Getting Started with SyncAgent

Learn how to automate your FreeAgent bookkeeping in just a few steps

On this page:

1

Connect Your FreeAgent Account

SyncAgent uses secure OAuth authentication to connect to your FreeAgent account. This means we never see or store your FreeAgent password.

Steps:

  1. Click the "Login with FreeAgent" button on the homepage
  2. You'll be redirected to FreeAgent's secure login page
  3. Enter your FreeAgent credentials and approve the connection
  4. You'll be redirected back to SyncAgent, now fully connected!

What permissions do we request?

We only request the minimum permissions needed: read access to bank accounts and transactions, and write access to create explanations. We never request access to modify your existing data.

2

Create Your First Explainer

Explainers are rules that automatically match and explain transactions based on their description. Once set up, they'll save you hours of manual data entry.

Example: Rent Payments

Let's say you pay £1,200 rent every month, and it appears in your bank as "LANDLORD PROPERTY RENT".

1. Navigate to Explainers

From your dashboard, click "Create Explainer"

2. Configure the Match

  • Name: "Monthly Rent" (for your reference)
  • Bank Account: Select your business bank account
  • Transaction Type: Debit (money going out)
  • Match Pattern: "RENT" (case insensitive)

3. Set Up the Explanation

  • Explanation Type: Payment
  • Category: Select "Office, Property & Equipment" or similar
  • Description: "Monthly office rent"

4. Test & Save

Click "Dry Run" to see which transactions would be matched without actually creating explanations. When you're happy, save the explainer!

Tip: Start Simple

Begin with one or two explainers for your most common recurring transactions. You can always add more later as you get comfortable with the system.

3

Set Up Stripe Integration

If you accept payments through Stripe, you can automatically sync your Stripe payouts with detailed charge breakdowns. This is optional but highly recommended for online businesses.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Stripe Accounts from your dashboard
  2. Click "Add Stripe Account"
  3. Generate a restricted read-only API key in your Stripe Dashboard:
    • Go to Developers → API Keys in Stripe
    • Create a new restricted key
    • Grant read-only access to: Balance, Charges, Payouts
    • Copy the key (starts with "rk_live_" or "rk_test_")
  4. Paste the API key into SyncAgent
  5. Select which FreeAgent bank account receives your Stripe payouts
  6. Choose how you want to explain Stripe transactions

Security: Read-Only Access

We only use restricted read-only tokens, meaning we can never modify your Stripe data—only read it to sync with FreeAgent.

4

Next Steps

You're all set! Here's what to do next:

🔄 Run Your Explainers

Explainers run automatically, but you can also trigger them manually from the explainer page to process historical transactions.

✅ Review & Approve

If you've enabled manual approval, review matched transactions before they're explained in FreeAgent.

➕ Add More Explainers

As you identify more recurring transactions, create additional explainers to automate even more of your bookkeeping.

📊 Monitor Dashboard

Check your dashboard to see how much time you're saving and how many transactions have been automated.

Need Help?

If you have questions or run into any issues, we're here to help!

Contact Support View FAQ