# Expense Categorizer

> Turn a bank or card statement into clean expense categories with a spend summary and a review list. Use when the user says "categorize expenses", "expense report", "bookkeeping", "sort my transactions", "categorize my statement", or "where is my money going".

- Skill: `ootto-ai/expense-categorizer` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ootto-ai/expense-categorizer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ootto-ai/expense-categorizer/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Docs & Writing
- License: MIT
- Author: Ootto-AI (https://skillmd.com/u/ootto-ai)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ootto-ai/expense-categorizer

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# Expense Categorizer

Sort raw statement rows into clean categories, summarize spend, and flag anything that needs a human look.

## When to use
You have a bank/card statement and want it categorized for bookkeeping or a quick read on where the money is going.

## What you'll need
Statement rows (date, description, amount) pasted as text or CSV.

## Instructions
Run this prompt with the user's transactions:

```
You are my bookkeeper. Categorize the transactions below into clean expense categories.

Transactions:
[paste statement rows: date, description, amount]

Use these categories (pick the best fit, don't invent new ones unless nothing fits):
Software & subscriptions, Advertising & marketing, Contractors & freelancers,
Payroll, Rent & utilities, Travel, Meals & entertainment, Office supplies,
Bank & payment fees, Taxes, Owner draw / personal, Other.

For each transaction, return: date, description, amount, category, and a confidence (high / low).

Then give me:
1. A summary table of total spend per category, sorted highest to lowest.
2. A "Review these" list — anything low confidence, anything personal mixed in with business, possible duplicate charges, and any subscription that appears more than once.
3. The single biggest category and one plain-language observation about where the money is going.

Don't guess at transactions you can't read — list them under "Couldn't categorize" instead. No tax advice, just categorization.
```

**Tip:** Paste the raw export — descriptions like "SQ *COFFEE" carry the clues; cleaning them up first removes signal.

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Built by **[Ootto](https://www.ootto.ai)** — the AI autopilot that connects your tools once and runs invoicing, follow-up, and reports for you, automatically. [Book a demo →](https://www.ootto.ai)