> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ai2fin.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Starling — connect with a personal access token

> Connect Starling Bank (UK) to the AI2Fin desktop app with a personal access token from the Starling Developers portal: account:read, transaction:read and balance:read. Starling's own API, read-only, tokens that do not expire. Desktop and self-hosted.

<Info>
  **Available in:** Desktop app · Self-hosted  |  **Reach:** 🇬🇧 Starling accounts  |  **Cost:** free from Starling; a paid AI2Fin plan
</Info>

## What it is

[Starling](https://www.starlingbank.com) publishes its own API. You link your
Starling account to a Starling Developers account once, create a personal
access token with read permissions, and AI2Fin reads with it. No aggregator.

## Connect

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a token at Starling Developers">
    [developer.starlingbank.com](https://developer.starlingbank.com/get-started)
    → link your account → **Personal access** → create a token and tick
    **account:read**, **transaction:read** and **balance:read**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Paste into AI2Fin">
    Connectors → **Starling** → paste → **Connect**.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  A token without `transaction:read` connects successfully and then reads
  nothing. If you see accounts but no transactions, that scope is the first thing
  to check.
</Warning>

## What syncs

Accounts, balances and settled transactions; pending card payments arrive once
they settle. First sync reads \~13 months; then every 15 minutes. Starling
personal access tokens do not expire, so the feed keeps working until you
revoke it.

## Why desktop only

Starling's developer agreement is understood to restrict personal access tokens
to the holder's own account and use, with an approved-partner route for anything
serving third parties. On your own machine that condition is met. A self-hosted
instance holding a partner agreement can enable it with
`BYO_PERSONAL_TOKENS_HOSTED=true`.

## Revoking

Delete the token in the Starling Developers portal. Disconnecting in AI2Fin
keeps the transactions you already have.