Retaining the line breaks when importing item description from CSV or Excel?

Hi @Tom_At_NCS,

To import a CSV file into QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), you'll need to download and install the QuickBooks Import Excel and CSV toolkit. 

This includes a CSV Examples Folder which you can use as a reference. If you need further assistance, it includes the Import from Excel and CSV Manual. It's a PDF file with instructions, as well as best practices for this process. 

Check out this article for more details: Import/export CSV files. 

You can also view this article: Export, import, and edit IIF files. It includes a table with a list of all the things you can import from QBDT. 

Let me know if you have other questions with imports and exports in QBDT. I'll be around to help you out. 

Good morning, Ryan, thanks for getting back to me!

I have read that guide as well as the IIF one before posting, but neither guide seems to cover a line break (either in an XLS file or CSV).  None of the examples in the CSV/XLS file have a line break in any of the fields that I can copy, either.

Any other ideas or example files around?

Thanks!

Good morning, Ryan, thanks for getting back to me!

I have read that guide as well as the IIF one before posting, but neither guide seems to cover a line break (either in an XLS file or CSV).  None of the examples in the CSV/XLS file have a line break in any of the fields that I can copy, either.

Any other ideas or example files around?

Thanks!

Yes, you can do this with an IIF file, where "\n" will create a new line for multi line text/description fields.

Importing IIF files in QB 2020 is the same as prior versions. Start at File | Utilities | Import | IIF files...

Ah, thanks for the direction, BRC!     

Do you know happen to know if there's a guide that shows the formatting required for item import in QB2020/2021?  I'm looking through the IIF guide that Ryan linked to above, but it's the same one I found previously.  The latest example is for QB2007, and the header documentation was created in (year) 2006.   I cannot find mention of "items" anywhere in the documentation, which makes me think that perhaps they didn't exist in QB 15 years ago?  

Ryan never replied to me, and I can't believe that a guide from 15 years ago is still relevant :)

Thanks!

Ah, looks like you an export there as well, so I exported my item list to copy the format, and for anyone else trying to do this, the "!INVITEM.htm" IIF Header Help file is the "Inventory and Item" list.  I haven't started to verify whether that list is accurate to our inventory yet, but at least I've got 'em both to start going through :)

The \n stopped working with QB 2021.

I have a monthly invoice import that was using this for the past 20 years, through all the version upgrades. With QB 2021 the \n will be filtered out, and no longer result in a line break.

So the question is still open.

I've got you covered, Andy Schmidt.

To resolve this, let's run the Verify and Rebuild Data utility. The tool scan data issues within the company file and self-resolves them. I'll show you how.

Verify the data:

1. Go to the File menu and then select Utilities.
2. Select Verify Data.
   
3. Click OK to close all windows.

Rebuild the data:

1. From the File menu, select Utilities.
2. Choose Rebuild Data.
   
3. Click on OK to close all windows.
4. Once the rebuild's finished, select OK.

For more details about the process, please see this article: Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop.

Additionally, I encourage running and personalizing reports in QuickBooks. This helps you focus on the information that matters most to your business: Customize Customer, Job, and Sales Reports.

Please don't hesitate to get back on this thread if you need help importing your invoices in QuickBooks, Andy Schmidt. It's always my pleasure to help you out again.

Thank you for your boilerplate response - but this is not even remotely related to the topic at all.

Nobody had asked about running/personalizing reports, and verifying/rebuilding data has nothing to do with the fact that Intuit changed the program code with respect to importing IIF files. In the past, a   \n   would be correctly interpreted as a "new line". After QB 2019, your IIF import strips the   \n   control character in "Memo" fields, thus messing up imported data.

Fortunately other customers figured out that there is a tiny hyperlink on the bottom of the Import IIF panel, ironically labeled "not recommend" which actually should be recommended, because it bypasses the buggy, new program code:

You might wish to add this ACTUAL solution to your FAQ database for the next time someone asks.

Hey Andy!

So, did the hyperlink fix the issue for you? I discovered the same issue on the Purchase Description field in QB2021 with line breaks not working in the Purchase Description field but working fine in the Sales Description field, go figure! The repetitive boiler plate responses on here are very annoying!

Thanks!

Mike