Tags

Accessing the Tags Screen

You can access the Tags Screen by:

• Going to More → Advanced Features → Tags

What Are Tags?

Tags are labels you can attach to transactions to add extra context or grouping. Unlike budget categories (which organize transactions by type of expense or income), tags let you track transactions across different purposes or situations.

Example uses for tags:

• Track all expenses for a specific vacation or trip
• Mark transactions as business-related for expense reports
• Label gift purchases during holidays
• Identify reimbursable expenses
• Group transactions for a specific project or event

You can add multiple tags to a single transaction, giving you powerful flexibility in organizing your financial data.

Screen Layout

Tag List

The main area displays all your tags in a single card. Each tag shows:

• Avatar - A circle displaying the tag's first letter
• Tag name - The name you gave the tag (e.g., "Vacation", "Business")
• Description - Any notes you added about the tag (if provided)
• Total amount - The net transaction total for this tag during the selected period (not shown when the net total is zero)
  • Positive amounts (income exceeded expenses) show with a plus sign
  • Negative amounts (expenses exceeded income) show the spent amount
  • The period can be configured in settings (current month, current year, or all time)
• Menu button (three dots) - Opens tag actions

Sorting

Tags are sorted alphabetically by name, ignoring capitalization, on the main list, archive, and tag selection screens. Transaction amounts and usage frequency do not affect the order.

Top Bar Actions

The top bar contains several action buttons:

Search Button

Tap the search icon to reveal a search bar. You can search tags by:

• Tag name
• Tag description

The list filters in real-time as you type. Tap the search icon again to close the search bar.

Add Tag Button (+)

Quickly create a new tag. Opens the Add Tag screen.

More Options Menu (three dots)

Tap to access additional options:

• Settings - Configure tag-related preferences
• Merge Tags - Combine existing tags into one
• Archive - View and manage archived tags

Tag Actions

Tapping a Tag

Tap any tag to view all transactions that have this tag attached. This opens a filtered transaction list showing:

• All income and expenses with this tag
• The transaction history over time
• Date range matching your totals period setting

Long-Pressing a Tag (or Tapping the Menu Button)

Opens a menu with these options:

• Transactions - View all transactions with this tag
• Trends - See a year-by-year breakdown of your transaction totals with this tag
• Analytics - View charts and detailed analytics for this tag's transactions (only available if the tag has transactions)
• Edit - Change the tag's name or description (only available if the tag has transactions)
• Archive - Hide the tag from the main list (keeps all history)
• Delete - Permanently remove the tag

Note about deleting tags with transactions: If a tag has transactions attached to it, you'll see a warning when attempting to delete. Deleting the tag will remove the tag association from all linked transactions. Consider archiving instead to preserve your organizational structure.

Adding a New Tag

When adding a new tag, you'll fill in:

Required Fields

• Name - A unique name for the tag (e.g., "Vacation 2024", "Business Expense", "Holiday Gifts")
  • Maximum 25 characters

Optional Fields

• Description - Notes about the tag (e.g., "Trip to Italy in June", "Client meeting expenses")

Duplicate Check: The app will alert you if a tag with the same name already exists, ensuring each tag has a unique name.

Free Version Limit

The free version of Budgetum allows up to 5 tags. A banner will appear when you're approaching or have reached this limit. Upgrade to Pro for unlimited tags.

Tap the top-right checkmark to save and return to the previous screen.

Editing a Tag

When editing a tag, you can change:

• Name - Update the tag's display name
• Description - Add or update notes about the tag

Note: The Edit option is only available for tags that have transactions. Tags without transactions should be deleted and recreated if changes are needed.

Merging Tags

Open More → Tags, tap the three dots in the top bar, then Merge Tags. This action is available without Pro, including when the list is empty or only one tag exists; completing a merge requires at least two distinct existing tags and an active target.

1. Read the backup reminder. Create Backup Now opens the backup screen. Return with Back to continue with your selections preserved. Opening backup hides the reminder for this visit; it does not confirm that a backup was created.
2. Tap Tags to Merge. This opens the usual Tags selection page. Both the source and target pickers use this title. Tags are listed alphabetically by name. Active and archived entries appear, with an archive icon beside archived entries. Tap a row to select or deselect it; selected rows are highlighted and show a checkmark. Tap the search icon in the top bar to search names or descriptions. The selected-item strip stays visible while filtering: tap an item in the strip to remove it, or the × at the right to clear the selection. Closing search clears the search text but preserves selections. Selection changes apply to the merge form immediately, including removing or clearing selections. Use Back to return with your current selection preserved; there is no approval checkmark in the picker. Selecting items alone does not perform a merge.
3. Tap Target Tag and then tap the existing tag you want to keep. This field is disabled until a source is selected. Only active tags appear as targets. The target may also be in the source selection, but at least one other source is required. Clearing all sources also clears the target.
4. Tap the checkmark at the top right of the merge form. Missing sources or a missing target show a validation message; selecting only the target as a source is also rejected.
5. Review the confirmation, which shows the number of sources that will be deleted (excluding the target) and the target's name. Cancel returns to the form with selections preserved. Merge Tags confirms the permanent merge. While it runs, the form shows a progress indicator and Back is disabled. Success returns to the Tags list with a success message and refreshed totals.

The merge affects all dates, including historical and planned transactions, favourites, and recurring transactions, even inactive schedules. Source tags are deleted. The target keeps its name and description. Transaction amounts, dates, descriptions, accounts, and recurring schedules stay the same. There are no extra-description or extra-tag options on this form.

For each affected transaction or favourite/recurring entry, selected source tags are replaced by the target once; unrelated tags stay attached. For example, a $10 transaction tagged both “Holiday” and “Vacation” remains one $10 transaction after merging those tags. Its target tag total counts it once, so adding the old tag totals together can overstate the merged total.

Saved Sets replace source tag selections with the target in both included and excluded filters, removing repeated selections within each list. This can change results: a filter now covers the combined tag's transactions. If the merge leaves the target both included and excluded, exclusion still applies; review the Saved Set filters afterward.

If a picker has no matching entries, it shows the usual tag search empty state. Clear or close search, or return with Back. Use + in either picker to create a tag with the usual Add form. Saving from the source picker selects the new tag immediately and keeps the picker open; use Back to return to the merge form. Saving from the target picker selects the new target and returns to the merge form. Back from Add without saving preserves the existing selection. Newly created tags remain available even if you later cancel the merge. Creating tags follows the usual free limit of five tags; at the limit, Add opens the Pro upgrade page. Merging existing tags does not require Pro. Pickers load the current list when opened. If loading fails, return and reopen the picker; the tag picker also offers Try Again. If a merge fails, an error message appears and selections remain. Correct unavailable sources or targets by reopening the relevant picker; a target must be active.

This action cannot be undone from the merge screen. Back before confirmation does not merge or delete anything; newly created entries remain; returning later starts with empty selections. A backup made before merging is the recovery option if you need the original records.

Tag Settings

Access settings from the More Options menu. Available settings include:

Show on Transaction Creation

Controls whether the tag field appears when creating transactions. Turn this off if you don't use tags and want a simpler transaction form.

Totals Period

Configure which time period is used to calculate the totals shown next to each tag:

• All Time - Shows the total of all transactions with each tag since you started using the app
• Current Month - Shows only this month's transaction totals
• Current Year - Shows this calendar year's transaction totals

This setting also affects the date range when you tap a tag to view its transactions.

Archive

The Archive stores tags you've hidden from your main list. Archiving is useful for:

• Tags for completed projects or past events
• Temporary tags you don't need visible
• Keeping your main tag list clean and focused

Viewing the Archive

Access the archive from the More Options menu. Here you'll see all archived tags in the same list style as the main screen. If you have no archived tags, you'll see an empty state with a short message.

Archive Actions

For archived tags, you can:

• View Transactions - See the tag's transaction history
• View Trends - See year-by-year totals for this tag
• Restore - Bring the tag back to your main list (only available if the tag has transactions)
• Delete - Permanently remove the tag (only available if the tag has no transactions)

Empty States

No Tags Yet

If you haven't created any tags, you'll see a helpful message with an "Add Tag" button to get started.

No Search Results

If your search doesn't match any tags, you'll see a message indicating no tags were found, along with an option to add a new tag.

Pro Version Benefits

The free version of Budgetum limits you to 5 tags. With Budgetum Pro, you get:

• Unlimited tags - Create as many tags as you need
• A banner on the Tags Screen shows your current limit status in the free version

Tips for Using Tags

1. Use tags for cross-category tracking - Tags work best when they span multiple budget categories (e.g., a "Vacation" tag might include flights, hotels, food, and entertainment)

2. Be specific with names - Include dates or details in tag names like "Italy Trip 2024" instead of just "Vacation"

3. Add helpful descriptions - Use the description field to add context you might forget later

4. Review analytics - Use the Analytics option to see detailed charts and breakdowns of your spending patterns for specific tags

5. Check the totals period - Make sure you understand which time period the displayed totals represent

6. Archive completed projects - When a trip ends or a project finishes, archive the tag to keep your active list clean while preserving history

7. Use multiple tags - You can add several tags to a single transaction for maximum flexibility (e.g., a business dinner could have both "Client Meeting" and "Business Trip" tags)

8. Combine with contacts - Use tags alongside contacts for powerful tracking (e.g., see all "Reimbursable" expenses at a specific store)