1. Create a vault
On first launch DohFlow asks for a passphrase and creates an encrypted vault.
Choose the passphrase carefully. It is the only thing protecting the file, and there is no recovery — no reset link, no support back door. A long passphrase of several unrelated words beats a short complicated one. Put it in a password manager now, not later.
2. Add accounts
Add the accounts you want to track: checking, savings, credit cards, loans. You need the current balance and, for cards and loans, the terms.
Start with fewer accounts than you think. Two accounts with accurate data forecast better than eight with guesses.
3. Get transactions in
Two ways, and they mix freely:
- Import a file. Export CSV, OFX or QFX from your bank and import it. Rows are staged for review before anything enters your ledger.
- Connect an account. Optional bank refresh through SimpleFIN. Refreshed transactions also land in review first.
Manual entry is always enough. A connected account is an enhancement, never a dependency.
4. Review the Money Inbox
Everything needing attention collects here: new imports, suspected duplicates, uncategorized rows, low-confidence guesses. Work it down to empty. This is the main loop of using DohFlow.
5. Read the forecast
The forecast projects your daily balance forward.
Select any row to see why it is there. That is the point of the whole app — if a projection looks wrong, find the assumption behind it and fix that rather than distrusting the number.
Early on, the forecast will say it lacks history to project confidently. That is correct behavior, not a bug. It improves as real data accumulates — a few weeks makes a visible difference.