Monarch Money

        package: "."
        bins: ["monarch-money"]
        label: "Install Monarch Money CLI"
---

# Monarch Money

CLI and TypeScript library for Monarch Money budget automation.

## Prerequisites

### Environment Variables (Required)

| Variable | Required | Description |
|----------|----------|-------------|
| `MONARCH_EMAIL` | **Yes** | Monarch Money account email |
| `MONARCH_PASSWORD` | **Yes** | Monarch Money account password |
| `MONARCH_MFA_SECRET` | **Yes** | TOTP secret for MFA (see below) |

### Getting Your MFA Secret

Monarch Money requires MFA. Generate the TOTP secret:

1. Login to https://app.monarchmoney.com
2. Go to Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication
3. If MFA is already enabled: disable and re-enable to get a new secret
4. When shown the QR code: click "Can't scan? View setup key"
5. Copy the secret key (base32 string like `JBSWY3DPEHPK3PXP`)
6. Complete MFA setup in Monarch Money with an authenticator app
7. Set the secret: `export MONARCH_MFA_SECRET="YOUR_SECRET"`

## Quick Start

```bash
# Check setup
monarch-money doctor

# Login (uses env vars by default)
monarch-money auth login

# List transactions
monarch-money tx list --limit 10

# List categories
monarch-money cat list
```

## CLI Commands

### Authentication

```bash
# Login with environment variables
monarch-money auth login

# Login with explicit credentials
monarch-money auth login -e [email protected] -p password --mfa-secret SECRET

# Check auth status
monarch-money auth status

# Logout
monarch-money auth logout
```

### Transactions

```bash
# List recent transactions
monarch-money tx list --limit 20

# Search by date
monarch-money tx list --start-date 2026-01-01 --end-date 2026-01-31

# Search by merchant
monarch-money tx list --merchant "Walmart"

# Get transaction by ID
monarch-money tx get <transaction_id>

# Update category
monarch-money tx update <id> --category <category_id>

# Update merchant name
monarch-money tx update <id> --merchant "New Name"

# Add notes
monarch-money tx update <id> --notes "My notes here"
```

### Categories

```bash
# List all categories
monarch-money cat list

# List with IDs (for updates)
monarch-money cat list --show-ids
```

### Accounts

```bash
# List accounts
monarch-money acc list

# Show account details
monarch-money acc get <account_id>
```

### Doctor (Diagnostics)

```bash
# Run diagnostic checks
monarch-money doctor
```

Checks:
- Environment variables set
- API connectivity
- Session validity
- Node.js version

## Library Usage

Import and use the TypeScript library directly:

```typescript
import { MonarchClient } from 'monarch-money';

const client = new MonarchClient({ baseURL: 'https://api.monarch.com' });

// Login
await client.login({
  email: process.env.MONARCH_EMAIL,
  password: process.env.MONARCH_PASSWORD,
  mfaSecretKey: process.env.MONARCH_MFA_SECRET
});

// Get transactions
const transactions = await client.transactions.getTransactions({ limit: 10 });

// Get categories
const categories = await client.categories.getCategories();

// Get accounts
const accounts = await client.accounts.getAll();
```

## Common Workflows

### Find and Update a Transaction

```bash
# 1. Find the transaction
monarch-money tx list --date 2026-01-15 --merchant "Target"

# 2. Get category ID
monarch-money cat list --show-ids

# 3. Update the transaction
monarch-money tx update <transaction_id> --category <category_id>
```

### Search Transactions by Date Range

```bash
monarch-money tx list --start-date 2026-01-01 --end-date 2026-01-31 --limit 100
```

### Check Budget Status

```bash
monarch-money acc list
```

## Error Handling

| Error | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| "Not logged in" | Run `monarch-money auth login` |
| "MFA code required" | Set `MONARCH_MFA_SECRET` environment variable |
| "Invalid credentials" | Verify email/password work at app.monarchmoney.com |
| "Session expired" | Run `monarch-money auth login` again |

## Session Management

Sessions are cached locally at `~/.mm/session.json`. After initial login, subsequent commands reuse the saved session for faster execution.

To clear the session: `monarch-money auth logout`

## References

- [API.md](references/API.md) - GraphQL API details and advanced usage
- [TROUBLESHOOTING.md](references/TROUBLESHOOTING.md) - Common issues and solutions