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A rule says once what should happen to certain documents. Billpal then applies it to every new document that matches. For example: every incoming invoice from Slack and Notion gets the Software account, counts as a subscription, and gets the tag “SaaS”. A rule has two parts:
  • When: the conditions a document has to meet
  • Then: the changes Billpal makes to that document
Only admins can create and edit rules. Members see every rule and can open it, but can’t change it.

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Create a rule

1

Open Rules

Click Rules in the navigation, then Add new.
2

Name it

Under Rule name, describe what the rule does, for example “Categorize software subscriptions”. You’ll see the name in the list and under Activity.
3

Pick the direction

When always starts with Direction: Incoming for documents you receive from suppliers, or Outgoing for documents you send to customers. Each rule covers exactly one direction.
4

Add conditions

Click Add condition and pick a field, for example Supplier or Amount. A document only matches if every condition is true.
5

Set the changes

Under Then, click Add action and pick what should happen to matching documents.
6

Save

Click Create rule. Billpal then asks whether the rule should also apply to documents already in the workspace.

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Conditions

You can use each field once per rule, and every condition has to be true. If a rule should apply to “A or B”, use is any of or contains any of. If that doesn’t fit, create two rules. For Keywords on Document, Line items, name, and address, type each one and press Enter, up to 10 per condition. Upper and lower case don’t matter. A keyword also matches inside a word: “pro” finds “Pro plan” but also “product” and “approval”. So don’t make keywords too short. For Amount, Billpal compares without the sign. If you pick only currencies and no amount, every document in those currencies matches.

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Changes

You can use each action once per rule.

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When a rule runs

  • New documents: While a rule is on, Billpal checks every new document right after reading it.
  • Side confirmed: When someone sets whether your company is the supplier or the customer on a document, Billpal checks the rules for that document again. So rules also apply to documents that started out in Review.
  • Existing documents: only if you choose it when saving.

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Apply to existing documents

After you save, Billpal asks, for example, “Also apply to 12 existing documents?”. The count only includes documents the rule would actually change.
  • Only new documents: The rule applies from now on. Existing documents stay as they are.
  • Apply to 12 documents: Billpal applies the rule to those documents in the background.
Billpal asks for a new rule and whenever you’ve edited the conditions or changes. Renaming or reordering doesn’t trigger it. Two things never change: Billpal doesn’t touch exported documents, so nothing drifts from what’s already in your books. And anything someone changed by hand on a document stays too.

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Order and manual edits

In the list under Rules, drag a rule up or down. The order decides when two rules want to set the same field:
  • Same field: If two matching rules set different accounts, for example, the higher rule wins. The lower one skips that change.
  • Tags and notes: These add up from every matching rule. Billpal leaves out duplicates.
  • Manual edits win: If someone changed a field on the document by hand, no rule overwrites it, not even on a later run.

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See and undo what a rule did

In Activity, on the Rules tab, you see when a rule was created or changed and what it changed on which document. To undo a single change, click Undo rule action.

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Manage rules

  • Turn on and off: With the switch in the list. A rule that’s off doesn’t run. When you turn it back on, it applies to new documents from then on.
  • Edit: In the rule’s menu. Members see View here.
  • Duplicate: Creates a copy you can adjust. Handy for similar rules with a different supplier or account.
  • Delete rule: The rule stops running. Its past activity stays in the history.

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Examples

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Categorize software subscriptions

  • When: Direction Incoming, Supplier is any of Slack, Notion
  • Then: Category Software, Subscription, Add a tag “SaaS”

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Approval from 1,000

  • When: Direction Incoming, Amount is greater than 1,000, currency EUR
  • Then: Create a note “Please approve”, mention the approver with @, and turn on Review needed
The approver gets a notification, and the document stays in Review until they close it with Done.

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Keep personal purchases out

  • When: Direction Incoming, Customer, Address contains any of “5 Sample Street”
  • Then: Exclude, Add a tag “Personal”
Documents addressed to your home stay out of every export and are still easy to find.

Review

How documents end up in Review and how to close it.

Contacts

The suppliers and customers rules refer to.

Exports

What happens to excluded documents in an export.