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Frequently Asked Questions about Spreadsheet Sync in QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant

by Intuit13 Updated about 8 hours ago

Frequently asked questions

Learn answers to common questions about Spreadsheet Sync, a tool that connects your QuickBooks data with Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. Easily import and export data for streamlined financial reporting and in-depth analysis.

This article answers some common questions about Spreadsheet Sync in QuickBooks Online Advanced or QuickBooks Online Accountant.

Note: This article is for customers who use QuickBooks Online Advanced or QuickBooks Online Accountant. If you're interested in using this feature, upgrade today.

Our dedicated Spreadsheet Sync team is available Mon–Fri, 6a-6p PT. You can reach them by signing into Spreadsheet Sync and selecting Help, then Contact Us

For any other questions related to your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant account, reach out to the 'QuickBooks Support team' by signing into QuickBooks Online and selecting Help, then Contact Us.

Spreadsheet Sync lets you sync Excel to your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant account. Here are some of the benefits:

Spreadsheet Sync allows you to sync Excel with your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant company, offering:

  • Pull data into an Excel spreadsheet, edit it, and then post it back to QuickBooks Online Advanced.
  • Create new data to post to QuickBooks Online Advanced using Spreadsheet Sync records and transaction templates.
  • Create custom reports or pivot tables and refresh them with up-to-date QuickBooks Online data.
  • Data flexibility: Pull data into Excel, edit it, and post it back to QuickBooks.
  • Custom templates: Create new data entries using records and transaction templates.
  • Enhanced reporting: Build custom reports or pivot tables and refresh them with real-time QuickBooks data.

For more details, see Get started with Spreadsheet Sync for QuickBooks Online Advanced and Accountant.

Spreadsheet Sync is available only for QuickBooks Online Advanced and Accountant customers. If you’re using Simple Start, Essentials, or Plus, follow the steps to upgrade your subscription to QuickBooks Online Advanced.

  1. Log in as an admin in your QuickBooks Online Advanced account. (Learn more about changing admin users).
  2. Follow the instructions on how to install and open Spreadsheet Sync.

Important notes:

  • Spreadsheet Sync is compatible with Office 365 Excel and Google Sheets (not older Excel versions).
  • If your computer's default browser is Internet Explorer 11, install this file to upgrade your browser to Microsoft Edge.

Spreadsheet Sync is included in the cost of your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant subscription. If you need access, follow the steps to upgrade your QuickBooks Online subscription.

Spreadsheet Sync’s posting function allows you to edit multiple transactions at once and post the changes back to QuickBooks.

  1. Select Spreadsheet Sync from the toolbar and sign in to Spreadsheet Sync.
  2. Select Create or edit records.
  3. Select the company data from the Select company ▼ dropdown.
  4. Select the Invoices and Bills template.
  5. To download and sync data, select Edit QuickBooks records and sync back, then filter the data you need.
  6. (Optional) Use Select custom field columns to edit transactions and fields.
  7. Select transaction type.
  8. Select Get template to view and update the data.
  9. In the Post? column, select Yes for the transactions to import.
  10. Select Sync to QuickBooks in the task panel, then select Sync to confirm.
  11. Use View sync details to check successful imports and address any errors.

For detailed instructions, see Import data using Spreadsheet Sync in QuickBooks Online Advanced.

  1. Open the Spreadsheet Sync task panel and select Run report.
  2. From the Select company ▼ dropdown, select your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant company.
  3. Select a report from the Select report ▼ menu.
  4. Apply filters as needed.
  5. Set the date range for weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly data.
  6. Select Run report to generate your P&L report in Excel.

Learn more about creating and editing reports in Spreadsheet Sync.

  1. Open your excel file and log into Spreadsheet Sync.
  2. Select Quick refresh to pull the latest data from QuickBooks based on existing filters.
  3. Use Edit filters to update the data using new criteria.
  4. Enable Automatic refresh for updates every time you open the workbook or sign in.

For more information, see Get started with Spreadsheet Sync for QuickBooks Online Advanced and Accountant.

What's next?

After making the necessary corrections and updates, review your financial reports to ensure all changes are accurately reflected. Learn more about how to create and edit reports in Spreadsheet Sync.

At this time, Spreadsheet Sync is only available to QuickBooks Online Advanced or QuickBooks Online Accountant customers. If you’re using Simple Start, Essentials or Plus and you’d like to change plans to QuickBooks Online Advanced, you can do so by following the steps to Upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online edition.

First of all, make sure you’re logged in as an admin in your QuickBooks Online Advanced account. (See Change the primary admin user in QuickBooks Online for more information). Then follow the instructions in How to install and open Spreadsheet Sync.

  • Spreadsheet Sync works with the Office 365 edition of Excel and Google Sheets. It won't work with older Excel versions. 
  • If your computer's default browser is Internet Explorer 11, install this file to upgrade your browser to Microsoft Edge.

Spreadsheet Sync is included in the cost of QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant subscription. If you don’t currently have QuickBooks Online Advanced, you can upgrade your subscription by following the steps to Upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online edition.

Spreadsheet Sync’s posting function lets you edit company transactions in bulk and post the information back to QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant. Here’s how: 

  1. Select Create or edit records in the toolbar.
  2. Under Records to create or edit, select the Invoices and Bills template.
  3. Under Select company ▼ dropdown, select the company data you want to add or edit.
  4. In the Select a record type ▼ dropdown, select the Invoices and Bills template.
  5. To download data from your QuickBooks Online Advance account, select Edit QuickBooks record and Sync back. Then, filter the company data you want to pull into the spreadsheet.
  6. (Optional) To create and edit transactions and their custom fields, select Select custom field columns. This will also allow you to add the transaction to the template.
  7. Once you’ve added all the info, select Get template to view the template and add or edit the data.
  8. In the Post? column, select Yes in the transactions that you want to import.
  9. Select Sync to QuickBooks in the task panel. Then, select Sync to confirm.
  10. Select View Sync details to see the number of line items that were successfully imported as well as any errors.

Learn more about posting data to QuickBooks Online Advanced.

With Spreadsheet Sync, you can generate both high-level reports and routine transaction reports. 

Advanced templates include P&L reports, trial balance, and balance sheet. Examples of other financial reports include Statement of Cash Flows, A/P Aging Summary, Sales reports, and more.

To run a report:

  1. Select Run report in the Spreadsheet Sync task panel.
  2. Select your QuickBooks Online Advanced or Accountant company from the Select company ▼ dropdown.
  3. Select Select report ▼ to choose the report or template you want to use.
  4. Select the filters you want to apply on the report.
    • Under Date Range, select whether to see weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly data and the start and end dates of your data period. (For multiple period reports, choose filters for total time period and comparative time periods.)
  5. Select Run report to generate the report on the spreadsheet.

See How to create and edit reports in Spreadsheet Sync to learn more.

You can sync data between Spreadsheet Sync and QuickBooks at any time by selecting Quick refresh.

Choose how you want to refresh an open spreadsheet:

  • Quick refresh refreshes the open spreadsheet according to previously set data filters.
  • Edit filters option updates the open spreadsheet using the filters you choose.
  • Automatic refresh updates a workbook or individual sheet every time you open the workbook or sign in to Spreadsheet Sync.

Update your existing Spreadsheet Sync report by:

  1. Open the Excel file.
  2. Open and sign in to Spreadsheet Sync.
  3. You will see the details about the report, including when it was last updated. Select Quick refresh to get to the latest data in QuickBooks.
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