> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://breadbox-mintlify-7401d007.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Breadbox?

> Breadbox syncs your household’s financial data into a PostgreSQL database you control, then exposes it through a built-in MCP server and a REST API.

Breadbox is an open-source, self-hosted financial aggregator for households. It manages connections to your banks via [Plaid](https://plaid.com/) or [Teller](https://teller.io/), syncs your transactions into a structured database you control, and hands that data to the AI apps you already use through a built-in <Tooltip headline="Model Context Protocol" tip="The open standard for giving AI agents structured access to tools and data." cta="Read the MCP spec" href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io">MCP</Tooltip> server.

**Breadbox is not an agent.** It's the infrastructure that makes the agents you already trust — Claude, ChatGPT, Manus, Openclaw — dramatically more useful for personal finance. You host it, you own the data, you pick the agents.

## Why Breadbox?

### Your agents already know you

Off-the-shelf categorization engines look at a merchant name and guess. The Claude or ChatGPT you use every day has *context* no automated categorizer will ever have — it knows your recurring subscriptions, your family's routines, the business you run, and — if you connect a Gmail or email MCP alongside Breadbox — can cross-reference the actual receipts sitting in your inbox to confirm what a charge really was. Give it that kind of access and it categorizes, classifies, and analyzes your finances with an accuracy a rules-only system can't match.

### The system gets smarter over time

Every time an agent decides "PG\&E charges are Utilities, here's the rule," it can persist that decision as a Breadbox [rule](/transactions/rules). Breadbox auto-applies that rule on every subsequent sync — so each review pass starts from an ever-more-accurate baseline. Your rule library becomes a custom, continuously-improving model of your financial life — maintained by the agents you already use, running against data you control.

### It's free and open source

Breadbox is free to run and [open source on GitHub](https://github.com/canalesb93/breadbox) under the [AGPL-3 license](https://github.com/canalesb93/breadbox/blob/main/LICENSE). No SaaS middleman, no per-account pricing, no monthly bill. You host it, you own your data, and you can audit or extend the code whenever you need to.

## Key benefits

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="AI-ready via MCP" icon="bot" href="/mcp/overview">
    A built-in <Tooltip headline="Model Context Protocol" tip="The open standard for giving AI agents structured access to tools and data." cta="Read the MCP spec" href="https://modelcontextprotocol.io">MCP</Tooltip> server lets AI agents like Claude, ChatGPT, Manus, and Openclaw query and reason over your financial data — using the context they already have about you — without ever touching your bank credentials.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Self-improving rules" icon="sparkles" href="/transactions/rules">
    Agents don't just categorize transactions — they can create and maintain rules tailored to *your* spending patterns. Over time your rule library handles more of the work automatically, letting agents focus on what's genuinely new.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Your data, your database" icon="database" href="/configuration/backup">
    All transactions live in a PostgreSQL database you own. No vendor lock-in — back up, export, audit, or delete at any time.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Open source & self-hosted" icon="git-branch" href="https://github.com/canalesb93/breadbox">
    Single Go binary, open source on GitHub. Run it on your own hardware, in a VPS, or anywhere Docker runs — no SaaS middleman between your agents and your bank data.
  </Card>
</Columns>

## Features

#### Data sync

* **Bank sync** via Plaid, Teller, and CSV import (with more coming)
* **Account linking** to deduplicate transactions across connections (e.g., dependent cards)

#### Categorize and tag

* **Self-improving rules engine** — agents create and maintain rules with recursive AND/OR/NOT conditions; your pattern library grows smarter over time
* **Category system** with a two-level hierarchy
* **Tag-based workflows** — tags allow flexible coordination between humans and agents (e.g., the seeded <Tooltip headline="needs-review tag" tip="Seeded tag used as the default review queue. A system rule auto-tags every new transaction on sync; removing the tag takes the row out of the queue." cta="Review workflow" href="/transactions/review-workflow">`needs-review`</Tooltip> tag marks every new transaction so an agent can work through them and clear the tag as it goes)

#### Agents and integrations

* **MCP server** for AI-agent integration — Streamable HTTP at `/mcp` and stdio
* **REST API** with cursor pagination, field selection, and filtering
* **Agent reports** for AI agents to submit summaries and flag transactions
* **Admin dashboard** for connection management, sync monitoring, and transaction review

#### Self-hosting

* **API key auth** with scoped access (full-access or read-only)
* **AES-256-GCM encryption** for all provider credentials stored at rest
* **Single binary** — one Go binary serves everything: API, MCP server, admin dashboard, webhooks, and the sync scheduler

## What you need to get started

Before installing Breadbox, make sure you have the following:

| Requirement              | Details                                                                                                      |
| ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **A machine**            | Any Linux or macOS host — a VPS, a spare laptop, a NAS with Docker, or your workstation for a local eval.    |
| **Docker**               | Docker Engine + Docker Compose. The one-liner installer offers to bootstrap Docker on Linux if it's missing. |
| **PostgreSQL**           | Version 16 or later. Handled automatically by Docker Compose.                                                |
| **Bank API credentials** | [Plaid](https://plaid.com/) Client ID + Secret, or a [Teller](https://teller.io/) App ID — or both.          |

You can also configure Plaid and Teller credentials after installation through the setup wizard — you don't need them before you start.

## Next steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install Breadbox" icon="download" href="/installation">
    Set up Breadbox with Docker, a pre-built binary, or from source.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Get started" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Go from zero to your first synced transaction in minutes.
  </Card>
</Columns>