---
key: set-up-a-recurring-journal-entry
title: Set up a recurring journal entry
audience: staff
section: bookkeeping
routes: ["/bookkeeping/recurring-entries", "/bookkeeping/recurring-entries/new"]
permissions: ["bookkeeping.recurring_entries.read"]
features: ["bookkeeping"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: "Schedule a balanced journal entry, such as monthly rent or depreciation, to post itself on a cadence, then pause, resume or run it early."
keywords: [recurring, repeating entry, monthly rent, depreciation, scheduled journal, automatic posting, pause entry]
related: [post-a-journal-entry, add-a-ledger-account, run-a-financial-report]
---

In the sidebar, open **Bookkeeping**, then **Accounting**, then **Recurring Entries**. The page address is `/bookkeeping/recurring-entries`. A new one opens at `/bookkeeping/recurring-entries/new`.

## Before you start

- Work out the entry once as a normal journal entry first, so you know the accounts and amounts; see [[post-a-journal-entry]].
- Your role needs permission to create recurring entries. Editing, pausing, resuming and running each need their own permission.

## Steps

1. Press **New recurring entry**. The **New recurring entry** window opens.
2. Type a **Name**, for example Monthly rent, and a **Memo** for the entries it will create. Without a memo, each entry is labelled Recurring: and the name.
3. Set **Next run** to the first date it should post. It starts at today.
4. Set how often: a number under **Every** and a **Unit** of day, week, month or year. It starts at 1 month.
5. To make it stop on its own, set **End date (opt)** or a number under **Max runs (opt)**. Leave both blank to run until you pause it.
6. Fill in the lines: pick the **Account** and type a **Debit** or a **Credit** on each. Press **+ line** for more; **Remove** takes one away.
7. Check the **Totals** row reads **Balanced** rather than **Must balance**.
8. Press **Create recurring entry**. Nova shows **Recurring entry created.** and it appears in the list with the status active.

## What you see

- The list shows each entry's **Name**, **Cadence** (for example every 1 month), **Next run**, **Remaining** runs (∞ when there is no limit) and **Status**. Click a row or choose **View** to see its lines, **End date** and **Last run**.
- Nova checks once a day and posts every entry whose next run date has arrived, catching up any dates it missed, then moves **Next run** forward. The posted entries show in each account's register (see [[add-a-ledger-account]]), not on the Journal Entries page.
- **Run due now** at the top posts every entry whose next run date is today or earlier, without waiting. Nova tells you how many entries it posted.

## If something looks different

- **Create recurring entry** stays greyed out: the name is blank, the lines are out of balance, or fewer than two lines have an account and an amount.
- You need to change the amounts: choose **Edit** from the row's actions menu, change the lines and press **Save changes**. Nova shows **Recurring entry updated.** Edits only affect future runs. A paused or completed entry has no **Edit**.
- You cleared **End date (opt)** or **Max runs (opt)** while editing, but the old value is still there: an edit can change these but not remove them. Pause the entry instead when it should stop.
- You want it to stop for a while: choose **Pause** from the actions menu or the entry's window. You can add a reason, then press **Pause entry**. Entries already posted stay as they are. Choose **Resume** when it should carry on; it takes effect straight away.
- **Run due now** posted fewer entries than you expected: a run date falls in a closed period. Nova holds that entry until the period is reopened (see [[close-the-books-for-a-period]]).
- The **Status** reads completed: it reached its end date or its maximum runs.
- **Filters** narrows the list by **Status** to **Active** or **Paused**.

[[route:/bookkeeping/recurring-entries/new|New recurring entry]]