[See what's new in the Kick Changelog](/content/changelog/index.html)

For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.kick.co/llms.txt). This page is also available as [Markdown](https://docs.kick.co/accountants/collaboration/memos.md).

### Adding a Memo

A memo is your own note on a transaction. It's separate from the bank description (what came from the bank or card feed). Use memos to record context only you know — why something was spent, who it was for, or how it should be treated at tax time.

#### From the Transactions tab

1. Reveal the Memo column via the gear icon (⚙) in the top right  
2. Click into the Memo cell for the transaction  
3. Type your note and press **Enter** to save

#### From transaction details

1. Open a transaction to view its details panel  
2. Find the **Memo** field and click to edit  
3. Click away from the field to save

#### Adding memos in bulk

1. Select multiple transactions from the Transactions tab  
2. Click **Add memo** from the Bulk Actions toolbar

### The Actions Panel

When you open a transaction, the details panel includes an **Actions** toggle. Expand it to see what Kick is prompting you to complete — this is where substantiation questions and optional fields like memo and receipt upload appear.

The panel is divided into two sections:

- **Required** — Substantiation questions that need answers (e.g., "Who did you meet?" or "What was the purpose?"). These appear based on the transaction's category and amount.
- **Optional** — The memo field and receipt upload. These are never required, but filling them in adds context for your records.

If a Required question is answered with "Other," Kick will prompt for more detail in the memo — but the memo itself remains in the Optional section. It's not blocking, just encouraged.

### Filtering by Memo

Use filters to surface transactions based on memo status:

- **Has memo** — Transactions with a memo attached  
- **No memo** — Transactions without a memo  
- **Needs memo** — Transactions where Kick is prompting for additional context

### Automating Memos with Rules

Go to **Transactions → Rules**. One of the available actions is **Add memo**. This is useful for automatically tagging transactions with context based on conditions like bank description or counterparty.

For example:
- Add "Monthly retainer" to all transactions from "Acme Consulting"  
- Add "Client entertainment" to all transactions categorized as Meals over $100

### Requesting Memos from Clients

When you need clients to provide context on specific transactions, create a task with those transactions attached. Before creating the task, add the Memo column to your Transactions view — the task will display the same columns, making it easy for clients to see where to add their notes.

1. Go to **Transactions** and reveal the Memo column  
2. Select the transactions you need input on  
3. In the Bulk Actions toolbar, click the options menu (⋯) and select **Create task**  
4. Assign the task to your client and include instructions in the description

Clients can add memos directly to each transaction from within the task view.

### Memos vs. Journal Entry Descriptions

Memos on transactions and descriptions on journal entries serve different purposes:

- **Transaction memo** — Your note on a bank or card transaction. Appears in the Memo column on the Transactions tab.
- **Journal entry description** — The purpose or description of the manual journal entry. Appears in the General Ledger and on accounting reports.

Both can exist on the same underlying activity and are stored separately.

### Memos in Exports

When you export transactions from Kick, the memo is included as its own column. This makes it easy to review notes in a spreadsheet or share context with third parties.