Import data into QuickBooks for Mac

Learn how to import customers, vendors, employees, and items into QuickBooks for Mac.

If you have spreadsheets of info on your customers, vendors, employees, and items, you can import them into QuickBooks so you don’t need to enter them again. Here’s how.

Note: If you use Contacts, you can sync your contacts with QuickBooks so updates are available in QuickBooks, Contacts, and other devices you sync with Contacts.

Import your items

If you have info on your inventory, service, or non-inventory part items, you can import them into QuickBooks.

Step 1: Prep your data

To make the import process easier for you, prep your spreadsheet and company file first.

Step 2: Import your items into QuickBooks

To see the items you just imported, go to Lists, then select Items.

If there’s an error message

If there’s a message in the Import status window that says “You have errors in some of your items”, here’s how to fix them:

Import your contacts

If you have contact info of your customers, vendors, employees from an outside source like Gmail or LinkedIn, you can import them into QuickBooks. You need a spreadsheet of the contacts.

If you can’t select a cell in the Role column

If you opened the Add Contacts window and you can’t select a cell in the Role column, select cnt…, then Add Line.

If you have an error “I have errors in some of my items?”

If the error message “I have errors in some of my items?” appears in the Import status window, here’s how to fix it:

Import your transactions

Here’s how to create a QuickBooks spreadsheet template, import transactions, and clean up any missed entries.

Here are the types of transactions you can import to QuickBooks:

*If you want to import sales receipts but don’t want to deposit the money to your bank yet, we recommend you create a clearing account to deposit it to first.

The account must be a bank type. When you’re ready, you can transfer the money from this account to another bank account.

Step 1: Prepare your transactions in a spreadsheet file

It’s easier to import transactions when the item fields on your spreadsheet matches with QuickBooks. Here’s how to get a QuickBooks template for your transactions.

Note: If you have an existing spreadsheet of your transactions, you can rearrange the items on it to match the template on QuickBooks. Once done, proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Import transactions

When you’re ready, here’s how to import your transactions.

Step 3: Fix any missed entries

QuickBooks leaves a row blank if it can’t add the transaction. Here’s how to fix it.

Repeat the steps for the other missed transactions.