> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.budgetbandit.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Auto-assign

> Fill underfunded categories in one move. Three strategies: fund your goals, repeat last month, or match your average spending.

Auto-assign distributes your Ready to Assign money across categories in a single move,
so you do not have to type each cell. It always shows a preview first — nothing is
assigned until you confirm.

## The three strategies

Open the Auto-Assign menu on the Budget page and choose one:

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Fund My Goals (recommended)">
    Fills every category that has a target up to what that target asks for this month.
    Categories are funded earliest due dates first, then by priority, so time-sensitive
    targets get money before the rest. Leftover money flows to any categories you have
    marked as remainder categories.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Same as Last Month">
    Repeats last month's assigned amounts. The quickest way to keep a steady budget
    consistent month to month.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Based on Spending">
    Sets each category to your three-month average spending. Useful for variable
    expenses like groceries or gas, where a fixed target is harder to pin down.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## How to run it

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Auto-Assign menu on the Budget page">
    You will see the three strategies with a short description of each.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose a strategy">
    Budget Bandit computes what it would assign and opens a preview.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the preview">
    Each row shows the category, what it currently holds, what would be added, the new
    total, and the reason. The header shows your available money and the total this run
    would assign.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Uncheck any rows you do not want">
    Toggle off individual categories to leave them out of this run.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose Apply">
    The selected amounts are assigned at once and Ready to Assign drops by the total.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Auto-assign only proposes amounts up to the money you have. If a strategy would assign
  more than your Ready to Assign balance, you will not be able to send Ready to Assign
  below zero — review the preview and uncheck lower-priority categories.
</Note>

## Snoozed and funded categories

If every target is already funded, Auto-assign tells you there is nothing to assign.
Targets you have [snoozed](/budgeting/manage-targets) are skipped — Auto-assign will not
try to fill a target you have deliberately paused.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Set a target" icon="bullseye" href="/budgeting/set-a-target">
    Targets are what "Fund My Goals" fills.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Assign and move money" icon="money-bill-transfer" href="/budgeting/assign-and-move-money">
    Assign by hand when you want full control.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage targets" icon="pen-to-square" href="/budgeting/manage-targets">
    Snooze a target to skip it in auto-fill.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Irregular income" icon="wave-square" href="/budgeting/irregular-income">
    Auto-assign when income varies.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>