Getting started

From first-run setup to your first accounts and transactions: what the setup assistant asks, and what you can change later.

1. 1

   Follow the setup assistant

   After you create an account, a six-step assistant sets up the essentials:

   • How you will use it — on your own or together with other people.
   • Your goal — track spending, save, pay off debt, build a budget, or just explore.
   • Preferences — language, date format, and number format.
   • Invites — the people you want to share the space with.
   • Accounts — you choose how to start (connect an account, import transactions, add by hand, or start with no data) and, if you pick by hand, create your accounts and opening balances.
   • Plan — the plan you want to start on.

   Tip · You can go back at any step and your progress is saved. If you leave partway through, when you come back IOWII asks whether to continue setup or go to the dashboard.

2. 2

   Skip the setup

   You do not have to answer everything now. On the welcome screen, Explore first takes you straight to the dashboard; on the goal step, Just explore ends setup right there. Neither creates any data: the dashboard starts empty, and you can connect an account, import transactions, or add accounts whenever you like.

3. 3

   Follow the “Getting started” checklist

   For the first few weeks, the dashboard shows a short list of next steps for your goal — for example adding an account, adding transactions, setting budget limits, adding a debt, or creating a savings goal. Each item opens the right page and is only ticked off once the data really exists.

   Tip · The list is optional: use the X to dismiss it and it will not come back.

4. 4

   Create your main account and opening balance

   Add your main bank account with a name, account type, opening balance, and the date that balance is from. The date matters as much as the amount: IOWII works out your current balance from it, adding everything you record after that date. You can add more accounts in the same step, or later under Accounts.

5. 5

   Confirm language, formats, and currency

   These settings change how every value is displayed, so it is worth confirming them early.

   • In Preferences — language, date format (European or American), and number format.
   • In Settings > Preferences — currency, light or dark theme, and language.

   Tip · Change currency and theme under Settings > Preferences, in the avatar menu.

6. 6

   Bring in your transactions

   There are two ways to start:

   • By hand — with the new transaction button, one at a time.
   • By import — a bank statement as CSV or PDF, the fastest way to build up history.

   Tip · Before importing everything, start with a small statement to check that dates and categories come through as you expect.

7. 7

   Explore with demo mode

   If you would rather see the app working before entering real data, open demo mode from the home page. It comes with sample data, nothing you do there is saved, and you can leave at any time without affecting your account.

   Tip · Want to show the demo to someone? Share iowii.com/?demo=1: anyone who opens the link without being signed in goes straight into the demo.