> ## 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.

# Custom rules — automate categorization by merchant

> Build automated rules in AI2Fin that categorize, tag, and process transactions based on merchant name, amount, or keyword conditions. Works alongside AI.

## Custom Rules Management

Custom Rules allow you to automate transaction processing and categorization based on your specific business needs. Create intelligent rules that automatically categorize transactions, detect patterns, and streamline your financial management.

<Card title="Access Custom Rules" icon="gear" href="https://app.ai2fin.com/#/custom-rules" horizontal>
  Navigate to the Custom Rules page to create and manage automated processing rules.
</Card>

## How to Access Custom Rules

### Primary Navigation Path

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Sidebar Navigation">
    Click the hamburger menu (☰) on mobile or use the sidebar on desktop.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate to Personalize">
    In the sidebar, find "2. Personalize" section with the gear icon.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Custom Rules">
    Click "Custom Rules" to access the rule management page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Alternative Access Methods

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="From All Transactions" icon="list-check">
    **Via All TXns:**

    1. Go to "3. Analysis & Management" → "All TXns"
    2. Look for rule-related options
    3. Click "Manage Rules" or similar
    4. Access full rule management
  </Card>

  <Card title="From Categories" icon="folder">
    **Via Categories:**

    1. Go to "2. Personalize" → "Categories"
    2. Look for rule creation options
    3. Click "Create Rules" for categories
    4. Access rule management
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Understanding the Custom Rules Interface

### Page Layout Overview

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Page Header Section">
    **Top Controls:**

    * **Page Title**: "Custom Rules" with rule count
    * **Create Rule Button**: Add new custom rule
    * **Search Bar**: Search rules by name or description
    * **Filter Controls**: Filter by status, type, effectiveness
    * **Bulk Actions**: Select multiple rules
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rule Management Area">
    **Main Content:**

    * **Rule List**: All created rules with details
    * **Rule Details**: Name, conditions, actions, status
    * **Action Buttons**: Edit, delete, duplicate, test rules
    * **Effectiveness Metrics**: Rule performance statistics
    * **Status Indicators**: Active/inactive, enabled/disabled
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

### Navigation Elements

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Rule Creation Interface" icon="plus">
    **Creating New Rules:**

    * **Rule Builder**: Visual rule creation interface
    * **Condition Setup**: Define rule conditions
    * **Action Configuration**: Set rule actions
    * **Testing Tools**: Test rules before activation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rule Management Tools" icon="tools">
    **Management Features:**

    * **Edit Rules**: Modify existing rule details
    * **Delete Rules**: Remove unused rules
    * **Duplicate Rules**: Copy similar rules
    * **Bulk Operations**: Process multiple rules
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Custom Rule Features

### Creating and Managing Rules

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create New Rule">
    1. Click "Create Rule" button
    2. Define rule conditions:
       * Transaction description contains
       * Amount is greater/less than
       * Merchant name matches
       * Date range conditions
    3. Set rule actions:
       * Assign category
       * Set tax deductibility
       * Add tags or notes
       * Mark as business expense
    4. Test and activate rule
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit Existing Rule">
    1. Click on rule in the list
    2. Click edit button (pencil icon)
    3. Modify conditions or actions
    4. Test updated rule
    5. Save changes
  </Step>

  <Step title="Test Rule Effectiveness">
    1. Select rule to test
    2. Click test button
    3. Review test results
    4. Adjust rule if needed
    5. Activate when satisfied
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Rule Types and Conditions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Condition Types">
    **Available Conditions:**

    * **Description Contains**: Text matching in transaction description
    * **Amount Range**: Transaction amount within specified range
    * **Merchant Match**: Specific merchant or vendor names
    * **Date Range**: Transactions within date periods
    * **Account Type**: Specific account or account types

    **Advanced Conditions:**

    * **Pattern Matching**: Regular expressions for complex patterns
    * **Multiple Conditions**: AND/OR logic combinations
    * **Frequency Rules**: Recurring transaction detection
    * **Context Rules**: Business vs personal classification
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Action Types">
    **Available Actions:**

    * **Category Assignment**: Automatically assign categories
    * **Tax Settings**: Set tax deductibility and business use
    * **Tagging**: Add custom tags to transactions
    * **Notes**: Add automatic notes or descriptions
    * **Status Changes**: Mark transactions as reviewed/processed

    **Advanced Actions:**

    * **Amount Modifications**: Adjust amounts for calculations
    * **Date Adjustments**: Modify transaction dates
    * **Splitting**: Split transactions into multiple entries
    * **Merging**: Combine related transactions
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Advanced Rule Features

### Rule Templates and Presets

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Rule Templates" icon="copy">
    **Template Features:**

    * Pre-built rule templates
    * Industry-specific rules
    * Common business rules
    * Custom template creation
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rule Presets" icon="bookmark">
    **Preset Features:**

    * Quick rule setup
    * Common condition combinations
    * Standard action sets
    * One-click rule creation
  </Card>
</Columns>

### Rule Analytics and Optimization

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Rule Performance">
    **Performance Metrics:**

    * Rule execution count
    * Success rate percentage
    * False positive rate
    * Processing time impact

    **Optimization Insights:**

    * Most effective rules
    * Underperforming rules
    * Rule conflict detection
    * Optimization suggestions
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rule Testing">
    **Testing Features:**

    * Test rules against historical data
    * Preview rule effects
    * Validate rule logic
    * Performance impact analysis

    **Testing Tools:**

    * Rule simulator
    * Batch testing
    * A/B testing for rules
    * Rollback capabilities
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Rule Management Workflow

### Rule Lifecycle

<Steps>
  <Step title="Rule Planning">
    1. Identify repetitive categorization tasks
    2. Define rule requirements
    3. Plan rule conditions and actions
    4. Consider rule interactions
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rule Creation">
    1. Use rule builder interface
    2. Set up conditions and actions
    3. Test rule with sample data
    4. Refine rule logic
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rule Activation">
    1. Activate rule for live processing
    2. Monitor rule performance
    3. Collect feedback and metrics
    4. Optimize as needed
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rule Maintenance">
    1. Regular performance review
    2. Update rules for new patterns
    3. Archive unused rules
    4. Optimize rule efficiency
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Rule Organization

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Rule Grouping">
    **Organization Features:**

    * Group rules by purpose
    * Categorize by business function
    * Priority-based ordering
    * Dependency management

    **Rule Hierarchy:**

    * Master rules for broad patterns
    * Specific rules for exceptions
    * Conditional rule chains
    * Fallback rule systems
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rule Dependencies">
    **Dependency Management:**

    * Rule execution order
    * Conditional rule activation
    * Rule conflict resolution
    * Cascade rule effects

    **Conflict Resolution:**

    * Priority-based resolution
    * Rule precedence settings
    * Conflict detection alerts
    * Manual override options
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Integration with Other Features

### AI Integration

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI-Enhanced Rules" icon="brain">
    **AI Features:**

    * AI-suggested rule conditions
    * Smarter rules that improve your accuracy
    * Spots patterns you might have missed
    * Intelligent rule recommendations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rule Learning" icon="graduation-cap">
    **Learning Features:**

    * Learns from your corrections
    * Adapts as your business changes
    * Improves accuracy over time
    * Suggests rule improvements
  </Card>
</Columns>

### Category Integration

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Category-Based Rules">
    **Category Rules:**

    * Automatic category assignment
    * Category-specific conditions
    * Multi-category rules
    * Category hierarchy rules

    **Category Optimization:**

    * Optimize categorization accuracy
    * Reduce manual categorization
    * Improve category consistency
    * Enhance reporting quality
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Transaction Integration">
    **Transaction Rules:**

    * Real-time rule processing
    * Batch rule application
    * Historical rule application
    * Rule-based transaction splitting

    **Processing Features:**

    * Immediate rule execution
    * Scheduled rule processing
    * Manual rule triggering
    * Rule-based data validation
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Mobile Navigation

### Mobile Rule Management

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Mobile Interface">
    **Mobile Features:**

    * Touch-friendly rule creation
    * Mobile rule builder
    * Swipe actions for rule management
    * Offline rule access
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Mobile-Specific Navigation">
    **Mobile Optimizations:**

    * Simplified rule interface
    * Quick rule templates
    * Mobile search and filtering
    * Touch gestures
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Navigation Tips & Best Practices

### Efficient Rule Management

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Rule Design" icon="lightbulb">
    **Best Practices:**

    * Start with simple rules
    * Test thoroughly before activation
    * Use descriptive rule names
    * Document rule purposes
    * Regular rule review
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rule Optimization" icon="chart-line">
    **Optimization Tips:**

    * Monitor rule performance
    * Combine similar rules
    * Remove unused rules
    * Optimize rule order
    * Use rule templates
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Workflow Optimization

<Steps>
  <Step title="Initial Rule Setup">
    1. Identify common categorization patterns
    2. Create basic categorization rules
    3. Test rules with sample data
    4. Activate most effective rules
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rule Expansion">
    1. Add more specific rules
    2. Create exception rules
    3. Implement advanced conditions
    4. Optimize rule performance
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ongoing Management">
    1. Monitor rule effectiveness
    2. Update rules for new patterns
    3. Archive unused rules
    4. Optimize rule efficiency
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Troubleshooting

### Common Issues

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Rule Creation Issues">
    **Common Problems:**

    * Can't create new rules
    * Rule conditions not working
    * Actions not executing
    * Rule testing failing

    **Solutions:**

    * Check rule syntax
    * Verify condition logic
    * Test with simple conditions
    * Review action configuration
    * Contact support if persistent
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Rule Execution Issues">
    **Execution Problems:**

    * Rules not applying to transactions
    * Incorrect rule results
    * Performance issues
    * Rule conflicts

    **Troubleshooting:**

    * Check rule status (active/inactive)
    * Verify rule conditions
    * Review rule order
    * Test individual rules
    * Check subscription status
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

**Ready to explore more features?** Check out [Categories](/features/categories) for category management or [Smart Categorization](/features/smart-categorisation) for AI-powered categorization.

*Master custom rules for automated transaction processing and intelligent financial management.*