How to connect a live bank feed to an existing offline account?

TB Books · banking · Last updated September 17, 2026 · Version 1

This process works in apps: TB Books

This article will teach you how to attach a live bank feed to an offline account that already has imported or typed transactions, without creating a second account or duplicating history.

Use Connect Bank on the account you already keep in Books. Existing transactions stay on that account. The live feed only imports activity from the start date you choose next. Your bank login stays with the bank — Books never stores those credentials.

Do not click Add Account and then Connect Automatically. That creates a second bank account and a second set of books. Connect the feed in place so matches, reconciliations, and the linked Chart of Accounts stay together.

If the account already has history (statement imports or lines you entered by hand), Books defaults the start date to the day after your last transaction. Live-feed lines are not the same records as imported statement lines. Starting on or before that last date can import the same activity again as new uncategorized transactions.

Watch the walkthrough: Connect a live bank feed.

![Connect Bank walkthrough. Click Connect Bank on the existing account, then keep the start date as the day after your last transaction.](/kb/books-connect-offline-bank-feed.svg)

Steps

Open TB Books and go to Bank Feeds (the page heading is Banking). Find the existing offline checking, savings, or credit-card account — the one that already has your history.
Open that account and note the date of the last transaction. Finish matching, categorizing, or reconciling older activity the way you want it before you turn the feed on.
Click Connect Bank on the account row or on the account header (the gear menu label is Connect to Bank). Do not click Add Account → Connect Automatically.
Click Continue and complete the bank login in the window that opens. Your bank login stays with the bank.
On Choose Account, select the same real-world account (match the last four digits). Existing transactions stay here. If that bank is already linked to another Books account, disconnect that feed first — one live bank maps to one Books account.
On Sync Start Date, keep the suggested date: the day after your last transaction. Only change it if you intentionally need older feed history that is not already in Books. If the account has no transactions yet, Books defaults to the last 90 days.
If you pick a date on or before your last transaction, Books warns that the feed may import activity you already have. Check I understand and want to import from this date anyway only if you accept possible duplicate lines.
Click Connect Bank and wait while Books saves the connection, turns on the live feed, and imports from the start date. Then review the new uncategorized lines, match or categorize them, and use Sync (not Import Statement) for later activity.

Conclusion & best practices

Keep one Books account per real bank or card. Connect the live feed on that same account so history stays in one register. Start the feed the day after your last manual or imported transaction — Last 30 Days or Last 90 Days will overlap if that window includes dates you already entered. After the feed is live, stop Import Statement for new dates; use Sync. Related: How to match a bank transaction that includes a card fee? · How to record a bank deposit in Books?