Sheet columns

What each column SheetLink writes means. The Chrome extension and the Excel add-in write the same columns on every plan: 34 on the Transactions tab and 13 on the Accounts tab.

Good to know

Almost every column comes straight from Plaid, the service SheetLink uses to connect to your bank, and the definitions here follow Plaid’s API documentation for transactions, accounts and items. The few columns SheetLink adds are marked.

amount is positive when money moves out of the account and negative when money moves in.
Times that end in Z, like synced_at and transactions_as_of, are in UTC.
A blank cell means the bank or Plaid didn’t provide that detail.
SheetLink uses transaction_id to recognize transactions it has already written, so leave that column as it is.

Transactions columns

One row per transaction, with the columns in this order.

Column	Plaid field	What it means
`transaction_id`	`transaction_id`	The unique ID of the transaction. SheetLink uses it to recognize transactions it has already written, so the same one is never added twice.
`account_id`	`account_id`	The ID of the account the transaction happened in. It matches account_id on the Accounts tab.
`persistent_account_id`	`persistent_account_id` on the account	An ID that stays the same for the account across reconnections. Plaid only provides it for deposit accounts (such as checking and savings) at Chase, PNC and U.S. Bank, so it’s usually blank.
`account_name`	`name` on the account	The account’s name, as set by you or the bank.
`account_mask`	`mask` on the account	The last 2 to 4 characters of the account number.
`date`	`date`	For a posted transaction, the date it posted. For a pending one, the date it happened.
`authorized_date`	`authorized_date`	The date the transaction was authorized, when the bank provides it. For posted transactions, Plaid suggests showing this date rather than date when it’s available.
`datetime`	`datetime`	The date and time the transaction posted. Only some banks provide it, and the time can be a placeholder such as 00:00:00.
`authorized_datetime`	`authorized_datetime`	The date and time the transaction was authorized. Only some banks provide it.
`description_raw`	`name`	The merchant name or transaction description, as Plaid reports it.
`merchant_name`	`merchant_name`	The merchant’s name, cleaned up by Plaid. Blank when there’s no meaningful merchant, such as for checks and transfers.
`merchant_entity_id`	`merchant_entity_id`	Plaid’s stable ID for the merchant. A chain with many stores has one ID, which makes grouping easy.
`amount`	`amount`	Positive when money moves out of the account, negative when money moves in. Debit card purchases are positive; credit card payments, direct deposits and refunds are negative.
`iso_currency_code`	`iso_currency_code`	The transaction’s currency, for example USD. Blank when unofficial_currency_code is used instead.
`unofficial_currency_code`	`unofficial_currency_code`	A code for currencies that have no official one, such as cryptocurrencies. Usually blank.
`pending`	`pending`	TRUE while the transaction is pending. Its details, such as the amount, can change before it settles. Not all banks provide pending transactions.
`pending_transaction_id`	`pending_transaction_id`	On a posted transaction, the ID of its associated pending transaction, when there was one.
`check_number`	`check_number`	The check number. Only filled in for checks.
`category_primary`	`personal_finance_category.primary`	The broad category of the transaction, for example FOOD_AND_DRINK.
`category_detailed`	`personal_finance_category.detailed`	A more specific category that conveys the transaction’s intent, for example FOOD_AND_DRINK_COFFEE.
`payment_channel`	`payment_channel`	How the transaction happened: online, in store (at a physical location) or other (bank activity such as fees or deposits).
`transaction_type`	`transaction_type`	An older field Plaid is retiring in favor of payment_channel: digital, place, special or unresolved.
`transaction_code`	`transaction_code`	A code classifying the type of transaction, such as purchase, transfer or bank charge. Plaid fills it in for European banks and some US banks, so it’s often blank.
`location_address`	`location.address`	The street address where the transaction happened. Plaid only provides location for purchases at physical locations, most often at large chains.
`location_city`	`location.city`	The city where the transaction happened.
`location_region`	`location.region`	The state or region where the transaction happened.
`location_postal_code`	`location.postal_code`	The postal code where the transaction happened.
`location_country`	`location.country`	The two-letter country code where the transaction happened.
`location_lat`	`location.lat`	The latitude where the transaction happened.
`location_lon`	`location.lon`	The longitude where the transaction happened.
`website`	`website`	The website associated with the transaction, when available.
`logo_url`	`logo_url`	A link to a logo for the transaction (a 100 by 100 pixel image), when available.
`source_institution`	Added by SheetLink	The bank the transaction came from, as named when you connected it.
`synced_at`	Added by SheetLink	When SheetLink wrote the row, in UTC.

Accounts columns

One row per account, updated on every sync.

Column	Plaid field	What it means
`account_id`	`account_id`	Plaid’s unique ID for the account. It matches account_id on the Transactions tab.
`persistent_account_id`	`persistent_account_id`	An ID that stays the same for the account across reconnections. Plaid only provides it for deposit accounts (such as checking and savings) at Chase, PNC and U.S. Bank, so it’s usually blank.
`name`	`name`	The account’s name, as set by you or the bank.
`official_name`	`official_name`	The account’s official name, as given by the bank.
`mask`	`mask`	The last 2 to 4 characters of the account number.
`type`	`type`	The kind of account: depository (checking and savings), credit (credit cards), loan, investment or other.
`subtype`	`subtype`	The more specific kind, such as checking, savings, credit card, mortgage or 401k.
`current_balance`	`balances.current`	The total amount in or owed on the account. For credit cards, a positive balance is the amount you owe. For loans, it’s the principal remaining.
`available_balance`	`balances.available`	The amount available to withdraw, as the bank determines it. For credit cards, usually your limit minus the current balance. Blank when the bank doesn’t report it.
`iso_currency_code`	`balances.iso_currency_code`	The balance’s currency, for example USD.
`institution`	Added by SheetLink	The bank’s name, as named when you connected it.
`last_synced_at`	Added by SheetLink	When SheetLink last updated the row, in UTC.
`transactions_as_of`	`status.transactions.last_successful_update` on the bank connection	When Plaid last successfully checked the bank for transactions, in UTC. It updates each time Plaid connects to the bank, even when there’s nothing new. Anything that appeared on your bank’s website after this time hasn’t reached Plaid yet.