# Progress Bars

> When you have progress bars turned on, you can quickly see where you've got overspending, how much you need to meet a target, and if you've spent too much.

Source: https://support.ynab.com/en_us/progress-bars-a-guide-SkDEhot09

Last updated: 2026-09-02T17:21:43.069Z

Learn how progress bars help you visually track and understand your plan. Enable or disable this optional feature according to your personal preference.

#### In This Article

[Sections in Your Progress Bars](#sections)

[Colors in Your Progress Bars](#colors)

[How to Turn Progress Bars On and Off](#collapse)

* * *

## Sections in Your Progress Bars 

Progress bars have sections to help visualize progress towards targets. 

### When You Have a Progress Bar With Only One Section

![Green progress bar with one section](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/9pbnxrft6rwpjkg82tnmnb/Progress-Bars-One-Section-Web-Help-Article.png)

A progress bar with only one section represents either the month or the target period.

*   One section represents **the month** for categories with:
    
    *   No targets
        
    *   Snoozed targets
        
    *   Monthly targets with the "refill up to..." behavior
        
    *   Monthly targets with the "set aside another..." behavior when the Available balance was zero at the end of the prior month
        
*   One section represents **the target period** for categories with:
    
    *   Targets with the "refill up to..." behavior and a yearly (or less frequent) cadence
        
    *   Targets with the "set aside another..." behavior and a yearly (or less frequent) cadence when there was no money Available at the end of the last target period
        

### When You Have a Progress Bar With Two Sections

![Progress bar with two sections](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/skpc863qqhrrx83bmg5vprm/Progress-Bars-Two-Sections-Web-Help-Article.png)

A progress bar will have two sections when you've chosen the "set aside another..." behavior for your target **and** money rolled over from the previous month or target period.

*   For targets with a **monthly cadence:**
    
    *   The first section represents the funds that rolled over from the previous month
        
    *   The second section represents money assigned in the current month
        
*   For targets with a **yearly (or less frequent) cadence:**
    
    *   The first section represents the funds that rolled over from the previous target period
        
    *   The second section represents money assigned in the current target period
        

### When You Have a Progress Bar With Four, Five, or Six Sections

![Progress bar with five sections representing each week in the current month](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/qz78ptbfbzp86k4bwsxpsf/Progress-Bars-Five-Sections-Web-Help-Article.png)

A progress bar will have four or more sections when you've chosen a weekly cadence for your target.

*   For **weekly targets with a "refill up to..." behavior**, each section represents a week in the current month. 
    
*   For **weekly targets with a "set aside another..." behavior**:
    
    *   the first section represents either:
        
        *   the month (if no funds rolled over from the previous month)
            
        *   the funds that rolled over from the previous target period
            
    *   the rest of the sections represent weeks in the current month
        

#### Extra sections?

Notice an extra section in categories that have targets with a weekly cadence? This happens when more was assigned or spent than the target amount.

![Category shows 4 green sections and 1 red. In a 4 week month, this extra section means more than the target amount was spent](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/n4pwbrw8cjp5r565qqnsvhr/Progress-Bar-Overspending-Web-Help-Article.png?auto=webp&format=png)

You started the month with $0 Available and assigned $400 for the weekly target ($100/week). Over the course of the month, you spent $500. The progress bar will have five sections. 

Once you've [covered the overspending](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/overspending-in-ynab-a-guide-ryWoxEyi), the extra section will remain to show the extra assigned amount.

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

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## Colors in Your Progress Bars

The color of each progress bar is a signal of what is happening in the category this month.

**Green**  
At least one of the following is true:

*   You've fully funded the target for the month.
    
*   You've snoozed a target.
    
*   Money is available in a category without a target. 
    

Light green represents money spent. In the example below, the light green bar represents $80 fully spent in the Gas Station category.

![Light green progress bar](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/chc78tsc64pxm5hhqh7qf7pq/Progress-Bars-Light-Green-Web-Help-Article.png)

  
Dark green represents money still available to spend. In the example below, the dark green bars represent $320 still available to spend in the Grocery Runs category.

![Dark green progress bar](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/kcv68xhhcv4zbrbpnvcg9c3c/Progress-Bars-Dark-Green-Web-Help-Article.png)

**Yellow**  
You've assigned money but the target isn't met.

Light yellow represents money spent while dark yellow represents money still available to spend. In the example below, the light bar represents $15 spent in the Phone & Internet category, while the dark yellow bar represents $30 still available to spend.

![Progress bar with both light and dark yellow to represent spending](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/f9rcwvrkhh4j8ffspnh438r8/Progress-Bars-Light-Dark-Yellow-Web-Help-Article.png)

**Grey/Empty Bar**  
You haven't funded the category or spent money in the month. In the example below, the Utilities category hasn’t yet been funded.

![Grey progress bar](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/qfcc9qn8c4jjnbjmq9p2fw/Progress-Bars-Grey-Web-Help-Article.png)

**Red**  
Your spending exceeds the Available amount. The bar will be entirely red if nothing was assigned to the category. If the bar is partly red, this is the amount overspent. In the example below, the red bar represents $100 of overspending in the Medical expenses category.

![Red progress bar](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/shrm2qgw3wmcf73wq8kvxst6/Progress-Bars-Red-Web-Help-Article.png)

Remember, anytime you see red in your progress bar, it’s time to [move money](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/moving-money-in-your-plan-ryyCKbBJi) accordingly. If you can’t, or don’t, cover that overspending, read our help article on what happens [When the Month Rolls Over](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/when-the-month-rolls-over-a-guide-rkyyd6qC9) for more on how overspending is handled in YNAB. 

#### Assigning into the Future

Progress bars will show progress to the target in the month you're viewing:

*   For monthly targets with a "set aside another..." behavior, leftover funds from the previous month will show up in the first progress bar section. Any money assigned in the current month will show up in the second section.
    
*   Rollover funds from targets with a "refill up to..." behavior don't count toward the target until the new month starts. Leftover from previous months will not show as progress.
    

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

* * *

## How to Turn Progress Bars On and Off

### iOS

1.  Tap the _Plan_ tab.
    
2.  Tap the three dots icon in the upper left corner.
    
3.  If progress bars are showing, you'll see the option to _Hide Progress Bars_.   
    
    ![Hide Progress Bars is highlighted in three dots menu](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/m92kfnfhbkg3rv3pmbgp8/Hide-Progress-Bars-iOS-Help-Article.png)
4.  If they're already hidden, you'll see _Show Progress Bars_ instead.  
    
    ![Show Progress Bars is highlighted in three dots menu](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/n87tjkrjm6c7jfw3gs6z6g/Show-Progress-Bars-iOS-Help-Article.png)

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

### Android

1.  Tap the _Plan_ tab.
    
2.  Tap the three dots icon in the upper right corner.
    
3.  If progress bars are showing, you'll see a checkmark in the box beside **Progress Bars**.
    
4.  If they're already hidden, you'll see an empty checkbox instead.
    
5.  Tap the checkbox to toggle Progress Bars on and off.
    

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

### Web

The plan page toolbar has two icons on the right. The two horizontal lines = turn progress bars **on**. The three horizontal lines hide them or turn them **off**. 

You can also turn progress bars on or off as you're [picking a new theme](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/changing-the-appearance-of-your-plan-BJzo3HlRc):

1.  From the **web app**, click the name of your plan (located at the top of the left sidebar).
    
2.  Click _Display Options_.  
    
    ![Display options shown with Progress Bars section highlighted](https://cdn.bfldr.com/NIEXAZS5/at/bxvfmkjrvspkrg5p6pc7m7c/Show-Hide-Progress-Bars-Web-Help-Article.png)
    
      
    
3.  Select _On_ to view the progress bars, or _Off_ to hide them.
    
4.  Click _Apply_. 
    

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

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## Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

### Why do my progress bars keep resetting?

Progress bars will reset when cookies or local storage are cleared, either by you or by software on the device.

### Can I choose which progress bar section I spend from?

No. If you have leftover funds from the previous month, those funds will always be spent first. If you have more than one progress bar in your category, there's no way to keep money in the first section of the progress bar and only spend from the other sections.

### What kind of overspending do I have?

The progress bar will always show overspending as red, but your Available amount will tell you whether the overspending was done from a cash account or on a credit card. Check out this guide to the [Colors and Icons in Your Plan](https://support.ynab.com/en_us/colors-and-icons-in-your-plan-HJQv_XHko) for more.

[Back to Top](#backtotop)

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