banktrail
Format support and boundaries

Bank statement file formats

banktrail reads common statement exports by inspecting their contents. A readable file format is the first step; the statement still needs a layout the reader can interpret and rows that pass the integrity checks.

Formats the reader handles

Excel workbooks

.xlsx workbooks and genuine legacy .xls files are read as worksheets.

CSV

Comma-separated statement exports are read as delimited text; row and balance checks still apply.

HTML tables

HTML tables are read directly, including exports some banks label with an .xls extension.

Text exports

Plain-text statements can be interpreted when their rows and columns provide the fields needed for the account.

PDF with a text layer

Text and position are inspected across the PDF. Image-only pages are not treated as readable statement text.

What the format does not prove

A file extension is not a bank-coverage guarantee

  • Files are identified from their contents because a bank may deliver the same statement layout in different formats, or give an HTML export an .xls name.
  • Bank-specific column names, date order, and balance conventions may need a tested adapter or layout configuration. A format being readable does not mean every bank export is already covered.
  • Scanned or image-only PDFs need a separate OCR review. The native text reader refuses a scan rather than silently importing an empty statement.
  • Encrypted, malformed, incomplete, or unfamiliar files can require a password, re-export, or layout review. Unread rows and balance exceptions remain visible instead of being treated as successful imports.
Before relying on an import

Confirm the statement account and period, review unread rows, check statement arithmetic, and compare consecutive balances. See the statement coverage guide and the synthetic worked examples.