Resetting Your Budgetdog Sheet

Resetting your Budgetdog sheet clears corrupted or outdated data and restores your template to its default structure. This process repairs broken category mappings, fixes sync issues, and removes duplicate transactions—all while preserving your Google Sheets file. With a proper backup, you won't lose your transaction history.

What Happens During a Reset

When you reset your Budgetdog sheet, Avery performs the following actions:

• Clears the Avery_Transactions tab - All raw transaction data imported from your banks is removed

• Resets monthly actuals tabs - Categorized summaries for each month return to default values

When to Reset Your Budgetdog Sheet

Consider resetting your sheet if you're experiencing:

• Broken or missing tabs - Monthly actuals tabs aren't updating when new transactions import

• Category mapping failures - Transactions aren't automatically categorizing.

• Persistent duplicate transactions - The same transactions appear multiple times in the Actuals and won't delete properly

• Formula errors across multiple tabs - #REF! or #VALUE! errors appear in monthly summaries

• Starting a new budget year - You want a clean slate for the new year while archiving previous data

Prerequisites

Before resetting, ensure you have:

• Edit access to your Budgetdog Google Sheet

• Active Avery subscription or free trial (€9.99/month or €99.99/year)

• Avery add-on installed from the Google Workspace Marketplace

• Desktop or laptop computer - Mobile and iPad have limited sidebar functionality

• Stable internet connection - The reset requires communication with Avery's servers

Step 1: Back Up Your Transaction Data

Protecting your transaction history is crucial before any reset.

1. Open your Budgetdog sheet in Google Sheets

2. Navigate to the Avery_Transactions tab at the bottom of your sheet

3. Click into any cell to activate the tab

4. Select all data by pressing Ctrl+A (Windows) or Cmd+A (Mac)

5. Copy the data with Ctrl+C (Windows) or Cmd+C (Mac)

6. Create a new temporary sheet by clicking the + button at the bottom left

7. Paste your data into this backup sheet with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V

8. Rename the backup tab to "Backup - [Today's Date]" for easy reference

Alternative backup method: If you prefer an external backup, export your transactions:

1. Open the Avery sidebar (Extensions → Avery → Open)

2. Scroll to the Export option in the sidebar menu

3. Click Export Transactions to CSV

4. Save the CSV file to your computer with a clear filename like "Avery_Backup_2024-01-15.csv"

Step 2: Open the Avery Sidebar

Access the Avery add-on to initiate the reset process.

1. In your Budgetdog Google Sheet, click Extensions in the top menu bar

2. Hover over Avery in the dropdown menu

3. Click Open to launch the sidebar

The Avery sidebar will appear on the right side of your screen, displaying your connected accounts and quick actions.

Step 3: Initiate the Reset

The reset process is built into Avery's Quick Actions menu.

1. In the Avery sidebar, scroll down to the Quick Actions section

2. Locate the Reset BudgetDog button (it may appear with a circular arrow icon)

3. Click Reset BudgetDog

4. Read the confirmation modal that appears, which warns about data clearing

5. Click Confirm to proceed with the reset

Your sheet will reload automatically within 20-30 seconds. During this time:

• The Avery_Transactions tab clears to a blank state

• Monthly actuals tabs reset to default template values

• Category mappings rebuild to fix any broken connections

• Formulas refresh to their original configurations

Step 4: Restore Your Transaction Data

After the reset completes and your sheet reloads, bring back your transaction history.

1. Navigate to the Avery_Transactions tab (it should now be empty)

2. Click into cell A1 to position your cursor

3. Paste your backup data with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac)

4. Wait for the paste operation to complete (large datasets may take 5-10 seconds)

If pasting doesn't work or shows formatting errors:

1. Select all cells in the Avery_Transactions tab (Ctrl+A or Cmd+A)

2. Go to Edit → Delete values in the top menu

3. Click into cell A1 again and retry pasting

If you used a CSV backup:

1. In the Avery sidebar, find the Import option

2. Click Import from CSV

3. Upload your saved CSV file

4. Wait for the import to complete

Step 5: Re-Categorize Your Transactions

With your transactions restored, Avery needs to apply category mappings and sort them into budget categories.

1. Return to the Avery sidebar (it should still be open on the right)

2. In the Quick Actions section, find Auto Categorization

3. Click Run Categorization

4. Wait for the process to complete (typically 1-2 minutes; a progress spinner will show)

Avery will analyze each transaction and assign it to categories like:

• "Food - Groceries" for transactions from Plaid category "FOOD_AND_DRINK_GROCERIES"

• "Transportation - Gas" for gas stations

• "Income" for salary deposits or freelance payments

• "Shopping - Personal Care" for pharmacy purchases

The categorization uses Avery's learned rules from your account plus default mappings for common transaction types.

This video demonstrates how to review and train Avery's categorization system after a reset or import.

Step 6: Verify and Re-Sync

Confirm that your reset was successful and sync fresh data from your banks.

1. Refresh your entire sheet by going to File → Reload in the top menu

2. Review your monthly actuals tabs (e.g., "January 2025," "February 2025") to confirm totals look correct

3. Check for duplicate transactions in the Avery_Transactions tab (identical dates, amounts, and merchants)

4. To bring in new transactions, go to the Avery sidebar, click Import Transactions and select the date range if you have connected bank accounts

5. Wait for the import to complete (usually 10-30 seconds)

6. Optionally, set an auto-update time in the sidebar so Avery syncs new transactions automatically (e.g., daily at 8:00 AM)

Your monthly actuals tabs should now display accurate income and expense totals, and your formulas should calculate correctly without errors.

Alternative: Starting Fresh for a New Year

If you want a completely new budget for a new year while keeping your old data as an archive, use this approach instead of resetting:

1. In your current Budgetdog sheet, go to File → Make a copy

2. In the dialog, rename the copy to something like "Budgetdog 2025" or "Budget - New Year"

3. Click Make a copy

4. The new sheet opens automatically in a new tab

5. Follow the reset steps above (Steps 1-6) to clear old data from the new copy

6. In the Avery sidebar of your new sheet, reconnect your bank accounts under Connected Accounts

7. Import fresh transactions starting from January 1st of the new year

This method preserves your original sheet with all historical data intact, giving you a reference archive while you work in a clean, new sheet.

Troubleshooting Common Reset Issues

Transactions Are Miscategorized After Reset

If transactions end up in the wrong categories or show as "Uncategorized":

1. Open the Avery_Transactions tab

2. Review Column J to see assigned categories

3. Identify patterns in miscategorized transactions (e.g., all transactions from "Eagle Ventures" should be "Income," not "Shopping")

4. In the Avery sidebar, find Categorization Rules

5. Create a new rule: Set merchant keyword (e.g., "Eagle Ventures") → assign category (e.g., "Income")

6. Run categorization again to apply your new rules

For detailed guidance on fixing categorization, see Reviewing and Fixing Your Budgetdog Template.

Duplicate Transactions Appear

Duplicates often occur when you restore backed-up data and then import fresh transactions from banks. Avery may pull the same transactions again.

To remove duplicate accounts:

1. Open the Avery sidebar

2. Scroll to Connected Accounts

3. Find the duplicate account in the list (usually shows the same bank name twice)

4. Click the three dots (⋮) next to the duplicate account

5. Select Delete

6. Confirm the deletion

To manually remove duplicate transactions:

1. In the Avery_Transactions tab, sort by Date (click the column header)

2. Identify rows with identical dates, amounts, and merchant names

3. Right-click the duplicate row numbers and select Delete rows

4. Run categorization again to update monthly actuals

Paste Errors When Restoring Data

If pasting your backup fails with "Formatting not supported" or similar errors:

1. Export your backup to CSV: In your backup tab, go to File → Download → Comma Separated Values (.csv)

2. In the Avery sidebar, use the Import option

3. Upload your CSV file

4. Wait for the import to complete, then run categorization

Alternatively, paste as plain values:

1. Copy your backup data

2. In the Avery_Transactions tab, right-click cell A1

3. Select Paste special → Values only

Sync Failures After Reset

If your bank connections aren't syncing new transactions after reset:

• Wait 48 hours - Plaid (North America) and GoCardless (Europe) sometimes need time to resolve temporary connection issues automatically

• Reconnect your bank - In the Avery sidebar, go to Connected Accounts → Click the three dots next to your bank → Select "Reconnect" → Follow the authentication prompts

• Check bank compatibility - Avery supports 10,000+ institutions, but less common banks may have connection issues. See the Avery & Budgetdog Integration FAQ for compatibility details

• Contact support - If issues persist beyond 48 hours, email [email protected] or use the 24/7 live chat in your sheet

Spinning Buttons or Sidebar Won't Load

If the Avery sidebar shows a perpetual loading spinner or buttons won't respond:

1. Check your browser's login state: Ensure you're logged into only one Google account

2. Log out of all Google accounts in your browser

3. Log back into the single account associated with your Budgetdog sheet

4. Refresh the Google Sheets page

5. Reopen the Avery sidebar (Extensions → Avery → Open Avery App)

If the problem continues, clear your browser cache or try a different browser (Chrome and Edge work best).

Monthly Actuals Tabs Show Incorrect Totals

If your monthly summaries don't match your transaction totals:

1. Verify all transactions in Avery_Transactions have categories assigned in Column J

2. Check for duplicate transactions (same date, amount, merchant)

3. Re-run categorization: Avery sidebar → Auto Categorization → Run Categorization

4. Refresh the sheet: File → Reload

5. Manually inspect formulas in monthly actuals tabs for #REF! or #VALUE! errors

If totals are still incorrect after these steps, the reset may not have fully completed. Repeat the reset process from Step 3.

What Data Is NOT Affected by a Reset

The reset process only clears the data in your Avery_Transactions tab and all your Actuals tabs.

Everything else in your sheet remains unchanged.

Next Steps After Resetting

With your Budgetdog sheet reset and functioning properly, optimize your setup:

• Review your budget categories - Open the "Budgeted Expenses - Estimate" tab and adjust your monthly budget targets

• Set up automatic imports - In the Avery sidebar, configure an auto-update time (e.g., daily at 8:00 AM) so new transactions import automatically

• Create categorization rules - Build rules for recurring merchants (e.g., "Spotify" → "Entertainment - Subscriptions") to improve accuracy

For help setting up your sheet from scratch or understanding the initial configuration, see Setting Up the Budgetdog Template - Step by Step.

For questions or ongoing support, access Avery's 24/7 live chat directly in your spreadsheet or visit the Avery & Budgetdog Integration FAQ.