Beanscrape
Beanscrape is a local, privacy-focused CLI tool that scrapes records from financial institution websites using browser automation.
Features
- Fully local. Runs on your machine. No credentials or data leave your computer (except to your bank’s website).
- Free and Open Source (FOSS). You may view, modify, and redistribute the source code.
- Scriptable. Bank scripts are C# scripts.
- Extensible. Create scripts for any bank using the interactive
teachcommand and an LLM.
How it works
- Beanscrape opens a real browser (Chromium via Playwright).
- You log in to your bank. If you saved your credentials, it logs in for you.
- Navigates to the transaction page.
- Extracts transactions.
- Outputs JSON or CSV.
You then import the output into Surebeans (or any budgeting tool).
Legal basis
You agree to follow your bank’s terms of service. Most banks have a “use at your own risk” policy toward finance automation tools, but some deploy technical or contractual mechanisms to block them.
In general, accessing your own financial data via automated tools is supported by:
- CFPB Section 1033 (Dodd-Frank Act): consumers have the right to access their financial data.
- GDPR Article 20: right to data portability.
- Van Buren v. United States (2021): accessing data you’re authorized to view is not a CFAA violation.
Sections
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| Install | Download and install Beanscrape |
| Run | Scrape transactions |
| Credentials | Store bank login credentials securely |
| Scripts | Bank scripts overview |
| Teach | Interactive session to capture bank website details |
| Script Creation | Generate new scripts using an LLM |
| Troubleshooting | Common issues and fixes |