QuickBooksHelpIntuit

Which contact fields are imported from Excel in QuickBooks Online?

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•18•Updated January 25, 2024

Before conducting an import from Excel, it is important to know which contact fields will be imported and any restrictions, which fields are optional, and best practices before you get started.

Best practices

There are several things to think about when importing from Excel:

Confirm your files contain data.
To import multiple pages, save each page as a separate file.
Make sure the information you want to import appears on the first page of your workbook.
Make sure your spreadsheet has a header row. QuickBooks Online uses the first line for mapping purposes and does not import it.

Tip: When you export your lists from QuickBooks Desktop, clear any options that would add extra pages to your Excel workbook.

Import field: Full Name

The first, middle, and last name must appear in a single column or field before importing.

Restrictions:

At least one of the name fields in the originating file must contain a name.
A name cannot exceed 100 characters.
A name cannot include a tab, newline, colon (:), or quotation mark (").
Names must be unique between your contact lists - Employee, Customer, and Supplier.

Import field: Company

Restrictions: Limit of 50 characters.

Import field: Email

Restrictions:

Cannot contain spaces, and must contain an at sign (@) and a period.
Example: your_name@business.com.
Limit of 100 characters.

Import fields: Phone, Mobile, and Fax

Restrictions:

Phone: No formatting restrictions; limit of 21 characters.
Mobile: No formatting restrictions; limit of 21 characters.
Fax: No formatting restrictions; limit of 21 characters.

Import field: Website

Restrictions:

Must be in a valid URL format.
Example: https://www.website.com.
Limit of 1000 characters.

Import fields: Street and City

Restrictions:

Street: Limit of 2000 characters.
City: Limit of 255 characters.

Import field: State/Territory/Province/Region

Restrictions
State/Province/Region: Limit of 255 characters.
Province/Territory: Limit of 255 characters.

Import field: Postal Code or Postal Code

Restrictions: Limit of 30 characters.

Import field: Country

If left blank, defaults to your home country.

Restrictions: Limit of 255 characters.

Opening Balance

(Optional) Balance of the account as of the Opening Balance Date, in the account's currency.

Restrictions: None.

Import field: Opening Balance Date

The date the opening balance should be valid.

Restrictions: None.

Import field: Account Number

The account number of the customer or supplier account. This allows you to group customers or suppliers into a single account or assign a unique account for each customer or supplier.

Restrictions: The account number must follow these rules: It must start with 411 for customers, and 401 for suppliers. It must be between 6 - 15 digits. It can contain both numbers and letters. If the account number is not present, a customer is automatically assigned to account 411001, and a supplier is automatically assigned to account 401001.

Import field: Business Number, Tax Number for Customers or Suppliers

Restrictions: The business number or tax number for customers or suppliers, i.e. the
Business Number (BN) and GST/HST/QST Number.

Import field: Report Basis for supplier

Restrictions: Choose the report basis for this supplier (cash or accrual). If left blank, this field defaults to cash.

Import field: Resale Number (Customers) or Tax ID (Suppliers)

Restrictions: The Resale Number (for customers) has a limit of 16 characters. The Tax ID (for suppliers) has a limit of 20 characters.

Was this helpful?

You must to vote, reply, or post

Sign in for the best experience

Ask questions, get answers, and join our large community of QuickBooks users.