ynab

name	ynab
description	YNAB (You Need A Budget) API integration with managed OAuth. Track budgets, accounts, categories, transactions, payees, and scheduled transactions. Use this skill when users want to check budget balances, review spending, track transactions, manage budget categories, or monitor financial goals.

YNAB

Budget tracking from chat -- view budgets, accounts, categories, transactions, payees, and scheduled recurring transactions.

Powered by ClawLink, an integration hub for OpenClaw that handles hosted OAuth flows and credentials so you don't need to configure YNAB API access yourself.

Setup in 3 Steps

Step 1: Install	Step 2: Pair Account	Step 3: Connect YNAB
		App-specific connection GIF coming soon
Run the install command in OpenClaw	Sign in and approve the device	Open the dashboard and connect YNAB

How It Works

┌─────────────────┐     ┌──────────────┐     ┌──────────────────┐
│   OpenClaw      │────▶│   ClawLink   │────▶│   YNAB API       │
│   (User Chat)   │     │   (OAuth)    │     │                  │
└─────────────────┘     └──────────────┘     └──────────────────┘

Install

openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin
openclaw config set tools.alsoAllow '["clawlink-plugin"]' --strict-json
openclaw gateway restart

Quick Start

1. List your budgets: ynab_list_budgets -- discover budget IDs.
2. View accounts: ynab_list_accounts -- see all accounts with balances.
3. Check transactions: ynab_list_transactions -- review recent spending.

Authentication

YNAB uses managed OAuth via ClawLink. No API keys needed. Connect your YNAB account at claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=ynab and authorize access through the hosted flow.

Connection Management

List connections: clawlink_list_integrations -- confirm YNAB is connected.

Verify: Call ynab_list_budgets to test access.

Reconnect: If you see auth errors, reconnect at claw-link.dev/dashboard?add=ynab.

Security & Permissions

Read operations (list budgets, transactions, categories) run safely. Write operations (create accounts, update payees) require confirmation. Delete operations for scheduled transactions are high-impact and irreversible.

Tool Reference

Budget Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_budgets	List all budgets with summaries	Read
ynab_get_budget_by_id	Get complete budget export with all data	Read
ynab_get_budget_month	Get budget details for a specific month	Read
ynab_get_budget_settings	Get currency and date formatting preferences	Read
ynab_list_months	List all months with summary info	Read

Account Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_accounts	List all accounts in a budget with balances	Read
ynab_get_account_by_id	Get details of a specific account	Read
ynab_create_account	Create a new manual account in a budget	Write

Category Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_categories	List all category groups and categories	Read
ynab_get_category_by_id	Get detailed category info including budgeted amounts	Read
ynab_get_month_category_by_id	Get category details for a specific month	Read

Transaction Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_transactions	List all transactions with optional date/type filters	Read
ynab_list_transactions_by_account	List transactions for a specific account	Read
ynab_list_transactions_by_category	List transactions for a specific category	Read
ynab_list_transactions_by_payee	List transactions for a specific payee	Read
ynab_get_transaction_by_id	Get details of a specific transaction	Read

Scheduled Transaction Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_scheduled_transactions	List all scheduled recurring transactions	Read
ynab_get_scheduled_transaction_by_id	Get details of a scheduled transaction	Read
ynab_create_scheduled_transaction	Create a new recurring transaction	Write
ynab_update_scheduled_transaction	Update a scheduled transaction	Write
ynab_delete_scheduled_transaction	Permanently delete a scheduled transaction	Write

Payee Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_payees	List all payees in a budget	Read
ynab_get_payee_by_id	Get details of a specific payee	Read
ynab_update_payee	Rename an existing payee	Write

Payee Location Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_list_payee_locations	List all GPS locations for payees	Read
ynab_list_payee_locations_by_payee	List GPS locations for a specific payee	Read

User Operations

Tool	Description	Mode
ynab_get_user	Get the authorized user's information	Read

Code Examples

List budgets and check balances

{ "tool": "ynab_list_budgets" }

{
  "tool": "ynab_list_accounts",
  "args": { "budget_id": "last-used" }
}

List recent transactions

{
  "tool": "ynab_list_transactions",
  "args": {
    "budget_id": "last-used",
    "since_date": "2026-06-01"
  }
}

Check a specific month's budget

{
  "tool": "ynab_get_budget_month",
  "args": {
    "budget_id": "last-used",
    "month": "2026-06-01"
  }
}

Discovery Workflow

1. Call clawlink_list_integrations to confirm ynab is connected.
2. Call clawlink_list_tools --integration ynab to see the live catalog.
3. Call ynab_list_budgets to get your budget ID (or use "last-used" / "default").
4. Use the budget ID for all subsequent operations.

Execution Workflow

Read Flow:  User asks for budget info → clawlink resolves connection → YNAB API → results displayed
Write Flow: User wants to create acct → confirmation prompt → clawlink resolves connection → YNAB API → account created

Notes

• Currency amounts are in milliunits format. Divide by 1000 for standard units (e.g., 150000 = $150.00).
• Use "last-used" or "default" as budget_id for convenience instead of the full UUID.
• ynab_get_budget_by_id returns a complete export and may be large. Prefer specific list endpoints.
• Use last_knowledge_of_server for incremental/delta syncing.
• Category names may include emojis; always use category_id for downstream requests.

Error Handling

Status / Error	Meaning
401 Unauthorized	Token expired; reconnect at the dashboard
404 Not Found	Invalid budget, account, or category ID
400 Bad Request	Invalid date format or missing required parameters

Troubleshooting

Tools Not Visible

Run openclaw gateway restart after installing the plugin. Start a fresh chat session.

Large Transaction Lists

Use since_date, type, or last_knowledge_of_server to scope results and avoid large payloads.

Resources

• YNAB API Docs: https://api.ynab.com
• ClawLink: https://claw-link.dev/?utm_source=clawhub&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=ynab
• ClawLink Docs: https://docs.claw-link.dev/openclaw

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Powered by ClawLink -- an integration hub for OpenClaw