Every BlackVortex template is a Google Sheet with a small script attached that does the categorizing and dashboard updates. Here's the setup, start to finish.
1. Get your copy. The PDF you download from Etsy has a link. Click it and Google asks "Make a copy?" Say yes. That puts your own copy, script included, in your Google Drive. Nothing is shared back with us.
2. Authorize the script (one time). The first time you use the custom menu (it's named after the template, like "Rental Tracker" or "Gig Driver Tracker"), Google shows an authorization screen. This is Google asking whether the script is allowed to edit your sheet. It's your copy of the script, running on your account, touching only this spreadsheet.
You'll likely see a "Google hasn't verified this app" warning. That's because the script isn't a published app; it's a script inside your own file. Click "Advanced," then "Go to [template name] (unsafe)," then Allow. This is normal for any Apps Script that isn't from a big publisher.
3. Test it. Type a row in the log tab: a date, a description, and an amount. The category should fill itself in and the dashboard should update. If nothing happens, run "Refresh Dashboard Now" from the custom menu once; that wakes the script up after authorization.
4. Customize categories. The category list is a plain tab. Add or rename rows and the script picks up your changes.
Common fixes:
- Category didn't fill: the description didn't match a keyword. Add the keyword on the categories tab, or pick the category by hand for that row.
- Dashboard shows zeros: run "Refresh Dashboard Now."
- Menu is missing: reload the sheet. The menu is added when the sheet opens.
Reply here if you're stuck and we'll sort it out.
Start here: copying a template and turning on the auto-categorize script
OfficialBlackVortex Digital · 2 days ago · 0 replies