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This guide will walk you through creating your Home Account, setting up encryption, and importing your first transactions.

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Prerequisites

  • A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge)
  • An Excel or CSV file from your bank (optional, but recommended)
  • A secure password or OAuth account (Google/GitHub)
Home Account uses end-to-end encryption, which means your password is the key to your financial data. Choose a strong password and set up recovery mechanisms immediately.

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Get Started

1

Create your account

Navigate to the Home Account registration page and create your account. You have two options:Option 1: Email and Password
cURL
curl -X POST https://api.homeaccount.com/api/auth/register \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "password": "your-secure-password",
    "name": "Your Name"
  }'

{
  "success": true,
  "message": "Registration successful. Please verify your email.",
  "user": {
    "id": "user-uuid",
    "email": "[email protected]",
    "name": "Your Name"
  },
  "key_salt": "hex-string",
  "accountId": "account-uuid"
}
Option 2: OAuth (Google or GitHub)Click “Continue with Google” or “Continue with GitHub”. After OAuth authentication, you’ll be redirected to set up a PIN for encryption.
After registration, check your email for a verification link. You must verify your email before logging in.
2

Set up encryption (first login)

On your first login, your browser will derive encryption keys from your password:
import { argon2id } from '@noble/hashes/argon2'

// Derive User Key from password (happens automatically in browser)
const userKey = argon2id(
  password, 
  keySalt, 
  { t: 3, m: 65536, p: 4, dkLen: 32 }
)

// Decrypt Account Key with User Key
const accountKey = await decryptAccountKey(
  encryptedAccountKey, 
  userKey
)
This process happens automatically in your browser. The server never sees your decrypted keys.
If you used OAuth: You’ll be prompted to create a 6-8 digit PIN. This PIN replaces your password for encryption purposes. Learn more in the OAuth + PIN guide.
3

Set up recovery phrase (critical!)

Immediately after login, you’ll be redirected to set up a BIP39 recovery phrase:
  1. Click “Set up recovery” in the dashboard warning banner
  2. Write down the 24-word recovery phrase on paper
  3. Store it securely (safe deposit box, password manager, etc.)
  4. Confirm the phrase by entering specific words
Without your recovery phrase, losing your password means permanent data loss. The server cannot decrypt your data without your keys.
The recovery phrase encrypts a copy of your Account Key and stores it in the database. If you forget your password, you can use these 24 words to regain access.See the Password Recovery guide for more details.
4

Create your first financial account

Home Account separates “user accounts” (your login) from “financial accounts” (your bank accounts, wallets, etc.). Create your first financial account:
  1. Click “Create Account” in the sidebar
  2. Enter a name (e.g., “Personal Checking”, “Household Budget”)
  3. Click “Create”
You can create up to 3 financial accounts. Each account has its own encryption key and can be shared with family members via invitations.
Accounts are created with default categories automatically:
  • ALIMENTACION (Food)
  • TRANSPORTE (Transport)
  • RESTAURANTES (Dining)
  • SALUD (Health)
  • HOGAR (Home)
  • OCIO (Leisure)
  • VEHICULO (Vehicle)
  • ROPA (Clothing)
  • INGRESOS (Income)
  • TRANSFERENCIAS (Transfers)
  • OTROS (Other)
5

Import transactions from Excel (recommended)

The fastest way to get started is to import transactions from your bank:
  1. Export transactions from your bank as Excel or CSV
  2. Click “Import” in the sidebar
  3. Upload your file
  4. Preview the transactions and AI-suggested categories
  5. Review and edit category mappings
  6. Click “Confirm” to import
Supported formats:
  • Generic Excel (.xlsx, .xls)
  • CSV with headers (date, description, amount)
  • Specialized formats: “Control de Gastos”, “Movimientos CC”, “Revolut”
AI-powered categorization:The system automatically suggests categories based on transaction descriptions:
// Example: AI categorizes "MERCADONA SUPERMERCADO" as ALIMENTACION
POST /api/ai/categorize
{
  "accountId": "account-uuid",
  "transactions": [
    {
      "date": "2024-03-15",
      "description": "MERCADONA SUPERMERCADO",
      "amount": -45.32
    }
  ]
}

Response:
{
  "categorizedTransactions": [
    {
      "date": "2024-03-15",
      "description": "MERCADONA SUPERMERCADO",
      "amount": -45.32,
      "suggestedCategory": "ALIMENTACION",
      "confidence": 0.95
    }
  ]
}
  1. File parsing: The backend extracts transactions using the xlsx library
  2. AI categorization: Descriptions are sent to the AI service (free after first parse)
  3. Client-side encryption: Your browser encrypts descriptions and amounts
  4. Optimistic UI: Transactions appear instantly with a loading indicator
  5. Server sync: Backend validates and stores encrypted data
  6. Final update: UI updates with server-confirmed data
See the Excel Import guide for more details.
6

Or add transactions manually

If you don’t have an Excel file, you can add transactions manually:
  1. Click “Add Transaction” in the sidebar
  2. Fill in the form:
    • Date: Transaction date
    • Description: What was purchased
    • Amount: Positive for income, negative for expenses
    • Category: Select from dropdown
    • Subcategory (optional): More specific categorization
  3. Click “Save”
The transaction is encrypted client-side before being sent to the server:
import { encrypt } from '@/lib/crypto'

const encryptedTransaction = {
  account_id: accountId,
  category_id: categoryId,
  subcategory_id: subcategoryId || null,
  description_encrypted: await encrypt(description, accountKey),
  amount_encrypted: await encrypt(amount.toString(), accountKey),
  amount_sign: amount >= 0 ? 'positive' : 'negative',
  date: date.toISOString().split('T')[0]
}

// Send to server
await fetch('/api/transactions', {
  method: 'POST',
  body: JSON.stringify(encryptedTransaction)
})
7

Set up budgets (optional)

Track spending limits per category:
  1. Navigate to “Budgets” in the sidebar
  2. Click “Create Budget”
  3. Select a category
  4. Enter the budget amount (in cents)
  5. Choose the period (weekly, monthly, yearly)
  6. Set an alert threshold (default: 80%)
  7. Click “Save”
Visual progress tracking:
  • Green: Under budget
  • Amber: At or above alert threshold (e.g., 80%)
  • Red: Over budget
Budget spending is calculated client-side from decrypted transactions. The server only stores budget limits, not actual spending.
8

Explore investment features (optional)

Home Account includes an AI-powered investment module:
  1. Navigate to “Investments” in the sidebar
  2. Complete the 7-step risk profile questionnaire:
    • Age and income
    • Job stability
    • Emergency fund status
    • Investment time horizon
    • Risk reaction scenarios
    • Investment experience
  3. View personalized recommendations based on your profile
  4. Chat with the AI investment assistant for questions
  5. View real-time market data (BTC, ETH, EUR/USD, S&P 500, MSCI)
Investment chats and risk profiles are NOT end-to-end encrypted yet. They’re visible to the AI provider and stored in plain text.
9

Understand the unlock flow

After your first session, if you refresh the page or return later, you’ll need to “unlock” your data:For password users:
  1. You’re redirected to /unlock
  2. Enter your password
  3. Browser derives User Key from password
  4. Account Keys are decrypted
  5. Dashboard loads with decrypted data
For OAuth + PIN users:
  1. You’re already authenticated (cookies persist)
  2. You’re redirected to /unlock
  3. Enter your PIN
  4. Browser derives User Key from PIN
  5. Account Keys are decrypted
  6. Dashboard loads with decrypted data
Your session (JWT cookies) persists, but encryption keys are cleared on page refresh for security. The unlock flow re-derives your keys without re-authenticating.

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Next Steps

Excel Import

Learn advanced import features like AI categorization and bulk uploads

Security

Understand the envelope encryption model and security guarantees

Account Sharing

Invite family members to share accounts securely

API Reference

Explore the full REST API for building integrations

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Troubleshooting

Unfortunately, without a recovery phrase, your data is permanently lost. The end-to-end encryption model means the server cannot decrypt your data without your password.Prevention: Always set up your recovery phrase immediately after registration.
The file parser supports Excel (.xlsx, .xls) and CSV formats. Ensure your file has these columns:
  • Date (YYYY-MM-DD or DD/MM/YYYY)
  • Description or Concept
  • Amount (decimal with . or , separator)
If your bank uses a custom format, contact support to add it to the parser.
This is expected! Transactions are stored encrypted. Your browser automatically decrypts them using your Account Key when displaying them. If you’re using the API directly, you’ll need to implement the decryption logic yourself.
CSRF tokens are tied to your session. If you see this error:
  1. Log out and log back in
  2. Clear your browser cookies
  3. Try the operation again
This usually happens if your session expired while the page was open.

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