---
title: "Using the Create Budget Option on the Plan Budget Page"
slug: "using-the-create-budget-option-on-the-plan-budget-page"
updated: 2025-11-21T09:46:51Z
published: 2025-11-21T09:46:51Z
canonical: "help.planful.com/using-the-create-budget-option-on-the-plan-budget-page"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.planful.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using the Create Budget Option on the Plan Budget Page

The **Create Budget** feature enables Admin users to set up a new budget with ownership, allocation, and key parameters.

To create a Budget, do the following:

1. Click **Create Budget** at the top left of the **Budget Page**. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/pfm-august-rn---int-image-q9jbmixf.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-26T15%3A53%3A06Z&se=2026-10-26T16%3A53%3A06Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=XQN03iRgpxaBYGQt3Fe7Hkjq2jstaI4ZJzrGaQ6L5Eg%3D)
2. In the **Create Budget** window, enter or configure:
  - **Budget Name** *(Required)* – Enter a descriptive name for the budget.
  - **Owner** *(Required)* – Select an Admin user to be responsible for managing this budget.
  - **Budget Amount (USD)** – Specify the total allocated funds.
  - **Timeframe Type** *(Required)* – Select **Monthly** or **Quarterly**. **Note:** This field **cannot be edited** once the budget is created.
  - **Fiscal Year Start Date** *(Required)* – Define when the fiscal year begins.
  - **Forecast Column** *(Optional)* – Toggle to display forecasted spend in budget views. To learn more about Forecast, click [here](https://help.planful.com/planful-for-marketing/docs/forecast-for-budget-planning).
  - **Smart Cell** *(Conditional)* – This option appears only when the **Forecast Column** is enabled. Select the anchor point for your budget calculations: **Total Budget** (default) or **Forecast**.
    - When **Forecast** is selected, it becomes the active planning anchor that drives all available budget calculations and variance reporting. To learn more about smartcell for forecast, click [here](/planful-for-marketing/docs/smart-cells-for-forecast). The *Total Budget* option remains available as a stable baseline for analysis and comparison.

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> This selection cannot be changed after the budget is created.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/PFM1(1).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-26T15%3A53%3A06Z&se=2026-10-26T16%3A53%3A06Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=XQN03iRgpxaBYGQt3Fe7Hkjq2jstaI4ZJzrGaQ6L5Eg%3D)
  - **Custom Available Budget Calculation** – Determine how the available budget is calculated across campaigns, expense groups, and detail views. To learn more about Custom Available Budget, click [here](https://help.planful.com/planful-for-marketing/docs/custom-available-budget).
3. Review all details and click **Save & Close**.

> [!NOTE]
> Note:
> 
> Changing the **Available Budget Calculation** affects values shown in other parts of the system. Review impacted areas before saving.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/pfm-august-rn---int-image-2kwrcqjn.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-26T15%3A53%3A06Z&se=2026-10-26T16%3A53%3A06Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=XQN03iRgpxaBYGQt3Fe7Hkjq2jstaI4ZJzrGaQ6L5Eg%3D)

#