5. Transactions

Bulk Entry

Use bulk entry tools when entering many transactions at once and review the result before saving it into your file.

Bulk entry is the fastest way to work through a backlog of transactions. Instead of opening and closing the normal form over and over, you stay in one workbench, move across rows, and save the batch together.

When bulk entry is a good fit #

catching up on a backlog of normal transactions
entering a batch from a paper statement or notes
reviewing multiple rows before saving them together

Ways to open bulk entry #

Depending on the feature settings and where you start, you may reach bulk entry in three main ways:

from the Combo Palette with the Add or Import Transactions
from the main Add button by choosing the multi-entry option
from the normal add-transaction flow by using Switch to Bulk Entry when that option is offered

Bulk entry opens as a workbench with the grid and a row inspector. Its shell controls let you:

minimize the session so you can navigate in the app and then come back
close it when you are finished; if the grid has changes, Common Cents asks whether to discard them
a restore dock at the bottom of the screen when the session is minimized

The main sheet controls #

At the top of the sheet, Common Cents gives you a toolbar with:

Clear Grid to reset the unsaved sheet back to how it opened
Add rows to extend the sheet in one batch; the opening sheet fills the available workbench height

The sheet columns are built for quick entry:

Date
Account
Payee
Category
Label when Labels is enabled
Amount
Details, which opens the row inspector

The row number column also matters:

click a row number to select that row
rows with problems show an ! indicator
right-click a row number to open the row context menu

The row context menu is one of the most useful bulk-entry shortcuts. It includes:

Copy
Paste - a simple paste from your clipboard
Paste - paste values directly into the selected rows
Delete

Row inspector, splits, and debt payments #

Use a row’s Details control to open its inspector. The inspector holds the row’s note and its Outflow details choice:

Standard transaction keeps the row as an ordinary outflow.
Split transaction opens the split detail sheet. When saved, a split summary appears in the inspector with an Edit button.
Debt payment opens the debt-payment detail sheet. It supports card, loan, and mortgage payments. Card payments use the card’s payment category; loan and mortgage payments choose a payment category. Mortgage payments also collect Principal and show the remaining Interest + escrow amount.

The detail sheets are child panels of the inspector. Use their back control to return to the row inspector without leaving the workbench. Once a debt payment is saved, the inspector shows a summary and an Edit button to reopen it.

For a one-off payment, you can still use Make a Debt Payment. Bulk entry is the alternative when the payment belongs in a batch.

Bulk entry separates selecting a cell from editing its value. That lets you move quickly without accidentally changing a row.

Click an editable field to begin editing it. Click a row number to select the row, or right-click it for the row menu.
With a cell selected but not being edited, use the arrow keys to move through the grid. Use Tab and Shift + Tab to move forward and backward through cells, including across row boundaries.
Press Enter to edit the selected cell. In an Account, Payee, Category, or Label cell, press Enter again while editing to open its pick list. Typing in a selected text, lookup, or amount cell also starts editing; typing in a date cell opens its date picker.
While editing, arrow keys work inside the text, amount, or date control. In an open pick list, they move through the available choices.
Choose a pick-list result with Enter or the mouse to apply it and return to grid navigation.
Press Escape to close an open pick list, or to stop editing the current cell. From the grid, Escape closes Bulk Entry; if there are unsaved changes, Common Cents asks whether to discard them.
With a cell selected but not being edited, Backspace or Delete clears that cell. While editing, those keys work normally inside the field.
Use Command + Z or Control + Z to undo recent sheet edits, and Command + Shift + Z or Control + Shift + Z to redo them.

The Amount cell includes a sign toggle for inflow or outflow.

Importing into the sheet #

Saving the batch #

The main actions stay available in the workbench footer:

Cancel
Save All Rows

If the sheet finds problems first, Common Cents shows a Validation Issues panel and points you to the broken rows and columns.

If Strict Mode is enabled and a row would overspend a category, saving can pause and open Strict Mode: Cover Overspending before the batch is allowed through.

Slow down before the final save #

The point of bulk entry is faster input, not lower accuracy. Review dates, amounts, payees, categories, and warnings before you press Save All Rows.