> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/budget-and-cost-report/budget/phases.md).

# Set up budget phases

Add, rename, color, hide and delete a budget's phases, see how phase names change the budget table, and copy amounts from one phase to another.

Phases are the amount columns of a budget, such as Awarded, ETC and EFC. You manage them from the **Phases** menu above the budget table on **Budget & Cost Report** in the sidebar, which Owners, Super Admins and Managers can open. Each budget has its own phases, and the menu works on the budget whose tab is selected.

Every new budget starts with an **Awarded** phase.

## Add, rename and delete phases

1. Above the budget table, select **Phases > Phase Editor**.
2. To add a phase, select **Add New Phase**. A new row appears at the end of the list.
3. To name or rename a phase, select its cell in the **Phase** column and type the name.
4. To color a phase's column in the budget table, select the circle in its **Color** cell and pick a color.
5. To delete a phase, select the **...** menu at the end of its row, then select **Delete**.
6. Select **Save**.

Nothing changes until you select **Save**, and **Cancel** discards your changes. **Save** stays greyed out until every phase has a name and no two phases have the same name. Phases stay in the order they were added, and you can't reorder them.

{% hint style="danger" %}
Deleting a phase also deletes every amount entered in it. There's no confirmation step and no undo, so check the list before you select **Save**.
{% endhint %}

If something goes wrong while saving, you see **Failed to update phases**. Open the Phase Editor again to check what was saved.

## Show or hide a phase

1. Select **Phases > Phase Editor**.
2. In the **Visible?** column, clear a phase's box to hide its column, or tick it to show the column again.
3. Select **Save**.

Hiding a phase changes only your own view of this budget. Everyone else still sees the column. A hidden phase still counts in **Variance**, **Remaining** and **Budgeted**.

To hide a phase you've just added, save it first, then open the Phase Editor again and clear its box.

## How phase names change the budget

RollCredits gives some phases a special role based on their name. Capital letters don't matter, and when more than one phase matches the Awarded, ETC or EFC role, the first one in the list counts.

* **The first phase.** The first phase in the Phase Editor that isn't an Approved Overages phase is the budget that **Budgeted** and **Remaining** measure against. In a new budget, that's **Awarded**. If you delete it, the next phase takes its place.
* **Awarded.** A phase whose name includes "Award" or "Budget". EFC and the EFC-based Variance use it as the budget, and count the budget as zero when no phase matches.
* **ETC.** A phase whose name includes "ETC", "Estimate to Complete" or "Estimated to Complete".
* **EFC.** A phase whose name includes "EFC", "EAC" or "Estimated Final Cost".
* **Approved Overages.** A phase named like "Approved Overages", such as "App. Overage" or "Pre-approved overages", but not "Unapproved Overages". An Approved Overages phase never fills any of the other roles.

Cost reports find the Awarded, ETC, EFC and Approved Overages phases by the same names. See [Run cost reports and close periods](/budget-and-cost-report/cost-reports.md).

### Variance

Phase names decide whether the budget table has a **Variance** column. With an EFC phase, Variance compares EFC with Awarded plus Approved Overages. Without one, the column shows only when the budget has exactly two phases besides any Approved Overages. See the **Variance** row in [Track your budget](/budget-and-cost-report/budget.md#columns).

### ETC and EFC together

When a budget has both an ETC and an EFC phase, the two stay in step:

* EFC shows the amount entered on each line. A line with no EFC amount shows Awarded plus Approved Overages.
* ETC shows EFC minus everything added to RollCredits for that line: paid, unpaid and unapproved transactions, estimates and open POs. It can be negative.
* When you edit an ETC cell, RollCredits sets EFC to the new ETC plus that spend and saves both. See [Edit budget line items](/budget-and-cost-report/budget/edit-budget.md).

### Approved Overages

Use an Approved Overages phase to track extra budget your studio or client approved. In the Phase Editor, **Counts as Approved Overages** shows under its name.

Its amounts are added to the budget in **Variance**, **Remaining**, **Budgeted** on the totals card, and the cost report. Its column sits right after the first phase in the budget table. If you have more than one Approved Overages phase, their amounts add together.

## Copy values between phases

1. Above the budget table, select **Phases > Copy Values**. The **Copy Phase Values** window opens.
2. Next to **From**, choose the phase to copy from.
3. Next to **to**, choose the phase to copy into. It must be a different phase.
4. Select **Save**.

Each line's amount in the **From** phase replaces that line's amount in the other phase.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Copying overwrites the existing values in the destination phase, and there's no undo.
{% endhint %}

When a budget has both ETC and EFC phases, copy into EFC rather than ETC. ETC always shows EFC minus spend, so amounts copied into ETC don't appear. To match EFC to newly imported Awarded amounts, copy Awarded to EFC. See [Import a budget](/budget-and-cost-report/import-budget.md).


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