Getting started
Start here if you’re new to Clarity. The goal is to get to a reliable daily cash view quickly.
1) Create your account
Sign up and log in to access your dashboard and settings.
2) Connect bank accounts
Use the Plaid connection flow to link the business accounts you want Clarity to monitor.
3) Review accounts in Settings
Confirm linked accounts, archive any accounts you do not want included, and apply company/entity tags.
4) Review dashboard + cashflow
Use the dashboard for current balances and recent activity, then use cashflow planning and AI prompts for analysis.
Tip: For the best experience, tag accounts in Settings before relying on entity-level cashflow and AI summaries.
Accounts & tagging logic
Clarity uses linked accounts as the foundation for balances, transactions, and entity context.
What account tags do
- Assign a linked account to a company/entity
- Improve entity-level reporting and filtering
- Help AI and cashflow views interpret activity in context
- Reduce “blended feed” confusion across multiple accounts
Best practice
- Tag all active operating accounts first
- Use consistent entity names (avoid duplicates/spelling variations)
- Archive unused/old accounts so totals stay clean
- Review account list after reconnects
How Clarity treats linked accounts
Clarity stores linked bank accounts and updates balances during refresh/sync. If a bank connection is re-linked and a provider returns a new account identifier for what appears to be the same account, Clarity may preserve account metadata (like your company/entity tag) using matching logic to reduce duplicate setup work.
Plaid connection help
Clarity uses Plaid to securely connect bank accounts and retrieve balances/transactions used by dashboard and cashflow features.
Connect
Use “Connect Bank” to add a new institution/account set to Clarity.
Refresh
Refresh updates balances and transactions for existing linked items.
Reconnect
Reconnect is used when an item needs login updates or access restoration.
Note on testing / sandbox behavior: In test environments, some providers may return duplicate-looking accounts across repeated connections. Clarity includes logic to reduce duplicate impact, but you may still see behavior that is more exaggerated than production.
Refresh vs reconnect
These are different actions and are used for different situations.
| Action | Use when | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh data | Accounts are connected and you want updated balances/transactions | Pulls latest data from currently linked items |
| Reconnect item | Bank requires new login/authentication or access has expired | Re-establishes connection for an existing item |
If you are unsure, try Refresh first. Use Reconnect only when prompted or when data stops updating due to access/login requirements.
Cashflow & forecast basics
Clarity’s cashflow tools are designed to help you understand near-term cash movement, not replace accounting close workflows.
What the forecast is for
- Estimate short-term cash path (e.g., 30–90 days)
- Review expected dips/spikes before they happen
- Model planned items and one-time events
- Support weekly operator/finance check-ins
How to use it well
- Keep linked accounts and tags clean
- Review planned items regularly
- Use what-if scenarios before approvals or large payments
- Treat forecast as a decision tool, not a final ledger
AI assistant workflows
Clarity’s AI is designed for operator and finance review workflows — especially when you need to explain a change quickly.
Good AI questions to ask
- Why is spend up this month?
- Which categories changed most?
- Any recurring charges or unusual spikes?
- What should I review next?
Best practice
Use AI outputs as a review accelerator. AI helps surface patterns and likely drivers, but finance decisions should still be confirmed with your transactions, planned items, and internal context.
Troubleshooting
Balances look duplicated
Check your linked accounts in Settings and review archived/active accounts. Duplicate-looking accounts can happen during testing or repeated linking. Clarity is designed to reduce duplicate impact, but you may still need to archive older or inactive account rows.
Transactions are not updating
Try Refresh first. If the connection requires a login update, Clarity may prompt you to reconnect the item. After reconnecting, refresh again and verify the account remains active in Settings.
Entity summaries look off
Review company/entity tags in Settings and make sure the accounts you expect to include are tagged consistently and not archived.
AI output doesn’t match what I expected
AI answers are only as good as the available account/transaction context. Review account tags, date ranges, and recent transactions, then ask a more specific question.
Support FAQ
Does Clarity replace my accounting system?
No. Clarity is a cash visibility and decision-support layer. It is designed to help teams answer cash and spend questions faster.
Should I archive an account?
Archive accounts you do not want included in active totals, dashboards, or transaction views. If you recently reconnected an item and see an older duplicate-looking account, archive the older/inactive version.
What if I connect the same institution again?
Clarity may recognize similar accounts and preserve account metadata like entity tags when possible. In some cases (especially in testing environments), you may still need to review and archive older duplicate-looking accounts.
How do I get help?
Use this support page for common workflows and troubleshooting. If you need direct help, contact your Clarity admin or support channel (add your preferred contact method below).
Need help with setup?
Start with the sections above, then reach out if you need help connecting accounts, cleaning up tags, or understanding dashboard and cashflow behavior.