# You Need a Budget — Pipedream Connect

> Money doesn’t have to be messy. The YNAB budgeting app and its simple four-rule method will help you organize your finances, demolish your debt, save piles of cash, and reach your financial goals faster.

- API slug: `you_need_a_budget` (use in MCP headers and tool keys)
- Auth: OAuth (Pipedream-managed)
- Categories: Business Management
- Website: https://youneedabudget.com
- This page (HTML): https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget
- Tools: 6 actions · 6 triggers

## Connect via MCP (recommended)

- Endpoint: `https://remote.mcp.pipedream.net/v3`
- Headers: `Authorization: Bearer <token>` · `x-pd-project-id` · `x-pd-environment` · `x-pd-external-user-id` · `x-pd-app-slug: you_need_a_budget`

```ts
import { Client } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/index.js"
import { StreamableHTTPClientTransport } from "@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/client/streamableHttp.js"
import { PipedreamClient } from "@pipedream/sdk"

const pd = new PipedreamClient({
  projectId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_PROJECT_ID!,
  clientId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_ID!,
  clientSecret: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_SECRET!,
  projectEnvironment: "production",
})

const accessToken = await pd.rawAccessToken

const transport = new StreamableHTTPClientTransport(
  new URL("https://remote.mcp.pipedream.net/v3"),
  {
    requestInit: {
      headers: {
        Authorization: `Bearer ${accessToken}`,
        "x-pd-project-id": process.env.PIPEDREAM_PROJECT_ID!,
        "x-pd-environment": "production",
        "x-pd-external-user-id": "{external_user_id}", // any stable ID for this user in your system
        "x-pd-app-slug": "you_need_a_budget",
      },
    },
  },
)

const mcp = new Client({ name: "my-agent", version: "1.0.0" })
await mcp.connect(transport)

const { tools } = await mcp.listTools()

// e.g. run Create Transaction:
const result = await mcp.callTool({
  name: "you_need_a_budget-create-transaction",
  arguments: {
    budgetId: "Budget ID",
    accountId: "Account ID",
  },
})
```

Docs: [MCP guide](https://pipedream.com/docs/connect/mcp/developers.md)

## API proxy

For a You Need a Budget endpoint with no pre-built tool, the proxy forwards your request with the connected user's credentials attached.

```bash
# The path segment is the target URL, URL-safe base64 encoded:
# https://api.youneedabudget.com/v1/user

curl "https://api.pipedream.com/v1/connect/{project_id}/proxy/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkueW91bmVlZGFidWRnZXQuY29tL3YxL3VzZXI?external_user_id={external_user_id}&account_id=apn_xxxxxxx" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer {access_token}" \
  -H "x-pd-environment: production"
```

Docs: [API proxy guide](https://pipedream.com/docs/connect/api-proxy.md)

## SDK

```ts
import { PipedreamClient } from "@pipedream/sdk"

const pd = new PipedreamClient({
  projectId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_PROJECT_ID!,
  clientId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_ID!,
  clientSecret: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_SECRET!,
  projectEnvironment: "production",
})

const result = await pd.actions.run({
  id: "you_need_a_budget-create-transaction",
  externalUserId: "{external_user_id}", // any stable ID for this user in your system
  configuredProps: {
    you_need_a_budget: { authProvisionId: "apn_xxxxxxx" },
    budgetId: "Budget ID",
    accountId: "Account ID",
  },
})
```

Docs: [Managed auth guide](https://pipedream.com/docs/connect/managed-auth/quickstart.md) · [Tools guide](https://pipedream.com/docs/connect/components.md)

## Actions (6)

### `you_need_a_budget-create-transaction` — Create Transaction (Write)

Creates a single transaction. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/create-transaction.md

### `you_need_a_budget-get-account` — Get Account (Read-only)

Get an account specified by ID. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/get-account.md

### `you_need_a_budget-list-accounts` — List Accounts (Read-only)

List all accounts for a specific budget. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/list-accounts.md

### `you_need_a_budget-list-budget-id-options` — List Budget ID Options (Read-only)

Retrieves available options for the Budget ID field.

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/list-budget-id-options.md

### `you_need_a_budget-update-category-budget` — Update Category Budget (Write)

Update a category budget for a specific month. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/update-category-budget.md

### `you_need_a_budget-update-transaction` — Update Transaction (Write)

Update an existing transaction. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/actions/update-transaction.md

## Triggers (6)

### `you_need_a_budget-category-overspent` — Category Overspent (Polling)

Emit new event when a category budget is overspent

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/category-overspent.md

### `you_need_a_budget-low-account-balance` — Low Account Balance (Polling)

Emit new event when an account balance drops below a certain amount

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/low-account-balance.md

### `you_need_a_budget-low-category-balance` — Low Category Balance (Polling)

Emit new event when a category balance drops below a certain amount

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/low-category-balance.md

### `you_need_a_budget-new-or-updated-transaction` — New or Updated Transaction (Polling)

Emit new event for every new or updated transaction. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/new-or-updated-transaction.md

### `you_need_a_budget-new-spending-in-account` — New Spending In Account (Polling)

Emit new event for every spending in an account. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/new-spending-in-account.md

### `you_need_a_budget-new-spending-in-category` — New Spending In Category (Polling)

Emit new event for every spending in a category. See the docs

Full schema: https://pipedream.com/apps/you-need-a-budget/triggers/new-spending-in-category.md

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