Integrate QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop using Web Connector

Learn how to set up the QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop Integration using the Web Connector.

If you are in the US and use QuickBooks Desktop 2021 or later,  we recommend integrating using the direct method. 

Before you get started

Notes: 

• We integrate with any QuickBooks Desktop account except for QuickBooks Desktop for Mac.
• Only one QuickBooks company file can be linked with one QuickBooks Time account.

In QuickBooks Desktop:

1. Be on the computer you’ll be using to sync QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop. The sync can only be done in one location.
2. Open the company file you want to integrate with QuickBooks Time, and sign in as admin and in single-user mode.
3. Turn on time tracking:
   1. Select Edit, then Preferences, and select Time and Expenses.
   2. Select Company Preferences, then select Yes next to Do you track time.
   3. Select OK.
4. Turn on payroll preference:
   1. Select Edit, then Preferences, and select Payroll & Employees.
   2. Select Company Preferences, then select Full payroll, and OK. 
5. Make sure your week start date matches in QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Time.
   1. In QuickBooks Desktop, select Edit, then Preferences, and select Time and Expenses.
   2. Select Company Preferences, then select the correct start day for First Day of Work Week, then select OK. 
   3. In QuickBooks Time, select Company Settings, then Payroll & Overtime.
   4. Make sure the Week Start matches QuickBooks Desktop, then select Save.
6. Add all employees and vendors (including admins) into QuickBooks Desktop who'll need to have time exported to QuickBooks.
7. Set up employee payroll info:
   1. Select Employees, then Employee Center. 
   2. Select an employee, then Edit ✎, and select Payroll Info.
   3. Below the Earnings section, select the checkbox next to Use time data to create paychecks.
   4. Assign at least 1 payroll item to your employee.
   5. Repeat for each employee. 
8. Set up company employee default:
   1. Select Edit, then Preferences, and select Payroll & Employees.
   2. Select Company Preferences, then select Employee Defaults…
   3. Select Use time data to create paychecks, and then OK.  
9. Set up vendors correctly who need to track time:
   1. Select Vendors, then Vendor Center.
   2. Select a vendor, then Edit ✎, and make sure they First and Last name.   

These instructions assume you’re integrating QuickBooks Desktop with an existing QuickBooks Time account. If you don't have a QuickBooks Time account, sign up and get started.

Set up the integration

Notes:

• QuickBooks Time doesn’t change any info in your QuickBooks Desktop company file during the integration process. The only info that QuickBooks Time exports is approved time data. 
• Employee pay rates don’t import, only payroll items.

Step 1: Install add-on

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Time as an admin.
2. Select Feature Add-ons, then Manage Add-ons.
3. Select Install next to QuickBooks Desktop Integration.

Step 2: Select options

Note: All options that import from QuickBooks Desktop (employees and vendors, customers or jobs, payroll items, service items, billable items, and class) need to be managed in QuickBooks Desktop.  

1. In the QuickBooks Desktop Integration Preferences window, make selections for what information you want to bring over. These selections can be changed later:
   • Delete all team members: If you've already added employees into QuickBooks Time, they wouldn’t be linked with your QuickBooks account. You can choose to archive them upon the first sync.  
   • Share Customers and Jobs from QuickBooks: This imports all active customers and their jobs into your QuickBooks Time account. Employees can then track time against them. You can either assign them to all employees, or assign them individually later (uncheck Assign imported Customers and Jobs). If available, the customer's address will also sync into QuickBooks Time for location tracking.
   • Show Service Items: Brings your Service Item list over as a list employees can select from while tracking time.
   • Show Billable: Gives employees an option to indicate whether the time they're tracking is billable or not. When time exports to QuickBooks Desktop, the billable rate shows up in weekly timesheet if the timesheet is both associated with a service item rate and is marked as billable.
   • Show Class: Brings your Class list over as a list employees can select from while tracking time.
   • Import Vendors as team members: If you have Vendors or Contractors who need to track time, you can choose to import them.
     • Only Import 1099 Vendors: Limits the Vendor import to only those with Vendor eligible for 1099 checked in QuickBooks Desktop.
2. Your first sync removes any jobs or customers you set up in QuickBooks Time before the integration. This won’t delete any time in the QuickBooks Time account. If the warning window displays, read the warning. If you want to continue, select Next, then type delete.

Step 3: Set up Web Connector 

1. In the next window Step 2: Set Up Web Connector, select Advanced/Manual Setup.
2. Select the web_connector link, and open the downloaded file.
   Note: If you can’t launch the QuickBooks Time web connector file, open the Web Connector, select Add application, go to downloads, and select and open the web_connector_XXXX.qwc file.
3. In the security window, select OK.
4. In the next security window, select Yes, whenever this QuickBooks company file is open, then Continue.
5. In the Access Confirmation window, select Done.
6. In QuickBooks Time, locate the 4-digit password in Set Up Web Connector.
7. Enter the 4-digit password in the QuickBooks Web Connector, and press Enter on your keyboard. Save the password when prompted.
8. Check the box to next to the QuickBooks Time application, and select Update Selected.
9. After the sync completes, go back to QuickBooks Time. In the Congratulations! window, follow the steps listed there, like How to Map Payroll Items.

Now that the integration is set up, you can sync data any time you need to import data into QuickBooks Time, or export timesheets to QuickBooks Desktop.