Most guides on ChatGPT bookkeeping end with copy-paste. Give ChatGPT a real ledger instead: it imports, categorizes, and reconciles. You review.
Nothing to install.
01 · Connect
One switch, one address, one sign-in, one statement.
01 Developer mode · Settings · Connectors
In ChatGPT on the web, open Settings, go to Connectors, open Advanced settings, and turn on Developer mode.
SettingsConnectorsAdvanced settings
Connectors can now be added by URL.
02 Add the connector · ledgermcp.com/mcp
Back in Settings, then Connectors, click Create. Name it LedgerMCP, paste https://ledgermcp.com/mcp as the MCP server URL, and check "I trust this application". Everything else is optional.
SettingsConnectorsCreate
Name
MCP server URL
One address. ChatGPT reads all 72 tools from it.
03 Sign in · 6-digit code
ChatGPT opens a LedgerMCP sign-in. Enter your email and the 6-digit code. New accounts are free and created instantly.
LedgerMCP
The 6-digit code from your email
Signed in. ChatGPT now has your books.
04 Hand over the books · import_transactions
Ask ChatGPT to set up your chart of accounts, then give it a bank statement to import and categorize.
Coffee Company · Business Checking, June
Import my June statement and categorize it.
| Date | Merchant | Description | Category | Amount | Reviewed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/28 | Gusto payroll run | Payroll | −$6,797.00 | ||
| 06/27 | Square processing fees | Bank Fees | −$1,204.00 | ||
| 06/18 | Pacific Cup Co needs review | −$2,984.00 |
ChatGPT
84 imported, 81 categorized, 3 to review.
import_transactions · bulk_categorize
If OpenAI moves the settings, the constant stays: add a connector by URL, and the URL is https://ledgermcp.com/mcp.
02 · Connected
ChatGPT works like staff; you review in the web app.
Paste a statement and ChatGPT imports the rows. Ask for last quarter’s software spend and it queries the ledger. Tell it to reconcile checking and it walks the worksheet.
ChatGPT gets the same tools Claude does, so switching assistants later costs nothing.
Bookkeeping with Claude →{ "business_id": "b_9f2…", "bank_account_id": "ba_check…", "batch_id": "stmt-2026-06", "rows": [ { "date": "2026-06-03", "description": "AWS", "amount_cents": 14200 }, …83 more rows ]}
Every row lands in the review queue. Nothing is posted yet.
“What did I spend in June?” The answer comes from the live ledger, not a stale export.
Financial reports →Spending by category
Coffee Company, June
03 · Guardrails
The rules live in the database, not in the model.
Always balanced. Debits equal credits on every entry. The database rejects anything else.
Nothing edits history. An entry never changes, for anyone, including us. A correction is a new entry linked to the original.
Retries are harmless. A request sent twice returns the original entry, never a duplicate.
Everything reversible. Every ChatGPT write sits in the audit log with a one-click reverse.
Questions
Yes. Most advice online still says it cannot, but that changed with connectors: LedgerMCP is accounting software with a built-in MCP server, and ChatGPT connects to it directly over OAuth.
Turn on developer mode (Settings → Connectors → Advanced settings), create a connector with the URL https://ledgermcp.com/mcp, and sign in with a 6-digit email code.
Once connected, yes. ChatGPT posts entries, categorizes transactions, reconciles, and pulls reports through the connection; no copying numbers between windows.
Developer-mode connectors are available on Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans as of mid-2026.
No. The default permission level already works: ChatGPT asks you in chat before important changes, and reads happen automatically. You can tighten it to "always ask" in the app settings if you prefer.
The ledger protects itself: entries must balance or the database rejects them, and every ChatGPT action is logged and reversible with one click. You can also issue a read-only key so it can report but never write.
The books you connect: transactions, accounts, and reports. Bank credentials never pass through ChatGPT or LedgerMCP: live feeds run through Plaid with tokens encrypted at rest, and you can skip feeds entirely with CSV import.
Whichever you already pay for. Both get the identical tool surface, and the ledger enforces the same rules for each. Some users connect both: one for daily categorization, one for month-end review. There is no lock-in either way.
The software is free, including the ChatGPT connection, unlimited books, and all reports. Live bank feeds start at $9/mo, and the Growth and Scale plans include a built-in AI assistant.
Connect it to a real ledger instead.
Most people are connected in under a minute.