> 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/import-budget.md).
# Import a budget
Import a budget file from budgeting software, a spreadsheet or a PDF into a new or existing budget on your production.
Use the **Import Budget** page to bring a budget file into RollCredits. To open it, go to **Budget & Cost Report** in the sidebar and select **Import a budget** at the top of the **Budget Details** page. Owners, Super Admins and Managers can import budgets.
{% hint style="info" %}
A production keeps one budget. If it has none yet, the import creates it. Otherwise the import overwrites it, as described below. If your production uses a chart of accounts, importing a budget also updates the Expense accounts on the Trial Balance.
{% endhint %}
## Upload your budget file
1. Choose your budget type from the list at the top of the page.
2. If **Include subaccounts?** appears, set it before you add the file.
3. Drag your file into the upload box, or select the box and pick the file. The box lists the file types it accepts.
4. Wait while RollCredits reads the file, then select **Next**.
| Budget type | File to upload |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------ |
| Blink Bid | .xlsx or .csv |
| Movie Magic | .json |
| Hot Budget | .xlsb |
| Showbiz | .xlsx or .csv |
| Saturation | .json |
| Spreadsheet (AI-powered) | .xlsx |
| PDF Scan (AI-powered) | .pdf |
| Other | .xlsx or .csv, filled in from the template |
To use a different file, select the X next to the file's name.
**Include subaccounts?** appears for Movie Magic, **Spreadsheet (AI-powered)** and **PDF Scan (AI-powered)**. When it isn't ticked, each account comes in as one line with the total of its detail lines. Tick it to bring in the detail lines under each account. If you change it after adding the file, RollCredits reads the file again.
### AI-powered imports
**Spreadsheet (AI-powered)** and **PDF Scan (AI-powered)** use AI to pull the budget lines out of a file in most budget formats, including scanned documents. For the best results, use a file with clear line items and amounts. While the file is read, the page shows **Processing your budget file, hang tight. This can take a few minutes...** Keep the page open until it's done.
### Use the template
If your budget isn't in one of the listed formats, choose **Other**. Select **sample-budget.xlsx** to download the template, fill it in, then upload it.
The template has columns for Section Code, Section, Subsection Code, Subsection, Category Code, Category and Estimate. Put each line's amount in Estimate. Amounts can't be negative or have more than two decimal places.
### If RollCredits can't read your file
The page shows **Sorry, we weren't able to read your budget file.** For an AI-powered import, a message also says **Unable to parse budget file with AI**. Check that you chose the right budget type and that the file is formatted correctly, then try again. If it keeps happening, email the address shown in that message.
## Review what RollCredits found
After **Next**, the page lists what it found in your file: sections, subsections and categories, each with its total. **Grand total** at the bottom adds up the categories. Lines with a $0 total aren't listed.
1. Check the list against your file.
2. Select **Continue**.
To start over, select **Back**. You return to the first step, where you choose the budget type and add the file again.
If the production has no budget yet, **Continue** takes you straight to naming the new budget, as in "Import as a new budget" below.
## Check the Import Preview
If the production already has a budget, **Continue** opens **Import Preview**. It shows how the import affects line items that are in use:
* **Items to be Updated**: line items with transactions that the file changes.
* **Items to be Deleted**: line items with transactions that the import removes. Budget line items that transactions use are always kept, so this list has entries only when your production uses a chart of accounts.
* **Items to be Kept**: line items that aren't in the file but stay because transactions or payroll use them.
Each line item shows how many transactions it has. Select one to see each transaction's vendor and amount. When nothing is updated or deleted, the preview says **No accounts to update.** or **No accounts to delete.**
Select **Confirm** to go on.
{% hint style="info" %}
The preview compares your file with the first budget on **Budget Details**, the one the import overwrites. If your production uses a chart of accounts, the preview lists the Trial Balance's Expense accounts instead of budget line items, and it has no **Items to be Kept** list.
{% endhint %}
Next, the page shows the overwrite step, described in "Overwrite an existing budget" below. To go back to the list of what was found, select **Back**.
## Import as a new budget
1. Enter a **Budget name**.
2. If you want, tick the phase options described in "Add phases while you import" below.
3. Select **Import**.
The new budget gets its own tab on **Budget Details**.
## Overwrite an existing budget
If the production already has a budget, the import overwrites it. If the production has more than one budget, the import overwrites the first one on **Budget Details**.
1. Check the **Budget name** field. It's filled in with the budget's name and can't be empty.
2. If you want, tick the phase options described in "Add phases while you import" below.
3. Select **Import**.
{% hint style="warning" %}
The page warns that this will overwrite the selected budget with the imported data. Check that it's the budget you mean to replace before you select **Import**.
{% endhint %}
To rename a budget, edit its tab name on **Budget Details**. See [Track your budget](/budget-and-cost-report/budget.md).
## Add phases while you import
Both import steps offer two phase options:
* **Add ETC and EFC phases**: EFC starts as a copy of the imported Awarded amounts, and ETC shows what's left to spend.
* **Add an Approved Overages phase**: tracks extra budget your studio or client approves. It adds to Variance, Remaining and the cost report, and starts empty.
When you overwrite a budget, the options depend on the phases it already has:
| The budget already has | What **Add ETC and EFC phases** does |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| ETC and EFC phases | Nothing. The box is greyed out and EFC keeps its amounts. To match EFC to the new Awarded amounts, use **Phases > Copy Values** after importing. |
| An EFC phase only | Adds an ETC phase. EFC keeps its amounts. |
| An ETC phase only | Adds an EFC phase copied from the imported Awarded amounts. ETC then shows EFC minus spend instead of the amounts entered in it. |
If the budget already has an Approved Overages phase, **Add an Approved Overages phase** is greyed out.
For more about phases, see [Set up budget phases](/budget-and-cost-report/budget/phases.md).
## What happens when you import
When you select **Import**:
* **Line items are matched.** Each section and category in the file is matched with the budget's line items by code, or by name when a line item has no code. Matched line items are updated and keep the transactions coded to them. New ones are added.
* **Line items that aren't in the file are deleted,** unless transactions or payroll use them. Those are kept, and a message says how many categories were kept.
* **The file's amounts go into an Awarded phase.** On an existing budget, the Awarded phase is replaced with a new **Awarded** phase that holds the file's amounts. RollCredits treats a phase with "award" or "budget" in its name as the Awarded phase. Other phases keep their amounts.
* **The phases you ticked are added.**
* **The** [**Trial Balance**](/trial-balance/trial-balance.md) **is updated,** if your production uses a chart of accounts. Its Expense accounts are made to match the sections and categories of the production's budgets.
* **Budget Details opens** when the import is done.
{% hint style="warning" %}
If your production uses a chart of accounts, Expense accounts that don't match a section or category in any of the production's budgets are removed from it.
{% endhint %}
### If something goes wrong
* **Failed to import categories** or **Failed to import budget**: the import stopped partway and you stay on the page. A new budget may already be on **Budget Details**, and after **Failed to import budget** the budget may have lost its Awarded amounts. Import the file again and overwrite that budget.
* **Failed to import Chart of Accounts**: the Trial Balance wasn't updated, any Awarded amounts the budget had were removed and the file's amounts weren't added, even though **Successfully imported budget** still appears. Import the file again and overwrite that budget.
* **Imported the budget, but couldn't add these phases**: add the phases it names in **Phases > Phase Editor**.
* **Added the EFC phase, but couldn't copy the Awarded amounts into it**: use **Phases > Copy Values** to copy Awarded to EFC.
## Copy a budget from another project
To copy another project's budget instead of importing a file, use **Import from project** on **Budget Details**. See [Track your budget](/budget-and-cost-report/budget.md).
---
# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.
## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.
Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:
```
GET https://knowledge.rollcredits.io/budget-and-cost-report/import-budget.md?ask=&goal=
```
`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.
Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
