ynab

This MCP server lets you manage a YNAB budget via natural language. You can import bank CSV/OFX/QFX exports, get smart category suggestions, split transactions, and ask questions about your budget, all through MCP-compatible clients. The server reads your YNAB data via a personal access token and performs parsing, categorization, and import operations locally, with the only external call being to the YNAB API. Tools exposed include parse_bank_export to parse bank files, preview_import to dry-run imports with suggested categories, and import_transactions to perform bulk imports with deduplication. You can also query budget overviews, spending by category, monthly trends, and manage transactions or categories directly through the MCP interface. Guided workflows are available to walk your AI assistant through multi-step tasks like importing and reconciling, and you can add your own workflows by setting YNAB_MCP_WORKFLOWS_DIR to a directory of markdown files.

Prerequisites:

• Node.js >= 22 LTS
• npm (comes with Node.js)
• An MCP-compatible client
• A YNAB personal access token

Install the MCP server globally:

npm install -g @tankatronic/ynab-mcp-server

Optional: run a local build for development (if contributing):

git clone https://github.com/Tankatronic/ynab-mcp-server.git
cd ynab-mcp-server
npm install
npm test          # run tests
npm run build     # compile TypeScript
npm run lint      # type-check

Configuration (example for MCP client):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ynab": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@tankatronic/ynab-mcp-server"],
      "env": {
        "YNAB_API_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Start using the server by configuring your MCP client with the above settings and restarting the client.

Tips and options:

• Set YNAB_API_TOKEN to your personal access token in your MCP client config or environment when running locally.
• You can customize workflows by setting YNAB_MCP_WORKFLOWS_DIR to a directory of markdown workflow files.
• Importing the same bank file twice is safe; each transaction gets a deterministic ID and YNAB will skip duplicates.
• Supported bank formats include auto-detected CSV layouts for Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, American Express, Citi, plus OFX/QFX and any CSV with a custom column_mapping parameter.
• If you need to use a local build, point your MCP client to the compiled index.js as shown in the README example for development.
• Ensure your client has appropriate permissions to access YNAB (via the token) and that the token scopes include budget management.