Categorizing large number of transactions

Desert Diver

Is there a way to quickly categorize a large number of transactions to the same category without having to repeat the same steps for each individually?

Boatnmaniac

There are several different ways to do this in addition to using the Find/Replace function (in the Edit menu).

If this is simply a matter of renaming a current category and you want every transaction with that category name to now show the new category name, all you need to do is edit the category name in Category List. 

When the edited name is completed, all transactions with that category will automatically be updated to the new category name.

If you need to recategorize only some transactions I have found the following process to be the easiest and most flexible option:

1. Back up your data file in case something goes wrong.
2. Click on the Reports menu and open the Banking Transaction report.
3. Customize the report to select the appropriate date range, the account(s), payee(s) and category(ies) that you want changed.  
4. You can also sort the report in a number of different ways if you wish by clicking on the appropriate report column header.
5. Left click on the top transaction in the report to be changed.
6. Scroll down the report to the last transaction in the report to be changed and Shift+left click on it.  All the transactions to be changed should now be shaded.
7. Right click anywhere on the shaded transactions and left click on Recategorize Transaction(s).
8. Select the new category you want to use and click OK.  This will change all the affected transactions in the report and in the registers.

Another option which is a little less flexible but works well if you want to change the category for all transactions in a specific register is to:

1. Click on the appropriate column header in the register to sort it by Payee, Category, Tag or Memo so all the transactions which you want to change the category are grouped together.  
2. Left click on the 1st transaction to be changed.
3. Scroll down to the last transaction to be changed and Shift+left click on it to shade all the transactions you want to change.  
4. Right click anywhere on the shaded transactions and left click on Assign Category .
5. Select the category you want to use and all these transactions will be updated to show that new category.

Chris_QPW

Desert Diver said:

Can I use the renaming tool whilst the transactions are still in the download table?

No.  From what I have seen the renaming rules only kick in at the time of downloading (before they go into the Downloaded Transactions tab or register).

At this point you will need to accept them into the register and use @Boatnmaniac suggestion to change them.

But you definitely want to make sure you have updated your renaming rules for future transactions.

Boatnmaniac

@Desert Diver - You might want to take a proactive approach to the Renaming Rules by updating your Preferences for them as shown below.  Then after doing this, when you change a Payee name for a transaction before you have accepted it into the Account Register Quicken will usually suggest a Renaming Rule for it and you can review/modify the criteria/confirm the new Renaming Rule.  For example, using @NotACPA's "Macy's 05/10/2021" Payee, you could set up the Renaming Rule so that if a downloaded Payee Contains "Macy's" it should be renamed simply "Macy's" then going forward all downloaded transactions from any Macy's would be entered into the register as simply "Macy's".   It might not help much for the transactions you have already downloaded but then you will not need to manually set up a bunch of Renaming Rules later saving yourself some time later and perhaps eliminating the possibility that you might forget to later set up a Renaming Rule for some Payee.

oldngrmpy1

There is one more way to create a Renaming Rule. On the screen you get to accept your transactions, there is a link to "Renaming Rules" in the lower left of that screen which opens to the "Renaming Rules" screen. At that point you can also create a rule. I've never used it so I don't know if you can create a new rule before accepting transactions and have your new Payee in the accepted transaction or not, but it's worth a try. Another place for you to look is in Help > Search > Renaming Rules. A lot of the Help section has been recently updated, and there is some very good information that might help you.

NotACPA

Besides not using the category that you want, is there any other commonality among these transactions ... such that you could use the Find/Replace function?

Boatnmaniac

There are several different ways to do this in addition to using the Find/Replace function (in the Edit menu).

If this is simply a matter of renaming a current category and you want every transaction with that category name to now show the new category name, all you need to do is edit the category name in Category List. 

When the edited name is completed, all transactions with that category will automatically be updated to the new category name.

If you need to recategorize only some transactions I have found the following process to be the easiest and most flexible option:

1. Back up your data file in case something goes wrong.
2. Click on the Reports menu and open the Banking Transaction report.
3. Customize the report to select the appropriate date range, the account(s), payee(s) and category(ies) that you want changed.  
4. You can also sort the report in a number of different ways if you wish by clicking on the appropriate report column header.
5. Left click on the top transaction in the report to be changed.
6. Scroll down the report to the last transaction in the report to be changed and Shift+left click on it.  All the transactions to be changed should now be shaded.
7. Right click anywhere on the shaded transactions and left click on Recategorize Transaction(s).
8. Select the new category you want to use and click OK.  This will change all the affected transactions in the report and in the registers.

Another option which is a little less flexible but works well if you want to change the category for all transactions in a specific register is to:

1. Click on the appropriate column header in the register to sort it by Payee, Category, Tag or Memo so all the transactions which you want to change the category are grouped together.  
2. Left click on the 1st transaction to be changed.
3. Scroll down to the last transaction to be changed and Shift+left click on it to shade all the transactions you want to change.  
4. Right click anywhere on the shaded transactions and left click on Assign Category .
5. Select the category you want to use and all these transactions will be updated to show that new category.

Desert Diver

Thank you for your ideas. My problem is that I would like to categorize the downloaded transactions before putting them into the register. I've downloaded a couple of thousand transactions that basically fit into 5 categories, however I can't use the memorize category function because the bank added the date to each description, so in a way they are each distinct. As there are already transactions in the register for that period it would also be difficult to filter/sort to do the Assign Category.

I was hoping to highlight them while there still in the download table and assign a category before posting them to the register. I will attempt each suggestion for now and see which is the quickest. Cheers.

NotACPA

Is the Payee name, or some other field consistent in the parts prior to the added Date?

If so, how about using a Renaming rule so that "Macy's 05/10/2021" is simply renamed to Macy's ... and then have a Memorized transaction for Macy's to add the category?

Desert Diver

Can I use the renaming tool whilst the transactions are still in the download table?

Chris_QPW

Desert Diver said:

Can I use the renaming tool whilst the transactions are still in the download table?

No.  From what I have seen the renaming rules only kick in at the time of downloading (before they go into the Downloaded Transactions tab or register).

At this point you will need to accept them into the register and use @Boatnmaniac suggestion to change them.

But you definitely want to make sure you have updated your renaming rules for future transactions.

Desert Diver

Will do, I have 2833 transactions to sort out, so it may take a while. Thank you all for your help. Cheer.

Boatnmaniac

@Desert Diver - You might want to take a proactive approach to the Renaming Rules by updating your Preferences for them as shown below.  Then after doing this, when you change a Payee name for a transaction before you have accepted it into the Account Register Quicken will usually suggest a Renaming Rule for it and you can review/modify the criteria/confirm the new Renaming Rule.  For example, using @NotACPA's "Macy's 05/10/2021" Payee, you could set up the Renaming Rule so that if a downloaded Payee Contains "Macy's" it should be renamed simply "Macy's" then going forward all downloaded transactions from any Macy's would be entered into the register as simply "Macy's".   It might not help much for the transactions you have already downloaded but then you will not need to manually set up a bunch of Renaming Rules later saving yourself some time later and perhaps eliminating the possibility that you might forget to later set up a Renaming Rule for some Payee.

oldngrmpy1

There is one more way to create a Renaming Rule. On the screen you get to accept your transactions, there is a link to "Renaming Rules" in the lower left of that screen which opens to the "Renaming Rules" screen. At that point you can also create a rule. I've never used it so I don't know if you can create a new rule before accepting transactions and have your new Payee in the accepted transaction or not, but it's worth a try. Another place for you to look is in Help > Search > Renaming Rules. A lot of the Help section has been recently updated, and there is some very good information that might help you.