Workspaces

Workspaces

A workspace is a shared financial environment in Curl Budget. Each workspace contains its own accounts, transactions, budgets, and settings—completely separate from other workspaces.

Understanding Workspaces

What's in a Workspace

Each workspace contains:

• Accounts - Connected bank accounts and manual accounts
• Transactions - All transactions from those accounts
• Categories - Category hierarchy and settings
• Tags - Tags for organizing transactions
• Budgets - Category and tag budgets
• Rules - Auto-rules for categorization
• Members - People who have access

Data Isolation

Workspaces are completely separate:

• Transactions don't cross workspaces
• Categories and tags are workspace-specific
• Budgets exist within one workspace
• Reports show only that workspace's data

Your First Workspace

When you create a Curl Budget account:

• A personal workspace is created automatically
• You're the owner
• It's yours to use individually or share

Creating Workspaces

When to Create a New Workspace

Create additional workspaces when:

• You want to share finances with others
• You need separation (personal vs. business)
• You're starting fresh with new tracking

How to Create

1. Go to Settings → Workspaces
2. Tap "Create Workspace"
3. Enter a name (e.g., "Family Finances", "Roommates")
4. Tap "Create"
5. The new workspace is created with you as owner

Naming Workspaces

Choose clear, descriptive names:

• ✅ "Smith Family Budget"
• ✅ "Apartment 4B Expenses"
• ✅ "Side Business"
• ❌ "Workspace 2"
• ❌ "Shared"

Good names help when you have multiple workspaces.

Managing Workspaces

Viewing All Workspaces

See all workspaces you belong to:

1. Go to Settings → Workspaces
2. View list of workspaces
3. See your role in each

Switching Workspaces

Change which workspace you're viewing:

1. Tap the workspace name at the top
2. Select a different workspace
3. All screens update to that context

Or:

1. Go to Settings → Workspaces
2. Tap a workspace to switch

Editing Workspace Details

As an owner:

1. Go to Settings → Workspaces
2. Tap the workspace to edit
3. Modify name or settings
4. Save changes

Deleting a Workspace

Owners can delete workspaces:

1. Go to Settings → Workspaces
2. Tap the workspace
3. Scroll to "Delete Workspace"
4. Confirm deletion

Warning: This permanently deletes all data in the workspace. This cannot be undone.

Connecting Accounts to Workspaces

Initial Connection

When you add a new account:

1. Choose which workspace to add it to
2. The account appears in that workspace
3. Transactions sync to that workspace

Moving Accounts

Accounts can only belong to one workspace. To move:

1. Disconnect from current workspace (keep history)
2. Connect fresh to the new workspace
3. New transactions go to new workspace

Sharing One Account

If multiple people want to see the same bank account:

• Connect it to a shared workspace
• All workspace members see its transactions
• Only one connection needed

Workspace Membership

Viewing Members

See who's in a workspace:

1. Open the workspace settings
2. View "Members" section
3. See names, roles, and status

Inviting Members

Add people to your workspace:

1. Open workspace settings
2. Tap "Invite Member"
3. Enter their email
4. Choose their role
5. Send invitation

See Invitations for details.

Removing Members

As an owner, remove members:

1. Open workspace settings
2. Find the member
3. Tap "Remove"
4. Confirm

Their access is revoked immediately. Transactions they added remain.

Leaving a Workspace

Leave a workspace you've joined:

1. Open workspace settings
2. Tap "Leave Workspace"
3. Confirm

Note: Owners cannot leave—they must transfer ownership first or delete the workspace.

Workspace Roles

Each member has a role determining what they can do:

Action	Owner	Member	Viewer
View transactions	✅	✅	✅
View reports	✅	✅	✅
Add transactions	✅	✅	❌
Edit categories	✅	✅	❌
Manage budgets	✅	✅	❌
Invite members	✅	❌	❌
Remove members	✅	❌	❌
Delete workspace	✅	❌	❌

See Roles & Permissions for complete details.

Multi-Workspace Strategies

Personal + Family

Common for couples:

• Personal workspace - Individual spending, gifts, personal items
• Family workspace - Shared household expenses

Connect accounts strategically:

• Joint checking → Family workspace
• Personal credit cards → Personal workspace
• Shared credit cards → Family workspace

Multiple Shared Spaces

Some people need several:

• Family budget - Household with partner
• Rental property - Shared with co-owner
• Side business - Business expenses

Gradual Sharing

Start personal, share later:

• Begin with just your personal workspace
• When ready, create a shared workspace
• Invite partner/family
• Connect relevant accounts

Best Practices

Clear Ownership

• Designate one clear owner per workspace
• Owners should be committed to managing it
• Consider who pays for the subscription

Consistent Categories

In shared workspaces:

• Agree on category structure
• Use clear, mutually understood names
• Set up categories before inviting others

Communication

• Discuss unusual transactions
• Agree on budget limits
• Review spending together regularly

Regular Maintenance

• Review member list periodically
• Remove people who've left (roommates, etc.)
• Update workspace name if purpose changes

Troubleshooting

Can't See Expected Data

Check:

• You're in the right workspace
• The account is connected to this workspace
• You have appropriate role permissions

Can't Make Changes

Viewers can't edit. Check:

• Your role (should be Member or Owner)
• Ask the owner to upgrade your role if needed

Member Can't Join

If an invited person can't join:

• Verify their email address
• Have them check spam folder
• Resend the invitation
• Ensure they created a Curl Budget account

Need to Transfer Ownership

Owners can't leave without:

1. Promoting another member to Owner
2. Then demoting yourself (or leaving)
3. Or deleting the workspace entirely

Related Features

• Roles & Permissions - What each role can do
• Invitations - Adding members
• Activity Log - Track changes
• Accounts - Connecting accounts to workspaces