Backup and restore your PocketSmith data

Our backup and restore feature allows you to back up your categories, category rules, and transaction data into separate CSV files.

Backup CSV files can then be used to restore your categories and category structure, category rules, and your categorised transaction history, account names, labels, and notes.

If you want to export specific transactions, follow this guide instead: Exporting your transactions.

❗Important

The backup files do not contain:

  • Files attached to your transactions
  • Your budgets
  • Filters or saved searches

Exporting your PocketSmith data

First, you'll need to export the data from your PocketSmith account by heading to Backup and restore (Manage > Backup and restore)

Click the DOWNLOAD button to export a CSV for the type of data you’d like to backup.

❗Warning

We strongly recommend not editing or saving these files in Excel, as this may make the file incompatible with PocketSmith when restoring from the backup file.

Restoring your PocketSmith data

💡Tip

If restoring all data, we recommend working left to right: first restore categories, then category rules, and finally transactions. This ensures your category structure is retained.

To import your backup data into a PocketSmith account:

  1. Log in to the PocketSmith account that you want to import the data into.
  2. Head to, Backup and restore (Manage > Backup and restore).
  3. Upload your CSV file for the desired set of data (i.e. categories, category rules or transactions). You can either drag or drop your file into the relevant section, or click Choose file to select the file from your computer.
  4. Click COMPLETE RESTORE and wait for the process to be completed ✨

  5. Repeat these steps for each relevant section.

    📝 Note

    When restoring transactions, you can choose to ‘Delete existing transactions before import’. We recommend this option to avoid any duplicate transactions, as all transactions within your backup file will be imported.

    This option will delete all existing transactions, so make sure your file contains all of the transactions you want to retain within your PocketSmith account.

Frequently asked questions

When restoring data, will the uploaded files overwrite or duplicate the existing data in the PocketSmith account?

It depends on which aspect of your data is being restored.

  • Categories: When restoring categories, existing categories won’t be duplicated or overwritten.

    New categories will be added, and existing categories will be left alone unless their settings have been updated, such as being a transfer or bill category.

    For example, if your backup contains a Groceries category set up as a bill category, but your existing Groceries category isn't currently set up as one, restoring the backup will update it to a bill category again.

  • Category rules: Restoring Category rules is additive. Existing rules won't be duplicated, but new rules will be added.

  • Transactions: Existing transactions are not overwritten unless you select the option to ‘Delete existing transactions before import’. We generally recommend this option to avoid any duplicate transactions.

    The transaction backup file will contain categorisation, labels, and notes associated with the transactions, but won’t include any attachments.

Should I reset my PocketSmith account before restoring?

You don’t need to reset your account before restoring; however, it depends on what you want to achieve by restoring or resetting it. Have a read through how restoring each aspect of your data affects the existing data within your account to inform your decision.

You will also need to consider whether you are happy to set up any filters or saved searches, attachments, and budgets again, as these are not included in the backup files.

You can reset your whole PocketSmith account or just specific areas of PocketSmith. See Options for resetting your PocketSmith account.

Can I back up and restore files attached to transactions?

Transaction backup files don’t include any files attached to transactions.

While you can’t back up those files so they’ll be reattached when you restore, you can download a zip file containing the attachments themselves, independent of your transactions.

See: Downloading files for all the details.

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