3799b587ec
* [AI] Add getNote and updateNote to public API
Notes on categories and other entities have no public API surface today.
The internal `notes-save` handler exists and works, but callers outside
the app must reach into undocumented internals to use it.
A concrete motivation: AI assistants driving Actual through an MCP server
(e.g. Claude via @actual-app/api) can set budget templates and savings
goals on categories by writing specially-formatted strings to the notes
field (e.g. `#template 250`, `#goal 1000`). Without a public API this
requires using the private `lib.send('notes-save', …)` path, which is
fragile and not guaranteed to stay stable.
This commit adds two public methods:
- `getNote(id)` — returns the NoteEntity for a given entity id, or null
- `updateNote(id, note)` — sets the note string on any entity by id
Implementation:
- Adds `notes-get` handler in `packages/loot-core/src/server/notes/app.ts`
- Adds `api/note-get` and `api/note-update` handlers in `api.ts`
- Adds `ApiHandlers` types for both new handlers
- Exposes `getNote` / `updateNote` in `packages/api/methods.ts`
- Adds a test covering get (null before set) and set/update round-trip
Testing:
- `yarn typecheck` — passed (10/10 packages, 0 errors)
- `yarn lint:fix` — passed (0 errors)
- `yarn workspace @actual-app/api test` — passed (19/19 tests, including
the new "Notes: successfully get and update note" test)
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
* [AI] Add release note for PR #7769
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
* [AI] Address review feedback: tighten types and add docs
- Use NoteEntity field types (Pick<NoteEntity, 'id'>, NoteEntity['id'],
NoteEntity['note']) instead of plain strings throughout
- Rename getNotes -> getNote (singular) in notes/app.ts
- Add Notes section to packages/docs/docs/api/reference.md
Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
---------
Co-authored-by: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Getting Started
Actual is a local-first personal finance tool. It is 100% free and open-source, written in NodeJS, it has a synchronization element so that all your changes can move between devices without any heavy lifting.
If you are interested in contributing, or want to know how development works, see our contributing document we would love to have you.
Want to say thanks? Click the ⭐ at the top of the page.
Key Links
- Actual discord community.
- Actual Community Documentation
- Frequently asked questions
Installation
There are four ways to deploy Actual:
- One-click deployment via PikaPods (~1.40 $/month) - recommended for non-technical users
- Managed hosting via Fly.io (~1.50 $/month)
- Self-hosted by using a Docker image
- Local-only apps - downloadable Windows, Mac and Linux apps you can run on your device
Learn more in the installation instructions docs.
Ready to Start Budgeting?
Read about Envelope budgeting to know more about the idea behind Actual Budget.
Are you new to budgeting or want to start fresh?
Check out the community's Starting Fresh guide so you can quickly get up and running!
Are you migrating from other budgeting apps?
Check out the community's Migration guide to start jumping on the Actual Budget train!
Documentation
We have a wide range of documentation on how to use Actual, this is all available in our Community Documentation, this includes topics on Budgeting, Account Management, Tips & Tricks and some documentation for developers.
Contributing
Actual is a community driven product. Learn more about contributing to Actual.
Code structure
The Actual app is split up into a few packages:
- loot-core - The core application that runs on any platform
- desktop-client - The desktop UI
- desktop-electron - The desktop app
More information on the project structure is available in our community documentation.
Feature Requests
Current feature requests can be seen here. Vote for your favorite requests by reacting 👍 to the top comment of the request.
To add new feature requests, open a new Issue of the "Feature Request" type.
Translation
Make Actual Budget accessible to more people by helping with the Internationalization of Actual. We are using a crowd sourcing tool to manage the translations, see our Weblate Project. Weblate proudly supports open-source software projects through their Libre plan.
Repo Activity
Sponsors
Thanks to our wonderful sponsors who make Actual Budget possible!
