Skip to main content

Import from YNAB

Bring your YNAB budget into Big Picture Money from the official Export Budget download — accounts, categories, transaction history, transfers, splits, flag colors as tags, and optionally monthly Envelope budget targets.

This is separate from importing a bank CSV or QFX/OFX. You do not map columns; Big Picture Money understands the YNAB export shape.

Prerequisites​

  • Big Picture Money is unlocked (see Unlock the app)
  • A license is activated for this data file
  • You have a YNAB Export Budget ZIP from the YNAB web app (mobile apps do not offer this export)

For the cleanest switch, create a new data file, activate your license, then run Import from YNAB before you add other accounts. You can also merge into a file that already has data (best-effort match by account name).

Export from YNAB​

  1. Open the YNAB web app on a computer and open the budget you want to leave.
  2. Open the budget menu and choose Export Budget.
  3. Save the ZIP file. It contains two CSVs — a Register (transactions) and a Budget (monthly targets).

Steps in Big Picture Money​

  1. In the left navigation, click Import, then Import from YNAB.
    On an empty file, Getting started on Home also offers Import from YNAB. Use Learn more there for this how-to (not the marketing page).
  2. Drop the ZIP onto the drop zone, or choose the ZIP (or the Register CSV, with Budget optional).
  3. Wait for detection. The app confirms a YNAB Register (and Budget when present), account names, date range, and row counts. If the file is not a YNAB export, you see a clear error — use CSV or QFX/OFX import instead.
  4. In Accounts, set each account’s Big Picture Money type (Checking, Savings, Credit card, and so on). YNAB does not export types.
    If this file already has accounts, review the suggested matches and edit the mapping before continuing.
  5. Review the Categories summary. Your YNAB category groups and categories are created (or reused by name). Special mappings:
    • Inflow: Ready to Assign → Income → Inflow: Ready to Assign
    • Credit Card Payments → Transfer Out · Credit Card Payment
  6. If a Budget file is present, choose whether to import budget targets:
    • Skip budgets — ledger only
    • Import budgets — Envelope targets for every month in the file
      Review expected income for each month (prefilled from the export; edit before commit).
      Targets under YNAB Credit Card Payments stay off unless you opt in.
  7. Review the Summary (accounts, categories, transactions, splits, linked transfers, tags, markers, budget lines).
  8. Click Commit. Progress appears while the migrate runs (same idea as a large CSV import). Cancel before commit leaves the file unchanged. Aborting mid-write keeps rows already written and marks the run aborted.

What gets imported​

From YNABIn Big Picture Money
AccountsCreated (or matched); opening balance starts at $0 with full history
Category groups / categoriesYour names, plus Big Picture Money defaults (archive unused defaults later if you like)
TransactionsDate, payee, memo, amount, cleared
SplitsOne transaction with split lines
Transfer: … payeesLinked transfers when both sides exist
Flag colorsTags such as YNAB: Red (rename anytime)
Starting Balance rowsImport marker plus tag YNAB: Starting Balance
Budgeted (optional)Envelope monthly targets; expected income for approve/edit

Reconciled in YNAB becomes Cleared here (past reconciliation sessions are not rebuilt). Activity and Available from the Budget file are not copied as ledger truth — actuals come from your imported transactions.

Expected result​

  • After commit, your accounts appear under Accounts and in transaction views
  • Registers show categorized history, including splits and Starting Balance markers
  • Transfer: pairs that both exist are linked; credit card payments use Transfer Out · Credit Card Payment so spending is not double-counted
  • Flag colors appear as YNAB: … tags; Ready to Assign income lands on Income → Inflow: Ready to Assign
  • If you imported budgets, those months have Envelope targets and the expected income you approved
  • The run appears on Import → Import & sync activity
  • Re-importing the same data skips duplicates (fingerprints)
  • Canceling before commit leaves the file unchanged