Blocks and Options

Add a block from an Add Row, Add Lane, or unused-column plus control. Every non-blank block can be renamed from Related Actions > Options. Its width is chosen from Resize and must fit its row or lane.

Cards #

Cards summarize one value and can be one through six columns wide.

Summary cards #

• Net Worth — total account value.
• Month Inflow — inflow for the selected month.
• Month Outflow — outflow for the selected month.
• Net Flow — inflow minus outflow for the selected month.
• Unassigned — the selected budget month’s unassigned balance.
• Ready to Plan — the selected budget month’s scheduled-inflow forecast balance.

The summary cards follow the month selected in the app header.

Metric cards #

Metric cards let you put a selected account, category, group, or label on Dashboard. When a metric card requires a selection, its Options sheet opens as soon as you add it. Until you edit the name yourself, the card title updates to reflect the selected item and metric.

Account Metric #

Shows one selected account’s balance or monthly activity.

• Account selects the account.
• Metric: Balance, Starting, Inflow, Outflow, or Net Flow.
• Month behavior: Selected Month follows the app header; Current Month always uses the current month.
• Open account on click opens the selected account.

Account Type Metric #

Shows the combined metric for an account type.

• Account type: Transaction, Savings, Investment, Debt, or Fixed Asset.
• Metric: Balance, Starting, Inflow, Outflow, or Net Flow.
• Month behavior: Selected Month or Current Month.

Category Metric #

Shows a selected category’s budget metric.

• Category selects the category.
• Metric: Available, Assigned, Inflow, Outflow, or Activity.
• Month behavior: Selected Month or Current Month.
• Open budget on click opens Budget.

Category Group Metric #

Shows the combined metric for a selected category group.

• Category group selects the group.
• Metric: Available, Assigned, Inflow, Outflow, or Activity.
• Month behavior: Selected Month or Current Month.
• Open budget on click opens Budget.

Label Metric #

Shows a selected label’s balance or monthly activity. It is available only when the Labels feature is enabled.

• Label selects the label.
• Metric: Balance, Inflow, or Outflow.
• Month behavior: Selected Month or Current Month.
• Open Labels on click opens Labels.

Days Remaining in Month #

Shows the number of days remaining.

• Month: Selected Month follows the app header; Current Month always uses the current month.

Last Updated Date #

Shows a date that helps you understand recent file or budget activity.

• Date source: File Last Saved uses the .cents document’s last-modified date. Latest Posted Transaction uses the latest transaction dated today or earlier; when none exists, the card shows No transactions. Latest Budget Change uses the latest update to categories, category groups, assignments, targets, or plans.
• Display: Date shows the selected date. Days Ago shows Today, Yesterday, or the number of elapsed calendar days, such as 2 days ago.
• Status color: The card uses a green surface for today or yesterday, a warning surface after two through five days, and a danger surface after five days. The status is based on the source date, regardless of the display choice.

Details blocks #

Details blocks can be two through six columns wide. Their Export option is available on every details block:

• Visible exports only the configured columns and current view.
• Full exports all available data for that block.

Names are always shown. The Columns setting controls the data columns beside the name, not the Account, Category, or Label name itself.

Account Balances #

Shows accounts and their monthly activity.

• Group groups accounts by type and shows type totals. It is on by default.
• Group by chooses Account type or On / off budget while grouping is on.
• Show type name is available when Group is off. It prefixes each account with its type.
• Go to account on click opens the selected account page when enabled.
• Primary first keeps the primary transaction account first within its current list or group.
• Columns: Starting, Inflow, Outflow, Activity, Balance, and Net Flow.
• Sort by: Type/Account, Account, Starting, Inflow, Outflow, Balance, or Net Flow.
• Sort order: Ascending or Descending.

Category Balances #

Shows budget categories and their monthly activity.

• Group groups categories by category group and puts group totals in the group headers.
• Show group name is available when Group is off. It prefixes each category with its group.
• Columns: Starting, Assigned, Inflow, Outflow, and Balance.
• Sort by: Group/Category, Category, Starting, Assigned, Inflow, Outflow, or Balance.
• Sort order: Ascending, Descending, or Budget Order. Budget Order is available only when sorting by Group/Category or Category.

Grouped category sections can be collapsed and expanded.

Label Balances #

Shows label activity and balances. It is available only when the Labels feature is enabled.

• Columns: Starting, Inflow, Outflow, and Balance.
• Sort by: Label, Starting, Inflow, Outflow, or Balance.
• Sort order: Ascending or Descending.

Recent Activity #

Shows recent transactions.

• Columns: Date, Account, Type, Payee, Category, Label, Note, and Amount.
• Click transaction to edit opens the Edit Transaction sheet when a row is selected. It is off by default.

Budget Targets #

Shows categories with configured targets, their progress, and funding status for the month selected in the app header.

• Category group limits the block to one group.
• Show only underfunded or overdue hides funded and upcoming targets.
• Columns: Target, Target Visualization, Assigned, Activity, Available, and Status.
• Sort by: Group/Category, Category, Target, Assigned, Activity, Available, or Status.
• Sort order: Ascending or Descending.
• Open Budget on click opens the Budget page when a category is selected.

Funding Status #

Shows categories that still need funding for the month selected in the app header, ordered to help prioritize what to fund next.

• Include only categories with targets hides categories without a configured target. It is on by default.
• Hide fully funded categories keeps the list focused on categories that still need funding. It is on by default.
• Show future targets includes categories whose targets begin in a later month.
• Columns: Target, Shortfall, Available, and Status.
• Sort by: Urgency, Shortfall, Group/Category, Category, Target, Available, or Status. Urgency considers overdue and nearer-due targets before Budget order.
• Sort order: Ascending or Descending.
• Open Budget on click opens the Budget page when a category is selected.

Report blocks #

Report blocks can be two through six columns wide. They are independent report snapshots: changing one report block does not change another report block or the main Reports page.

Choose from these report blocks:

• Cash Flow
• Spending
• Income
• Net Worth
• Account Balance
• Category Spending Trend

Each report block keeps its own report definition and filters. The available controls adapt to the selected report, so the Filters menu shows only filters that can affect it.

Cash Flow, Spending, and Income #

• View: Cash Flow offers Sankey or Trend. Spending and Income offer Breakdown or Over Time.
• Group By: Cash Flow can group by Group, Category, Group + Category, or Label. Spending can group by Category, Group, or Payee. Income can group by Source, Payee, or Account.
• Chart Style: Spending and Income Breakdown can use Donut or Ranked Bar. Other views use the chart style appropriate to that view.

Net Worth #

Shows total net worth over time.

• Chart Style: Line, Area, Stacked Bar Composition, or Stacked Area Composition.
• Composition styles add Compose By: Account Type or Account. They show the contributing balances stacked above and below zero, with the total net-worth line overlaid.
• Filters: Accounts and Account Types.

Account Balance #

Shows balances over time for selected accounts or account types.

• Group By: Account or Account Type.
• Chart Style: Line or Area.
• Filters: Accounts and Account Types.

Category Spending Trend #

Shows spending for selected categories or groups across time.

• Group By: Category or Group.
• Chart Style: Line or Area.
• Filters: Accounts, Categories, Category Groups, Labels, and a minimum or maximum transaction amount.

Common report options #

• Bucket: Time-based charts can use Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, or Yearly buckets.
• Date: Current Month, Selected Period, Last Month, Last 30 Days, Last 90 Days, Year to Date, Last 12 Months, Selected 12 Months, All Time, or a custom range. Selected Period starts with the current working month. Click a month in the app-header picker to set it, or Shift-click another month to select the inclusive range between them. The picker’s reporting selection affects report blocks that use Selected Period or Selected 12 Months; it does not change Dashboard cards or details blocks. Selected 12 Months remains a separate view and uses the ending month of the selected period as its anchor. The reporting-period selection resets when you leave Dashboard.
• Timeline starts: When I Started Using Common Cents omits earlier empty periods; Earliest Available History includes all available history, including imported transactions.
• Filters: Depending on the report, limit accounts, account types, categories, category groups, labels, or a minimum and maximum amount. For applicable breakdown reports, the Display filter controls whether an Everything Else bucket is shown.
• Y-axis range: Time-based charts can use Automatic, Fit Visible Values, or a custom minimum and maximum. Fit Visible Values removes the forced zero baseline.

Report blocks also control their own interface:

• Show block title displays the block’s Name above the report.
• Show report dates
• Show cards
• Show category/group details for Spending and Category Spending Trend
• Show payee details for Income

Reports retain their normal drilldown behavior, so you can select supported chart or breakdown data to investigate the transactions behind it.

Blank blocks #

A Blank block reserves empty space. Use it to offset content or leave intentional gaps, such as centering four one-column cards in a six-column row. Blank blocks can be one through six columns wide and have no data or settings.