CSV to IIF Column Mapping Guide
A good conversion starts with choosing the field that carries each meaning. This guide helps you map a supported transaction CSV without guessing from a column's position.
What each mapped column means
LedgerHarbor's core workflow needs a transaction date, useful description or memo text, and one signed amount. An account field may identify the source or destination account when your file contains one; otherwise you can choose the account in the converter workspace.
| LedgerHarbor role | Common headers | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Date, Posted, Transaction Date | Values should represent the transaction date, not an export timestamp. |
| Description | Description, Memo, Payee, Details | Choose the column with the useful transaction text. |
| Account | Account, Category, Ledger Account | Confirm whether it names an account or merely a bank label. |
| Signed amount | Amount, Value, Transaction Amount, Net | Compare positive and negative rows with the source statement. |
How to recognize the amount field
Look for a column that contains numeric values and changes sign between money in and money out. A running balance is not the same as a transaction amount: it usually repeats the account's cumulative state and should not be mapped as the amount.
Small mapping example
For a file with Posted,Merchant,Account Name,Net Change,Balance, map Posted to Date, Merchant to Description, Account Name to Account, and Net Change to Signed amount. Leave Balance unmapped.
Mapping checklist
- Keep the header row.
- Identify the transaction date.
- Choose the most descriptive text field.
- Verify sign direction on two or three rows.
- Preview before exporting.
Limitations and review guidance
Header-name matching is a starting suggestion, not proof that a field has the right meaning. LedgerHarbor can validate recognizable dates and numeric amounts, but it cannot know whether a bank's balance, category, or sign convention matches your bookkeeping workflow. Review the generated IIF and keep the original CSV.
Continue with LedgerHarbor
Open the CSV to IIF converterCSV to IIF workflowSigned amount vs debit and creditCSV formatting errors