yapcli 0.1.1

Yet another Plaid CLI.

Yet Another Plaid CLI

A CLI for exporting Plaid API requests to plain text for importing into accounting/budgeting software (e.g, GnuCash)

Features

• Exports the following Plaid API requests to plain text
  • Plaid transactions
    • yapcli balances
    • yapcli transactions
  • Plaid investments
    • yapcli holdings
    • yapcli investment_transactions
• Supports financial institutions that require OAuth authentication with Plaid

Prerequisites

Plaid developer credentials

[ ] TODO explain how to get Plaid developer credentials

Dependencies

• Python 3.12: Minimum necessary version of Python to run yapcli
• pipx: Streamlines installation and commandline use

Quick start

Install from PyPI

pipx install yapcli
yapcli --help

Usage

Configure Plaid credentials

Use the config commands to create and manage your yapcli .env file:

# Show loaded .env paths and default directories
yapcli config paths

# Interactive setup (prompts for core values)
yapcli config init

# Set/update a single key
yapcli config set PLAID_CLIENT_ID your_client_id
yapcli config set PLAID_ENV sandbox

yapcli loads this default .env file on package import.

Configuration precedence (highest to lowest)

1. Command-line arguments/options
2. Environment variables already set in your shell/session
3. Values defined in the .env file in your CWD
4. Values defined in the .env file in your config directory

Examples:

• yapcli --production ... overrides PLAID_ENV from both shell env and .env
• Exporting PLAID_ENV=sandbox in your shell overrides PLAID_ENV in .env
• .env values are used as defaults when neither CLI options nor shell env provide a value

Link a Plaid account

To link your financial institution and obtain credentials:

yapcli link

This will:

1. Start a local Flask backend server
2. Serve the bundled Plaid Link frontend
3. Open your browser to complete the Plaid Link flow
4. Save credentials to the default secrets directory (see Default paths below)

Export transactions

yapcli transactions --help

Check balances

yapcli balances --help

Default paths

yapcli resolves default directories using platform directories (unless you override them with command options or environment variables):

• YAPCLI_DEFAULT_DIRS controls the default location for config, secrets, and logs:
  • CWD: use the current working directory (e.g. ./secrets, ./logs, ./.env)
  • PLATFORMDIRS: use platform-native locations via platformdirs (e.g. ~/.config/yapcli on Linux)
• PLAID_ENV=sandbox adds a sandbox/ subdirectory for secrets/logs/exports.
• Export output defaults to the current working directory:
  • ./output (production)
  • ./sandbox/output (sandbox)

Overrides

• Pass --out-dir on export commands to explicitly choose output location
• Set PLAID_SECRETS_DIR to override secrets location globally
• Set YAPCLI_LOG_DIR to override log directory globally
• Set YAPCLI_OUTPUT_DIR to override the default output directory globally

Development environment

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development workflow.

Project scripts

The CLI entry point is defined in pyproject.toml under [project.scripts] as yapcli = "yapcli.cli.main:main". When installed via pipx or pip, the yapcli command becomes available in your PATH.

Related works

• ebridges/plaid2qif No longer supported as of Feb. 2023. bhipple fork also seems to have ceased development.
• dthigpen/plaid-cli-python Last updated Feb. 2024. No community development engagement. Uses plaid-python v17.0.0 (currently at 38.1.0)
• madhat2r/plaid2text
• build-your-own-mint
• plaid-sync Has an html page to launch the link, but likely outdated.
• plaid-cli Writen in GO. Last updated 5 years ago

Differences

• Last updated / activitely updated / archived or depreciated
• Works with institutions that require OAuth authentication
• Works with institutions that require MFA authmentication
• Installs in single command (doesn't require repo download or environment management)