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Time: 8 minutes | Level: Beginner
Prerequisites: Create Your First Helper

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What You’ll Learn

  • The four ways to add entries (text, voice, camera, link)
  • Natural language patterns Peanuts understands
  • The 4-tier matching system (and how to log for free)
  • Editing and deleting entries

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The Four Input Methods

Text

Type naturally in the Unified Input. Fastest for simple entries.Cost: Free (Instant Logs) or 1 credit

Voice

Tap the mic and speak. Great for hands-busy moments.Cost: 9 credits

Camera

Take a photo of receipts, documents, meals. AI extracts the data.Cost: 5 credits

Link

Paste a URL. Peanuts extracts title, image, and metadata.Cost: 1 credit

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The 4-Tier Matching System

When you type in the Unified Input, Peanuts uses a 4-tier matching pipeline:
TierNameCreditsHow It Works
1Affinity0 ⚡Matches based on your learned patterns
2Local0 ⚡Pattern matching against Helper definitions
3AI1OpenAI analysis for ambiguous inputs
4Fallback0Goes to Shoebox
Pro tip: The more you use Peanuts, the smarter Affinity matching becomes. Most routine entries will log for free over time!

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Text Input: Natural Language Patterns

Peanuts understands plain English. Here’s what gets parsed automatically:

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Numbers and Amounts

coffee $4.50          → Amount: $4.50
ran 5km               → Distance: 5km
worked out 45 min     → Duration: 45 min
bought 3 books        → Quantity: 3

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Dates and Times

lunch yesterday       → Date: [yesterday's date]
meeting at 3pm        → Time: 3:00 PM
dentist next Tuesday  → Date: [next Tuesday]
gym this morning      → Time: [morning today]

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Categories (if your Helper has them)

uber to airport       → Category: Transport
pizza for dinner      → Category: Food
netflix subscription  → Category: Entertainment

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Combining Everything

lunch $15 at Chipotle yesterday paid with credit card
Peanuts extracts:
  • Amount: $15
  • Description: lunch at Chipotle
  • Date: yesterday
  • Payment method: credit card
  • Category: Food

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The Context Cloud

As you type, the Context Cloud appears above the input showing:
  • Which Helper matches
  • Which fields will be populated
  • Confidence level
This gives you real-time feedback before you submit.

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Instant Logs vs. AI-Processed Logs

Simple, unambiguous entries log instantly with zero credits.Examples that go instant:
  • coffee $4.50 (to an expense helper)
  • 5km run (to a workout helper)
  • weight 72kg (to a health helper)
You’ll see: A confirmation with a ⚡ lightning icon.
Want free logging? Open the specific Helper first (tap its chip), then type. Scoped input uses Local matching, which is always free.

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Voice Input

Perfect for when you’re driving, cooking, or walking.
1

Tap the microphone

In any input, tap the 🎤 icon.
2

Speak naturally

Say something like:
“Spent forty-five dollars on groceries at Whole Foods”
3

Review and confirm

Peanuts transcribes and shows you the parsed entry. Tap to confirm or edit.
Voice tips:
  • Speak clearly but naturally
  • Include numbers: “forty-five dollars” or “45 dollars” both work
  • Pause briefly before and after amounts
Voice input uses 9 credits per entry. For simple things, typing is free!

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Camera Input (Smart Scan)

Take a photo of receipts, handwritten notes, or documents.
1

Tap the camera icon

In the input, tap the 📷 icon.
2

Take or choose a photo

Capture a receipt or select from your gallery.
3

Review extracted data

Peanuts shows you what it extracted:
  • Total amount
  • Merchant name
  • Date
  • Line items (if visible)
4

Confirm or edit

Make any corrections, then save.
Best practices for scanning:
  • Good lighting (avoid shadows)
  • Flat surface (no wrinkles)
  • Full receipt in frame
  • Focus before shooting
Paste URLs to save articles, recipes, products, or anything with a web page. 
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24074/altons-good-eats-roast-turkey/
Peanuts extracts:
  • Page title
  • Description
  • Main image
  • Relevant metadata (ingredients for recipes, prices for products)

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Editing and Deleting Entries

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To Edit an Entry

  1. Find the entry (in the Helper or on Home)
  2. Tap to open
  3. Make your changes
  4. Tap Save

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To Delete an Entry

  1. Open the entry
  2. Tap the ⋮ menu (three dots)
  3. Select Delete
  4. Confirm
No, deletions are permanent. Double-check before confirming!

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Entry Reminders

You can set reminders on individual entries for follow-ups:
  1. When adding an entry, tap the Reminder row (🔔)
  2. Choose a preset (1 hour, tomorrow, 3 days, next week) or custom time
  3. Get notified at that time with a link to the entry
Learn more about Entry Reminders.

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Exercise

Practice: Log 5 different ways

Using your Expense Tracker, log entries using different methods:
  1. Text (scoped): Open the Helper first, then type coffee $4.50
  2. Text with date: dinner $35 yesterday
  3. Text with category: uber $12 transport
  4. Voice: Say “Spent twenty dollars on lunch at the office”
  5. Camera: Take a photo of any receipt you have
Check that all entries appear correctly with the right fields filled. Notice which ones were Instant Logs ⚡ (free).

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Key Takeaways

Remember:
  • Text is fastest and often free (Instant Logs via Affinity/Local matching)
  • Scoped input (tap Helper chip first) guarantees free logging
  • Voice is great hands-free but costs 9 credits
  • Camera extracts data from receipts and documents
  • Links save web content with metadata
  • Be specific with dates, amounts, and categories for best parsing

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Next Steps

Understanding Widgets

Learn to read and customize your data visualizations

Voice Input Deep Dive

All voice features explained