# Categorizing Transactions > Categorizing transactions tells YNAB how to update your plan. Once you've set a category for a payee, YNAB does this automatically. Here's how this works! Source: https://support.ynab.com/en_us/categorizing-transactions-a-guide-HyRl60sks Last updated: 2026-08-19T19:05:31.343Z Understand the process of categorizing transactions in YNAB to effectively manage your plan. Learn how YNAB's auto-categorization and predictive category suggestions work to streamline your planning process. Follow our steps for how to change a transaction's category, bulk categorize transactions, and disable automatic categorization for individual payees. Discover how to handle uncategorized transactions. If you're just [getting started](https://www.ynab.com/guide/the-ultimate-get-started-guide) with YNAB, [set up your categories first](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/adding-removing-and-customizing-categories-a-guide-HJFO5j909). This initial setup allows you to [add and categorize your transactions](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/how-to-add-transactions-in-ynab-HyDwA_byi#add). Don't worry about getting it exactly right; you can always [modify, hide, or delete categories and category groups](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/adding-removing-and-customizing-categories-a-guide-HJFO5j909) as you spend. #### Categorizing Credit Card Transactions If you were alerted to **uncategorized transactions** in your Credit Card Payment category, review [this section of the article](#uncategorized) to learn how and why uncategorized transactions affect your payment category. Follow [these steps to categorize a single transaction](#change) or [these steps to categorize multiple transactions at once](#bulk). [The process for categorizing a credit card payment](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/credit-card-payments-a-guide-r1_506Q1j#enter) depends on whether the payment is coming from an account in YNAB or an account that is not included in your YNAB plan.  #### In This Article: [How Auto-Categorization Works](#how) [How Predictive Category Suggestions Work on iOS and Android](#suggestions) [How to Change a Transaction's Category](#change) [How to Bulk Categorize Transactions](#bulk) [Disable or Re-enable Automatic Categorization of Payees](#disable) [Uncategorized Transactions](#uncategorized) * * * ## How Auto-Categorization Works Categorizing transactions tells YNAB how to update your plan. The **first time** a payee enters or imports into your plan, you'll be prompted to assign a category for the transaction. The one exception to this: inflow transactions imported into **checking** accounts will automatically be categorized as Income: Ready to Assign (also called Inflow: Ready to Assign on web). The **next time** that payee is used, YNAB remembers the most recently used category and automatically assigns it to the transaction. YNAB will then monitor whether you change the category in future transactions for this payee. If so, YNAB updates the default when 2 of the 3 most recent transactions use a different category. New transactions always use the current default. YNAB re-checks the default after a transaction is added or changed. Editing or adding older transactions will never change the default, since only the three most recent count. Auto-Categorization applies to new transactions that are imported or entered. The category of existing transactions in the register will not be affected. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## How Predictive Category Suggestions Work on iOS and Android ### iOS If you use multiple categories for a single payee, the most recently used category may not be the one you want to use for a particular transaction. That's where predictive category suggestions come in. While YNAB automatically **selects** the default category, the mobile app also **suggests** the next five categories you've recently used with that payee. To choose from the rest of your categories, scroll down the screen. **No category suggestions?** They aren't available for new payees, payees that have only ever been used with one category, or split transactions.  ### Android If you use multiple categories for a single payee, the most recently used category may not be the one you want to use for a particular transaction. That's where predictive category suggestions come in. While YNAB automatically **selects** the default category, the mobile app also **suggests** the next five categories you've recently used with that payee. To choose from the rest of your categories, scroll down the screen. **No category suggestions?** They aren't available for new payees, payees that have only ever been used with one category, or split transactions.  [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## How to Change a Transaction's Category You can always change a transaction’s category by following the steps below. ### iOS 1. Tap the _Spending_ tab. 2. Tap the transaction. 3. Tap the transaction's current category. 4. Select the new category. 5. Tap _Save_. #### Bank Import Details Unsure which category to choose? If you need to review an order for an imported transaction, you can access online order pages for major retailers through the Bank Import Details feature on iOS. We show links for Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Costco, eBay, Kroger, Sam's Club or Walmart, Square, and Target. ![Tapping on an Amazon transaction shows a link to access your Amazon order history.](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/qkwr7z8pmq2m8zvjfjww77bp/Big-Box-Links-iOS-Android-Help-Article.png?auto=webp&format=png) ### Android 1. Tap the _Spending_ tab. 2. Tap the transaction. 3. Tap the transaction's current category. 4. Select the new category. 5. Tap _Save_. #### Bank Import Details Unsure which category to choose? If you need to review an order for an imported transaction, you can access online order pages for major retailers through the Bank Import Details feature on Android. We show links for Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Costco, eBay, Kroger, Sam's Club or Walmart, Square, and Target. ![Tapping on an Amazon transaction shows a link to access your Amazon order history.](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/qkwr7z8pmq2m8zvjfjww77bp/Big-Box-Links-iOS-Android-Help-Article.png?auto=webp&format=png) ### Web 1. In the left sidebar, select the account the transaction occurred in. 2. Click the transaction's current category. 3. Select the new category from the dropdown list. 4. Click _Save_. #### Bank Import Details Unsure which category to choose? If you need to review an order for an imported transaction, you can access online order pages for major retailers through the Bank Import Details tooltip on the web app. We show links for Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Costco, eBay, Kroger, Sam's Club or Walmart, Square, and Target. ![After selecting a transaction payee, a link to access Amazon history is listed under the Additional Information section](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/tk35kwm4mtmrm9wvgg/Big-Box-Link-Web-Help-Article.png?auto=webp&format=png) [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## How to Bulk Categorize Transactions Have a lot of transactions that require the same category? Speed up your workflow by bulk categorizing them! ### iOS 1. Tap the _Spending_ tab. 2. Tap _Select_ at the top of the screen to display circles to the left of each transaction.  3. Select multiple transactions by tapping each circle. 4. Tap _Categorize_ on the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. 5. Select the category you'd like. ### Android 1. Tap the _Spending_ tab. 2. Long press on any transaction to display checkboxes to the left of each transaction.  3. Select multiple transactions by tapping each checkbox. 4. Tap _Categorize_ on the toolbar towards the bottom of your screen. 5. Select the category you'd like. ### Web 1. Click on an account (or _All Accounts_) in the left sidebar.  2. Select all the transactions you'd like to categorize, using the checkboxes to the left in the account register. You can search by payee to make this go more quickly. 3. Click _Categorize_, choosing the category you'd like. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Disable or Re-enable Automatic Categorization of Payees Automatic categorization is enabled by default but can be disabled for individual payees using the _Manage Payees_ feature **in the web app**. You can: * Set the default category for the payee to the category of your choice. This can be useful if a payee's category rarely changes and you don't want YNAB adjusting it based on your recent transactions. * Turn off automatic categorization entirely for a payee. This can be useful when shopping at stores like Amazon, Costco, and Target, where your purchases may be assigned to different categories each time. ### How to Disable Automatic Categorization in the Web App 1. fClick the name of your plan (located at the top of the left sidebar). 2. Choose _Manage Payees_ from the menu. 3. Find the payee in the list and select _Do not auto-categorize \[payee name\]_. 4. Click _Done_. Moving forward, future transactions with this payee will prompt for a category. ### How to Re-enable Automatic Categorization in the Web App 1. Click the name of your plan (located at the top of the left sidebar). 2. Choose _Manage Payees_ from the menu. 3. Find the payee in the list and select _Let YNAB auto-categorize based on payee history_. 4. Click _Done_. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Uncategorized Transactions It is possible to add a transaction **without** setting a category at first, but your plan will continue to prompt you to fix this. Why? Because YNAB needs to know which category the transaction should affect. ### How This Appears in YNAB ### iOS From the Home tab, a banner displaying "\[#\] New transactions" will appear at the top. To clear the notice when it includes uncategorized transactions: 1. Tap the _Home_ tab. 2. Tap the banner displaying "\[#\] New transactions". 3. Tap on each transaction to edit it.  4. Tap _Category_, and from the next window, either select from your existing category options or tap _New Category_ at the top.  5. Tap _Save_ when you're done.  ### Android From the Home tab, a banner displaying "\[#\] New transactions" will appear at the top. To clear the notice when it includes uncategorized transactions: 1. Tap the _Home_ tab. 2. Tap the banner displaying "\[#\] New transactions". 3. Tap on each transaction to edit it.  4. Tap _Category Needed_, and from the next window, either select from your existing category options or tap _New Category_ at the top.  5. Tap _Save_ when you're done.  ### Web An _Uncategorized Transactions_ section will appear at the top of your plan, and you'll see a white dot next to any affected accounts in the left sidebar. To clear this notice: 1. Click _All Accounts_ in the left sidebar. 2. Click the banner at the top of the register displaying "(#) new transactions to approve or categorize." This will filter the view to show only transactions that need attention. 3. Find each transaction with a yellow "This needs a category" notice. 4. Click on the notice and select the appropriate category. 5. Click _Save_. [Back to Top](#backtotop) * * * ## Help Us Help You! Our Knowledge Base team reviews article feedback responses weekly, and we actively revise these articles to make them as helpful as possible. That's where you come in! 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