> ## 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.

# Apply a rule retroactively

> Run your active rules over transactions you already have, preview the matches, and apply them selectively.

Rules normally act on new transactions as they arrive. When you write a rule for
a payee you've been buying from for months, you'll also want it to clean up the
history. Applying retroactively runs your active rules across existing
transactions and lets you choose which matches to keep.

## Run rules over your history

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the retroactive apply tool">
    On the **Rules** page, choose **Apply Rules Retroactively**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a date range (optional)">
    Leave the **From** and **To** dates blank to scan everything, or set a range
    to limit the scan to a period.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview the matches">
    Choose **Preview Matches**. You'll see each transaction that matched, with its
    date, payee, amount, and which rules matched it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose what to apply">
    Every match starts selected. Uncheck any transaction you'd rather leave
    untouched.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply">
    Choose **Apply**. The selected transactions get their matching rules'
    actions, and the register updates.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Only **active** (enabled) rules take part. Pause a rule first if you don't want
  it included in the retroactive run — see [Manage rules](/rules/manage-rules).
</Note>

## When to use it

* Right after writing a new rule, to categorize the back-history it covers.
* After a big [import](/import/overview), to sweep your rules across freshly
  imported transactions in one pass.

## Preview first, always

The preview step exists so a broad rule doesn't reclassify transactions you've
already handled by hand. Scan the match list before applying, and deselect
anything that's already the way you want it.

## If something looks wrong

* No matches found → your rules' conditions may be narrower than the
  transactions in range, or the date range excludes them. Widen the range or
  loosen the conditions in [Create a rule](/rules/create-a-rule).
* It changed transactions you didn't mean to → use undo (<kbd>z</kbd> on the web)
  right after, then tighten the rule and re-run with a tighter selection.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Create a rule" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/rules/create-a-rule">
    Write the rule before you apply it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage rules" icon="list-check" href="/rules/manage-rules">
    Enable or pause rules before a retroactive run.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Import overview" icon="file-import" href="/import/overview">
    Bring history in, then sweep rules across it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bulk actions" icon="layer-group" href="/transactions/bulk-actions">
    One-off changes when a rule is overkill.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>