Categorization Modal

Search, Filter, Sort & Date-Range

The Categorization modal is a workspace — not a wall of rows. These four controls let you isolate exactly what you want to work on, so every session is focused instead of overwhelming.

Why This Matters

As the number of transactions grows, categorization gets much easier when you can isolate exactly what you want to work on.

This is where the modal's filter tabs, search box, sort options, and date-range inputs become essential. Together they turn a potentially overwhelming list into a series of small, clear decisions.

These tools are not there to be fancy. They are there to reduce overwhelm.

Live Workspace — Try All Four Controls

The demo below mirrors the real modal. Use the filter tabs, search box, sort selector, and date inputs together — then hit Clear Filters to see everything come back.

Categorization Modal 10 rows
All 10
Uncategorized 4
Income 2
Expense 4
Clarity 2
🔍
→
Description Date Amount Category
Showing all rows

Filter Tabs

The five filter tabs at the top of the modal narrow what rows are visible by type. Each tab shows a live count so you always know what's waiting:

All
Full view
Every transaction in the current date window. Starting point before you narrow down.
Uncategorized
Unfinished work
Only rows with no Personal Category yet. Use this when you want to knock out backlog.
Income
Deposits & credits
Positive-amount rows. Useful for a quick review of all income in a period.
Expense
Debits & charges
Negative-amount rows. Great for expense-specific categorization sessions.
Clarity
AI suggestions ready to review
Rows where Clarity has suggested a category. Review them here — confirm what's right, correct what's off.
Workflow tip
Start every categorization session on Uncategorized to see your actual backlog, then switch to Clarity to confirm AI suggestions in one pass. These two tabs alone handle the majority of routine sessions.

Sort Options

Sorting changes the viewing order of rows — it does not change what is stored or what the rows mean. Use it to group rows into useful patterns for review:

↕ Date
↕ Amount
↕ Description A→Z
↕ Need / Desire

Sort by Description is especially useful before a bulk-apply session — it clusters identical merchant names together so you can see all five Netflix rows in one block and check them at once.

Sort by Amount is useful for spotting unusually large transactions that may need extra scrutiny before assigning a category.

Date Range Filters

The date-range inputs let you narrow the modal to a specific window — one month, one statement period, one cleanup sprint.

Use date range when you want to stay disciplined about scope:

  • Working through one month at a time instead of all history
  • Reviewing a single statement period before closing the month
  • Isolating a date window for a specific report or question
Important before bulk actions
When you narrow by date, you are looking at a partial view. Make sure you remember that before checking rows or using Apply to Selected — your action covers only what's currently visible, not the full dataset.

Clear Filters

If a row seems to have "disappeared," the most likely explanation is a filter or search is still active from a previous session step.

Before assuming data is missing, always clear filters first and return to the All tab + full date range. This restores the complete view and confirms whether rows are actually absent or simply hidden.

Rule of thumb
"Missing" rows are almost always filtered rows. Reset first, investigate second.

Bulk Actions in Filtered Views

Filtered workspaces are powerful — and they are the one place where Apply to Selected can cause unintended results if you're not paying attention.

⚠️
Your action is only as smart as your current view

If you click Select All while on the Uncategorized tab with a date filter and a search term active, you are selecting only the rows that match all three of those constraints — not the full dataset. That is usually exactly right. The danger is forgetting you are filtered.

Check the active filter indicator at the bottom of the workspace before any bulk operation. If filters are active, verify the visible rows are truly the ones you intend to affect.

"The more intentionally you use these tools, the less categorization feels like a pile and the more it feels like a sequence of small, clear decisions."
Money Mastery — Categorization Modal