> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.adorabl.info/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect bank accounts

> Link your business bank accounts to adorabl.

Connect your business checking, savings, and credit card accounts so adorabl can import transactions, show cash balances on the dashboard, and power [bank reconciliation](https://www.adorabl.info/banking/bank-reconciliation.md).

adorabl uses **Plaid** to link accounts securely. You sign in through your bank's login flow — adorabl never stores your bank password.

## Prerequisites

Before you connect accounts, confirm:

* You are signed in and have selected the correct **organization** in the sidebar switcher.
* You have permission to view **Finance** screens (Bank Reconciliation, Cash Flow).
* Your chart of accounts is set up — at minimum, you need asset accounts for bank accounts and liability accounts for credit cards. See [Finance setup](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/finance-setup.md) and [System accounts](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/system-accounts.md).

> [!TIP]
>
> You can connect a bank before every Books item is complete, but you must **map each connected account to a ledger account** before reconciliation can start.

## What you can connect

| Account type | Maps to | Used for |
| - | - | - |
| **Checking or savings** | Asset GL account (for example, `1100 · Operating Cash`) | Cash on hand, reconciliation, cash flow |
| **Credit card or line of credit** | Liability GL account (for example, `2100 · Corporate Card`) | Card spend, statement balances, reconciliation |

You can connect multiple institutions and multiple accounts under one login.

## Connect your first account

**1. Open Bank Reconciliation**

1. In the sidebar, open **Finance**.
2. Click **Bank Reconciliation**.

You can also reach this screen from **Data & Admin → Settings → Finance** and click **Connect bank accounts (Plaid)** on the [Finance setup](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/finance-setup.md) checklist.

**2. Start the connection**

On the Bank Reconciliation screen, click **Add bank account**.

adorabl asks how much **transaction history** to import:

| Option | Best for |
| - | - |
| **30 days** | Quick start with recent activity |
| **90 days** | Default — good balance for most teams |
| **6 months** | Catching up mid-year |
| **12 months** | Year-to-date or audit prep |
| **24 months** | Full lookback for a new go-live |

Choose a range and click **Continue**. Plaid Link opens in a secure window.

**3. Sign in with your bank**

1. Search for your bank or select it from the list.
2. Sign in with the credentials you use for online banking.
3. Select which accounts to share with adorabl (checking, savings, credit cards).
4. Confirm and finish the Plaid flow.

adorabl shows a success message and begins importing transactions. The first sync usually completes within a few seconds.

**4. Map each account to a ledger account**

After Plaid connects, adorabl lists your accounts under **Bank account mapping**. Each row must be linked to a GL account before reconciliation can begin.

1. For each connected account, open the **Map to asset GL account…** or **Map to liability GL account…** dropdown.
2. Select the matching ledger account — for example, map *Chase Operating ••4521* to **1100 · Operating Cash**.
3. If the account you need does not exist, choose **Create cash account…** to add one inline.

> [!WARNING]
>
> Map **one ledger account per bank account**. If two bank lines share the same GL account, adorabl warns you — reconciliation balances become ambiguous.

Bank accounts map to **Asset** accounts. Credit cards map to **Liability** accounts. adorabl warns if you pick the wrong account type.

**5. Confirm reconciliation is ready**

Once every connected account is mapped, the Bank Reconciliation screen shows your account switcher and the reconciliation queue.

* **Cash on hand** on the [Dashboard](https://www.adorabl.info/getting-started/dashboard.md) reflects connected depository balances.
* [Cash Flow](https://www.adorabl.info/banking/cash-flow.md) uses imported bank activity in its projection.
* Open items appear on Bank Reconciliation for you to match or categorize.

See [Bank reconciliation](https://www.adorabl.info/banking/bank-reconciliation.md) for the day-to-day matching workflow.

## Example: Trail Ridge Outfitters

Trail Ridge connects two accounts at their primary bank:

| Connected account | GL mapping |
| - | - |
| Chase Business Checking ••4521 | `1100 · Operating Cash` |
| Chase Ink Business ••8834 | `2100 · Corporate Credit Card` |

They choose **90 days** of history on first connect so the reconciliation queue has enough recent activity to work through without importing two full years.

## Add another account

After your first connection, scroll to **Bank account settings** at the bottom of Bank Reconciliation and click **Add another account**. The same Plaid flow runs — choose history depth, sign in, then map the new account to its own ledger line.

Linking the same institution again keeps the bank accounts you already mapped, including the general ledger account on each one. adorabl refreshes that list when you click **Refresh** in the mapping section. Reconnecting after a password or sign-in change keeps the transactions already imported.

## Refresh balances and transactions

adorabl syncs new bank activity automatically in the background. You can also refresh manually:

| Action | Where | What it does |
| - | - | - |
| **Refresh** | Bank account mapping section on Bank Reconciliation | Updates the list of connected accounts and balances from Plaid |
| **Sync now** | Account detail screen (open an account from the mapping list) | Pulls the latest transactions for that account immediately |

Pending transactions appear separately from posted transactions on the account detail screen. Only posted transactions feed reconciliation in most cases.

## Credit card statement details

For connected credit cards, the account detail screen shows a **Statement summary** when your bank provides it through Plaid — statement balance, minimum payment, due date, and credit limit. This helps you reconcile card activity against your liability account without leaving adorabl.

> **Coming soon: PDF bank statements**
>
> Some institutions support downloadable PDF statements through Plaid. When your bank and adorabl both support this product, an **Enable statements** option appears on the account detail screen.

## Related guides

> **[Bank reconciliation](https://www.adorabl.info/banking/bank-reconciliation.md)**
>
> Match imported transactions to bills, payments, and journal entries.

> **[Finance setup](https://www.adorabl.info/books/setup/finance-setup.md)**
>
> Complete the Books checklist, including bank connections.

> **[Cash flow](https://www.adorabl.info/banking/cash-flow.md)**
>
> Project cash using connected balances and scheduled activity.

> **[Dashboard overview](https://www.adorabl.info/getting-started/dashboard.md)**
>
> How cash on hand and reconciliation lag appear on the dashboard.

## Troubleshooting

> **Plaid Link closes without connecting**
>
> Canceling mid-flow does not create a connection. Click **Add bank account** again and restart. If Plaid shows an error, confirm you selected the correct institution and that your bank credentials work in your bank's own website.

> **Accounts connected but reconciliation says “map to GL”**
>
> Every connected account needs its own ledger mapping. Open the **Bank account mapping** section, assign an Asset or Liability account to each row, and wait for the status to show **Ready**.

> **Cash on hand is zero after connecting**
>
> Confirm the correct organization is selected. Depository balances feed the dashboard — credit card balances do not count as cash on hand. If balances still look wrong, click **Refresh** in the mapping section or **Sync now** on the account detail screen.

> **Transactions are missing**
>
> Check how much history you chose at connect time — adorabl cannot import activity older than that window without reconnecting with a longer range. Also confirm you are viewing **Posted** transactions (not **Pending**) on the account detail screen.

> **My bank is not in the Plaid list**
>
> Plaid supports most US institutions, but coverage varies. Try searching by the bank's legal name. If your bank is unavailable, contact your adorabl administrator — manual import workflows may be an option depending on your organization's setup.

> **The connection stopped updating**
>
> Banks sometimes require you to sign in again after a password change or MFA update. If adorabl prompts you to reconnect, follow the Plaid flow to re-authenticate. Your existing imported transactions are preserved.


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