Add UUID lookup guidance: category/payee fields are UUIDs, not names

Jarvis was grep-ing transaction JSON for text like "swim" instead of
resolving the Swim Lessons category UUID first. Added:
- Warning that payee/category fields are UUIDs
- Two-step lookup patterns for category and payee searches
- Date range guidance: topic queries without dates search all-time
- Updated Groceries example with proper UUID filter
This commit is contained in:
2026-04-24 22:41:07 -04:00
parent 28babb178d
commit d132bfa238
+62 -3
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@@ -66,6 +66,61 @@ source "$(find ~/.claude -path '*/actual-budget/scripts/actual-helper.sh' 2>/dev
All functions output JSON. Amounts are in decimal format (e.g., `123.45`), not Actual's internal integer format. All functions output JSON. Amounts are in decimal format (e.g., `123.45`), not Actual's internal integer format.
## Important: Transaction Fields Use UUIDs
Transaction `payee` and `category` fields are **UUIDs, not human-readable names**.
You MUST cross-reference them with `actual_categories` and `actual_payees` to get names.
**Never grep transaction JSON for category or payee names** — the names don't appear
in the transaction records. Only `imported_payee` and `notes` contain free text, and
these are unreliable (banks change formatting, Zelle shows generic "Zelle Transfer", etc.).
### Searching by Category Name
To find transactions in a category (e.g., "Swim Lessons"):
```bash
# Step 1: Get the category UUID
source /home/node/.openclaw/workspaces/family-assistant/skills/finance/scripts/actual-helper.sh
actual_categories # Find: {"id": "c830de67-...", "name": "Swim Lessons", ...}
# Step 2: Get transactions and filter by that UUID
actual_transactions "" "2024-01-01" "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" \
| python3 -c "
import sys, json
txns = json.load(sys.stdin)
cat_id = 'c830de67-...' # from step 1
matches = [t for t in txns if t.get('category') == cat_id]
print(json.dumps(matches, indent=2))
"
```
### Searching by Payee Name
To find transactions for a payee (e.g., "Aqua Warriors"):
```bash
# Step 1: Get the payee UUID
actual_payees # Find the payee by name
# Step 2: Filter transactions by payee UUID
actual_transactions "" "2024-01-01" "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" \
| python3 -c "
import sys, json
txns = json.load(sys.stdin)
payee_id = 'f26f8469-...' # from step 1
matches = [t for t in txns if t.get('payee') == payee_id]
print(json.dumps(matches, indent=2))
"
```
### Date Range for Topic-Specific Queries
When the user asks about spending on a **specific topic** without specifying dates
(e.g., "how much have we spent on swim lessons?"), search **all-time** (from 2024-01-01)
rather than defaulting to the current month. Only use narrow date ranges when the user
explicitly says "this month" or "in March".
## Common Query Patterns ## Common Query Patterns
### "How much did I spend this month?" ### "How much did I spend this month?"
@@ -79,10 +134,14 @@ actual_accounts
``` ```
### "Show me transactions for Groceries this month" ### "Show me transactions for Groceries this month"
First get categories to find the ID, then query transactions and filter: Two-step lookup — resolve category name to UUID, then filter:
```bash ```bash
actual_categories # find the category ID # Step 1: Get the category UUID from actual_categories output
actual_transactions "" "$(date +%Y-%m)-01" "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" # then filter by category in the JSON output actual_categories # find {"id": "abc123...", "name": "Groceries"}
# Step 2: Filter transactions by that UUID
actual_transactions "" "$(date +%Y-%m)-01" "$(date +%Y-%m-%d)" \
| python3 -c "import sys,json; txns=json.load(sys.stdin); [print(json.dumps(t)) for t in txns if t.get("category")=="abc123..."]"
``` ```
### "Am I over budget this month?" ### "Am I over budget this month?"