> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/llms.txt).

# Transaction details and the activity log

Open any transaction to see where it came from, which category it's in and why, how often you pay the same party, and change its category.

## Open a transaction

1. In the left navigation, click **Accounting** › **Ledger** (or **Banks & Cards**).
2. Click a transaction's row. Its details open, with **Back to Ledger** (or **Back to Banks & Cards**) at the top to return.

The header shows the party, the amount, the date and a badge for the type: **Pay In**, **Pay Out**, **Transfer** or **Journal**. Under it, **Memo** shows the description exactly as the bank printed it. For a bank or card transaction this text comes from the statement, so you can't edit it.

## Read the body

**For a bank or card transaction** you see two sections:

- **{Type} Category**, such as **Pay Out Category**: the bank or card account the money moved through. It comes from the statement, so it can't be changed.
- **Pay For**: the category the money was for, marked **Debit** or **Credit**.

**For a journal entry** you see **Lines**, with each category and its **Debit** or **Credit**. These lines are read-only here. To change a journal you recorded, see [Edit or remove a manual transaction](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/edit-or-remove-a-manual-transaction).

## Change the category

1. Switch to **Edit** at the top.
2. Under **Pay For**, choose a new category.

The change is saved immediately, and ZeraBooks offers to apply it to similar transactions. See [Apply a correction to similar transactions](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/apply-a-correction-to-similar-transactions).

The category can't be changed in two cases:

- **The transaction pays a bill or invoice.** The bill or invoice already carries the expense or income, so changing it here would count it twice. Change the category on the bill or invoice.
- **It clears your previous books.** The section reads **Prior-book clearing**, "Cleared prior books · no new accounting entry". The money was already in the balances you brought over.

## Insights and Activity

The panel on the right has two tabs.

**Insights** shows the party, a 12-month trend of your spending or income with them, and **Similar Transactions**, other transactions with the same party.

**Activity** shows the **Activity Log**: where the transaction came from and how its category was chosen.

![A transaction's details: the Pay For category on the left, and the Activity tab on the right showing how it was categorized](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/shots/ledger-activity-log.png)

| Activity entry | What it means |
| --- | --- |
| "Imported transaction from {file}" | It came from that uploaded statement. |
| "Categorized from your past transactions" | ZeraBooks used the category you gave the same party before. |
| "Categorized by ZeraBooks AI" | ZeraBooks AI chose the category. |
| "Matched as a transfer between your accounts" | It's one side of a transfer between two of your accounts. |
| "Applied to a bill — this posts to Accounts Payable, and the expense is on the bill" | It pays a bill you recorded. |
| "Parked in Uncategorized — no confident match" | ZeraBooks wasn't sure, so it's waiting for you to pick a category. |
| "Category set by you" | You chose the category. |

## Frequently Asked Questions

<details>
<summary>How do I see why ZeraBooks chose a category?</summary>

Open the transaction and click the **Activity** tab. The **Activity Log** says whether the category came from your past transactions, the AI, a transfer match, a bill or you. See also [How AI works in ZeraBooks](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/autopilot/how-ai-works-in-zerabooks).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I change the bank account on an imported transaction?</summary>

No. The bank or card account is a fact from the statement. Only the **Pay For** category can change. If the statement was uploaded to the wrong account, remove it and upload it to the right one. See [Remove a statement](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/banks-and-cards/remove-a-statement).
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why is the category locked on a bill payment?</summary>

The bill already records the expense. Changing the payment's category would book the same expense twice. Change the category on the bill instead.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Can I attach a receipt or add a comment to a transaction?</summary>

No. The transaction view has no attachments or comments. You can write a memo on a transaction you record yourself, and bills and invoices you upload keep their document.
</details>

<details>
<summary>Why can't I switch to Edit on a journal entry?</summary>

Journal lines aren't edited in this view. Open a journal you recorded from its row in the Ledger and click **Edit**. See [Edit or remove a manual transaction](https://www.zerabooks.com/help/ledger-and-categories/edit-or-remove-a-manual-transaction).
</details>

<details>
<summary>What does "Could not load this transaction." mean?</summary>

ZeraBooks couldn't open it, usually because of the connection. Go back and open it again.
</details>

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