Create.
The rule is active immediately and will apply to new transactions that match the criteria.
Tip: You can also create a rule directly from the Transactions view. Select the transactions you want to target, go to Tools, then select Create rule. The matching criteria will pre-populate based on the selected transactions.
Edit a bank rule
To edit a bank rule, go to Bank rules and find the rule you want to change. The Bank rules list page shows a bank accounts column so you can see which accounts each rule applies to.
Select Edit next to the rule.
Make your changes to the matching criteria or update transactions fields, including the Bank accounts field if you want to change which accounts the rule applies to.
Select the Apply to existing uncoded transactions checkbox if you want the change applied to transactions that already match the criteria.
Select Confirm.
Edited rules apply to new transactions going forward. To apply the updated rule to existing uncoded transactions without editing it, use the Apply to existing uncoded transactions button on the Bank rules page — see below.
Delete a bank rule
To delete a bank rule, go to Bank rules, select the checkbox next to the rule you want to remove, and select Delete.
Deleting a rule doesn't affect transactions that were already categorised by it.
Apply a rule to existing uncoded transactions
Bank rules apply to new transactions automatically. You can also select the Apply to existing uncoded transactions checkbox when creating or editing a rule, but the steps below let you set a cut-off date and apply a rule to existing transactions without editing it:
On the Bank rules page, select the checkbox next to the rule you want to apply.
Select Apply to existing uncoded transactions.
In the modal, set a cut-off date in the With date from field. If you leave this blank, Dext uses the date range set in the rule's matching criteria.
Select Apply.
Note: Dext only applies the rule to uncoded transactions. Transactions that are already categorised or matched to a document are not affected.
Bulk edit transactions
To update transactions that are already categorised in a Solo client's account, use bulk edit in the Transactions view instead.
Go to Bank, then Transactions.
Select the transactions you want to update.
Select Tools, then Bulk edit.
Set the Income source, Category, or Rental property values you want to apply.
Select Bulk edit.
How bank rules and bank match interact
If a transaction is categorised by a bank rule and then matched to a cost item, the match takes over. Dext overwrites the rule's income source, category, and rental property with the values from the matched item.
To change the category on a matched transaction, go to the matched document's details page. You can't edit the category directly on the transaction once it's matched.