How can I batch-change from a category to a new subcategory within that category

kleeberg

On the Mac version of quicken, how can I batch-change from a category to a new subcategory within that category. For example I have "Auto:service" and I want to move the majority of the transactions to "Auto:service:subaru" where Subaru is the new subcategory for multiple transactions.

Paul

Jon

I'm not sure if this is absolutely necessary, but I would first create the new subcategory in the Categories window.

Next, select the transactions you want to recategorize. If the transactions are spread across multiple accounts use the All Transactions register. Search for "Auto:service" to make it easier to find them.

Then right click on one of the selected transactions and choose Edit Transaction (or press Command-E). In the edit window, enter the new category in the Category field and make sure the box next to it is checked, then press the OK button. The category will be updated on all the selected transactions.

This doesn't work for split transactions - you'll need to change the category of those one at a time.

jacobs

What @Jon said. 😀

But since you said the majority of transactions in your existing category are involved, here's another approach which may or may not be faster, depending how many transactions there are…

• In the Categories window, change Auto:Service to Auto:Subaru
• Create a new sub-category of Auto called Service
• Move the Subrar sub-category under the Service Subcateogry, so it will now be Auto:Service:Subaru
• For the minority of transactions which should not be in the Subra sub-category, edit them to Auto:Service

RickO

You can select all the transactions that have the category, and then use menu File > Get Info to batch change the category on all the selected transactions. However, there's a catch. That is: this won't affect any lines that are within a split transition. You would have to change those one by one.

If you want to change ALL instances of Auto:service to Auto:service:subaru, there's another (a bit more tricky) way to accomplish this as follows:

1. Open the Categories window and change the name of subcategory "Service" to "Service OLD" (to preserve existing assignments of this category to transactions). Double click the name to edit it.
2. Right click on Auto and add a new subcategory "Service" (right click on it to add a subcategory)
3. Right click on Service and add a new subcategory "Subaru"
4. Drag and drop Service OLD on top of Service to make it a subcategory of Service
5. Your category structure will now look like this:

Now Command-Click on Service OLD and Subaru so that they are both selected then click Merge Categories button at the bottom of the window. Select Subaru from the popup name for the combined category. You will end up with Subaru as a subcategory of Service and it will be assigned to all the transactions that used to have category Auto:Service.

If there are just a few transactions that you don't want to be category Auto:Service:Subaru, then you can go back and change them one by one or by using File > Get Info.

Make sure you back up before doing this in case anything goes wrong.