What is this page about: Light lets you upload budget scenarios as CSV files and compare them against your actual ledger data. This page explains what a budget scenario is, how to upload one, what dimensions a scenario can use, how to manage, rename and delete scenarios, how to compare actuals to a scenario in the Budget Overview, what the overview filters and key metrics mean, how to read the actuals vs. planned chart, and how to drill into the budget table.
On this page
- What is a budget scenario?
- How to upload a budget scenario
- What dimensions can a budget scenario use?
- How to manage, rename and delete budget scenarios
- How to compare actuals to a budget scenario (Budget Overview)
- Frequently asked questions
Quick answer: Light's budget feature lets you upload one or more budget scenarios as CSV files and compare them against your actual ledger data. You can keep multiple scenarios active at once (for example, a base plan and a revised forecast) and switch between them from the Budget Overview.
What is a budget scenario?
A budget scenario is a CSV file you upload into Light containing planned figures broken down by up to three dimensions (such as account, entity, or business partner). Once uploaded, Light compares that scenario's planned amounts against your actual ledger data, period by period.
How to upload a budget scenario
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Navigate to Planning & Reports → Budget.
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Click Upload Budget.
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In the Upload budget dialog:
- Drag and drop a CSV file, or click to browse for one.
- Click Download template to get a correctly structured CSV.
- Click Upload to submit the file.
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Light processes the file. The scenario appears in the list with a Synching... status while processing.
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When processing finishes, the status changes to Complete. If the file fails validation, the status shows Failed, with an error tooltip explaining why.
Good to know: Only CSV files are accepted, one file at a time, up to 10 MB. Always start from the template in the upload dialog so your columns map correctly.
For the exact column headers, month formats and the errors that make an upload fail, see Uploading a budget.
What dimensions can a budget scenario use?
Each scenario supports up to three hierarchical dimension levels, based on the columns in your CSV. You can budget by account, company entity, business partner, tax code or any custom property group configured in your organization. Uploading a budget lists the exact column headers.
In the Levels column of the scenario list, each dimension shows as a badge:
| Badge | What it represents |
|---|---|
| Account | GL account |
| Account code | GL account code |
| Account label | GL account label |
| Business partner | Customer or vendor |
| Company entity | Legal entity |
| {name} (custom property) | A custom property group configured in your organization |
Dimensions uploaded with other headers, such as Account Id, Account Type, Company Entity Name, Business Partner Name or the tax headers, currently show as Unknown in the Levels column. The scenario itself works normally.
Important: Dimensions are read-only after upload. If you need different dimensions, upload a new scenario rather than editing the existing one.
How to manage, rename and delete budget scenarios
All uploaded scenarios appear in the Budget settings view, with these columns:
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Budget name | Click the row to open the scenario's detail panel. Rename it there in the "Budget name" field. The change saves automatically when you click away. |
| Levels | The scenario's dimension types, shown as badges labeled with the type itself (for example, "Account code", "Business partner"), not the specific values or custom names from your upload. If there are more badges than fit, the rest collapse into a "+N" count. |
| Status | Complete, Synching..., or Failed (Failed also shows a warning icon). |
| Created by | The user who uploaded the scenario. |
| Created at | The upload timestamp. |
You can filter this list by status or search by name. Hover over a Failed scenario to see its error description.
To delete a scenario:
- Click its row to open the detail panel.
- Click Delete (the trash icon) in the panel's top bar.
- Confirm with Are you sure you want to delete this budget scenario?
Deleting is permanent. The scenario and its figures are removed and it no longer appears in the Budget Overview.
How to compare actuals to a budget scenario (Budget Overview)
The Overview tab shows how your actual ledger data compares to a selected budget scenario.
Available filters
| Filter | Notes |
|---|---|
| Budget scenario | The scenario to compare against. Light selects the first one with status Complete, and only Complete scenarios are listed. |
| Account | Narrows results to specific accounts. |
| Account type | Filters by account type. |
| Account Classification | Filters by classification. |
| Report category | Defaults to Profit & Loss. |
| Period | Sets the period to analyze. |
Key metrics explained
- YTD planned accuracy: planned amount divided by actual amount, shown as a percentage. Above 100% means spending came in under plan. Below 100% means spending exceeded plan. For example, if you planned $10,000 and actually spent $8,000, it shows 125%.
- YTD variance: planned amount minus actual amount. A negative value, shown in parentheses, means actual spending exceeded plan. A positive value means you spent less than planned.
Good to know: The info tooltips next to these two figures currently describe the calculation the other way round. The definitions above are how Light calculates them.
Actuals vs. planned chart
The Actuals vs. planned chart plots data per period:
- Actual: what was recorded in the ledger (blue bars)
- Planned: the uploaded budget figure (a line)
Budget table
Below the chart, a table breaks down figures by the scenario's dimensions and period, with the actual and planned amounts side by side. Click any cell to drill into the underlying ledger transactions behind that number.
Exporting the comparison
Set the filters and period you want, then click Export at the top right of the page header to download the comparison as a CSV. The button shows on the Overview tab once a scenario is selected.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have more than one budget scenario at a time?
Yes. There's no limit on the number of scenarios, so you can keep a base plan and a revised forecast side by side and switch between them in the Budget Overview.
What file format does Light accept for budgets?
Only CSV files, structured using the template available in the upload dialog.
Why does my YTD planned accuracy show below 100%?
A value below 100% means actual spending exceeded the planned amount for that period. A value above 100% means actual spending came in under plan.
Can I edit a budget scenario's dimensions after uploading?
No. Dimensions are read-only once a scenario is uploaded. Upload a new scenario if you need different dimensions.
How do I rename a budget scenario?
Click its row in the Budget settings list to open the detail panel, then edit the "Budget name" field. The name saves automatically when you click elsewhere.
What does a "Failed" status mean?
The uploaded file failed validation. Hover over the Failed status to see the specific error.
Can I upload more than one file at once?
No. The upload dialog accepts one CSV file at a time, up to 10 MB.
Why isn't my scenario in the Budget scenario list on the Overview tab?
Only scenarios with status Complete are listed. Check the scenario's status in the Budget settings list: wait if it's still Synching..., or hover over Failed to see why the upload didn't validate.
Can I undo deleting a scenario?
No. Deleting removes the scenario and its figures permanently. Upload the CSV again to bring it back as a new scenario.