Post a manual journal
Build a balanced double-entry journal in Sumly, check it against the Bookkeeping preview, and post it to the ledger — with the debits and credits explained.
In this guide5 sections
A manual journal is the entry you write by hand. Two or more ledger lines, debits equal to credits, with no invoice, bill or bank line behind them. You reach for one to correct something in your accounts, or to record a transaction that is not a normal purchase or sale, like a loan drawn down.
It is a more advanced feature than the rest of Sumly, and we recommend it only if you are already familiar with accounting yourself. In most companies it is your own accountant who opens this page, not you.
Start a blank journal
The Manual journals page holds two tables, "Drafts" and "Transactions". On a new company they read "No drafts yet." and "No posted journals yet."
Click "+ New manual journal" at the top right. The editor opens nearly empty: a "Details" card that names the journal as a whole, an "Attachments" dropzone, and one entry card, "Entry 1", already carrying two blank lines. The "Bookkeeping" panel at the bottom reads "Complete at least one line to see the preview.", and "Post manual journal" underneath it is greyed out.
Name and date the entry
Type a name into the entry's "Description" field. Ours is a loan drawdown, so it reads "Loan". An "Incomplete" chip appears beside "Entry 1" straight away, and the Bookkeeping panel starts listing what is missing.
Click "Date" and pick the day from the calendar. It opens on the current month, with a "Today" shortcut at the bottom. Pick the day the money moved rather than today, here 10.08.2026. Leave "Currency" on "Euro (EUR)".
The journal has two description fields. The one in the "Details" card names the whole journal and is what the "Transactions" table shows. Each entry has its own. Fill in only the entry's, and the posted row comes back with an empty "Description" column, which makes the list hard to read later.
Pick the accounts and enter the amounts
"Account" is a search box, not a plain dropdown, so type part of the name or the number instead of scrolling. Ours is a loan, so the first line goes to cash: typing "cash" narrows the chart down to "1920 · Cash on Hand" and "1930 · Cash in Transit". Pick the first, choose that line's VAT code, and type 1,000.00 into its "Debit (EUR)" box. The totals under the table move as you type.
The second line is the other half, the loan account itself. Typing "Loan" returns every loan account in the chart, so pick the one that matches how the money was borrowed, here "2600 · Bank Loans (Current)". Choose its VAT code too, and put the same 1,000.00 into "Credit (EUR)". Debits now equal credits.
The "VAT" column starts on "None" on both lines, and it is yours to set. A line you leave alone reaches the ledger with no code on it. The line-level "Description" column is optional. "+ Add line" adds a line to this entry, and "+ Add entry" starts a second entry with its own date in the same journal.
Sumly does not suggest the pairing. You choose which account to debit and which to credit, and the Bookkeeping panel only checks that the entry balances, not that it is right. If you are unsure what your books have to show later, read what records a Cyprus company must keep.
Read the Bookkeeping panel before you post
The panel at the bottom is a running commentary on why you cannot post yet. It starts at "Complete at least one line to see the preview.", becomes "Entry 1: missing a date, needs at least two complete lines", and as you fill each thing in it drops that item and names the next, down to the line still missing an account or an amount. When the entry balances, the chip beside "Entry 1" flips to "Ready" and the panel renders the ledger itself, in the same columns as the lines above: the two rows exactly as they will land, and what each one does to the balance on its account. "Post manual journal" turns active at the same moment.
Post it
"Save draft" parks the journal under "Drafts" to finish another day. Otherwise click "Post manual journal". There is no confirmation dialog. Sumly takes you back to Manual journals, where the journal now sits under "Transactions". The "Created at" column shows the day you posted, not the entry date you chose. A journal dated the 10th and posted on the 12th reads "12 Aug 2026".
Frequently asked
Why is Post manual journal greyed out?
Because the entry is not complete. The Bookkeeping panel at the bottom names what is missing: a date, a second complete line, or a line with no account or no amount. The button turns active the moment the entry balances.
Can I edit a manual journal after posting it?
Not in place. A posted journal reopens read-only, with every field greyed out. So read the Bookkeeping preview before you post. It shows the exact lines you are about to commit.
Do I need to set a VAT code on a journal line?
Yes. Treat the VAT code as part of the line, along with the account and the amount. The VAT column starts on None, so a line nobody touches goes to the ledger with no code on it. Set the right one on each line before you post, because a posted journal cannot be changed.
That is the last of the walkthroughs. Most months you will never open this page, because a supplier invoice and a payroll run post their own entries for you, and a manual journal is what is left over. The rest of the set is in Learn.
Related articles
Set up your Sumly account and company
Create your Sumly login, add your company as an organization, and work through the four setup steps: plan, invoice details, bank and VAT status.
Company details, address and VAT status
Set your company details, address, contact and VAT status across the four Settings tabs behind the organisation switcher — before you enter a transaction.
Add a customer or supplier
Create a customer or supplier in Sumly's Contacts list, with its VAT ID, address and the defaults that carry onto its documents, then edit or archive it later.