Kantivo Core AI Features Guide
Kantivo Core AI includes 7 built-in features that automate tedious work, surface insights, and keep your books accurate. This guide covers how to use each one.
Overview
Kantivo Core AI is embedded across the entire application -- from the moment you set up your company to the board-ready report you export. All 7 AI features are included in every plan at no extra cost.
| Feature | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Auto-Categorization | Automatically categorizes imported bank transactions into the correct accounts |
| Natural Language Q&A | Ask financial questions in plain English and get instant answers |
| Dashboard Insights | AI-generated insight cards on your dashboard with trends and recommendations |
| AI Setup Wizard | AI builds your chart of accounts based on your industry |
| Bank Import Matching | 8-pass AI pipeline matches imported transactions with 95%+ accuracy |
| Receipt Scanner & OCR | Photograph receipts/invoices and AI extracts the data |
| Report Narratives | AI writes executive summaries of financial reports for stakeholders |
AI Auto-Categorization SHIPPING
When you import bank transactions (via Teller bank sync, CSV, QFX, QBO, or PDF), the AI automatically categorizes each transaction into the correct ledger account.
How to use it
- Import bank transactions using any supported method (Teller sync, CSV upload, QFX/QBO import, or PDF scan)
- The AI analyzes each transaction's vendor name, amount, description, and your categorization history
- Transactions are auto-categorized with confidence scores
- High-confidence items are categorized automatically; low-confidence items are flagged for your review
- Correct any mismatches -- the AI learns from your corrections for next time
How learning works
Each company has its own categorization model. When you correct a categorization, the AI records the pattern and applies it to future imports. For example, if you recategorize "SYSCO" from Office Supplies to Cost of Goods Sold, all future Sysco transactions will be categorized correctly.
Natural Language Q&A SHIPPING
Ask questions about your finances in plain English and get instant, data-backed answers. No report builders, no filters, no exporting to spreadsheets.
How to use it
- Open the AI Assistant by clicking the AI button or pressing Ctrl+Space
- Type a question in plain English
- The AI queries your live financial data and returns the answer
Example questions
AI Dashboard Insights SHIPPING
Your dashboard shows AI-generated insight cards that highlight trends, anomalies, and actionable recommendations based on your financial data.
What you will see
- Trend cards: Revenue growth, expense patterns, margin changes over time
- Anomaly alerts: Unusual spending spikes, unexpected payment patterns, revenue drops
- Recommendations: Specific actions like "Follow up on 12 invoices past 30 days" or "Payroll increased 8% -- review for accuracy"
- Comparisons: Current period vs. prior period metrics with percentage changes
AI-Enhanced Setup Wizard SHIPPING
When you create a new company, the AI helps you set up your chart of accounts based on your industry and business type.
How to use it
- Create a new company in BizBooks Pro
- When prompted, describe your industry and business type (e.g., "restaurant," "law firm," "e-commerce")
- The AI generates a tailored chart of accounts with proper categories, sub-accounts, and numbering
- Review the suggested structure and make any adjustments
- Confirm to finalize your chart of accounts
Can I change it later?
Yes. The AI-generated chart of accounts is fully customizable. You can add, rename, or remove any account at any time after setup.
Smarter Bank Import Matching SHIPPING
The 8-pass AI matching pipeline automatically matches imported bank transactions to existing records in your books with 95%+ accuracy.
The 8 matching passes
- Exact match: Amount, date, and reference match perfectly
- Reference match: Invoice numbers, check numbers, or payment references match
- Amount + date proximity: Same amount within a close date range
- Vendor + amount: Known vendor with matching amount
- Fuzzy vendor recognition: AI identifies vendors despite abbreviations (e.g., "AMZN MKTP US" = Amazon)
- Composite deposit detection: Splits bundled bank deposits into individual payments
- Pattern recognition: Identifies recurring transaction patterns
- ML confidence scoring: AI suggests best match with a confidence score for remaining items
Fuzzy vendor recognition examples
| Bank shows | AI matches to |
|---|---|
| AMZN MKTP US | Amazon |
| PYPL *JOHNSMITH | PayPal - John Smith |
| SQ *COFFEE SHOP | Square - Coffee Shop |
| INTUIT *QB ONLINE | QuickBooks (Intuit) |
Receipt Scanner & Invoice OCR SHIPPING
Photograph a paper receipt or upload a vendor invoice, and the AI extracts all relevant data to create a transaction entry.
How to use it
- Click the Scan Receipt button in the transaction area, or use the AI Assistant
- Take a photo with your device camera, or upload a PDF/image file
- The AI reads the document using OCR and extracts: vendor name, date, line items, amounts, tax, and total
- A pre-filled transaction is created for your review
- Verify the extracted data, make any corrections, and post the transaction
- The original document is automatically attached to the transaction
Supported formats
- Photos: JPEG, PNG (including phone camera photos)
- Documents: PDF files (single or multi-page)
- Quality: Works with angled photos, crumpled receipts, and various print qualities
AI Report Narratives & Board-Ready PDFs SHIPPING
Generate plain-English executive summaries of your financial reports and export them as professional PDFs suitable for board meetings, investors, or lenders.
How to generate a narrative
- Open any financial report (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, etc.)
- Click Generate AI Narrative
- The AI analyzes your data and writes an executive summary explaining key changes, trends, and noteworthy items
- Review the narrative and optionally edit it
- Click Export PDF to generate a board-ready document
What the PDF includes
- Your company logo and report header
- Key metrics summary at the top
- Full data tables with the financial report
- AI-written narrative explaining the numbers
- Period-over-period comparisons where applicable
AI Chat Assistant
The AI Chat Assistant is the conversational interface that ties all AI features together. Use it to create transactions, ask questions, or request actions using natural language.
Opening the AI Chat
- Click the AI Assistant button in the bottom-right corner of any screen
- Or press Ctrl+Space (Windows) anywhere in the app
- The chat panel will slide open
Supported actions
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Create Invoice | Opens invoice form pre-filled with customer, amount, and description |
| Create Bill | Opens bill form pre-filled with vendor, amount, and expense category |
| Write Check | Opens check form with payee, amount, and expense category |
| Record Payment | Opens customer payment form to record money received |
| Quick Expense | Records an expense transaction quickly |
| Ask Questions | Query your financial data in plain English |
| Scan Receipt | Trigger receipt scanning from the chat |
Example prompts
Tips for Best Results
Be specific with questions
Include key details in your requests:
- Customer/Vendor name: Use the full name the AI can match to your records
- Amount: Include the dollar amount
- Time period: Specify "this month," "last quarter," "January," etc.
- Description: Brief description of what it is for
Less Ideal: "Create an invoice" (AI will need to ask for details)
Let auto-categorization learn
When the AI miscategorizes a transaction, correct it promptly. The correction is recorded and applied to future imports. After a few import cycles, you should see significantly fewer items needing correction.
Review before posting
All AI-generated entries (from receipt scanning, chat commands, or auto-categorization) are staged for your review. Always check the details before posting. You stay in control.
Use dashboard insights daily
Check your dashboard insights each time you log in. The AI identifies issues early -- overdue invoices, spending anomalies, cash flow concerns -- so you can address them before they grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Kantivo Core AI features included in all plans?
Yes. All 7 Kantivo Core AI features are included in every plan at no extra cost.
Can the AI make mistakes?
The AI prepares entries and suggestions for your review -- nothing is posted without your confirmation. Auto-categorization uses confidence scores to flag uncertain items. Always review before posting.
How does the AI know my customers and vendors?
The AI has access to your customer list, vendor list, and chart of accounts. It matches names intelligently -- "Smith" can find "John Smith at Smith & Associates" if that is your only Smith customer.
Is my financial data used to train AI models?
No. Your financial data is processed securely within the BizBooks Pro application and is never used to train external AI models.
Can I disable AI features?
Yes. Go to Settings and you can toggle individual AI features on or off. For example, you can disable auto-categorization while keeping the Q&A and receipt scanner active.
What if auto-categorization keeps getting a vendor wrong?
Correct it each time and the AI will learn. After 2-3 corrections for the same vendor, the AI should consistently categorize it correctly. If issues persist, check that you do not have duplicate vendor records.
Does receipt scanning work with handwritten receipts?
The OCR works best with printed text. Handwritten receipts may produce less accurate results. For handwritten items, verify all extracted fields carefully before posting.
How do I get help?
Join the Kantivo Discord community for real-time support, or visit the Kantivo Core AI features page for more information about how each AI system works.