QuickBooks HelpQuickBooksHelpIntuit

Common questions about importing data to QuickBooks Online

by Intuit•57• Updated 2 weeks ago

Here are the answers to some commonly asked questions about importing data to QuickBooks.

Tip: You can use the Subtitles feature to watch this video in your local language. To do this, turn on subtitles by selecting the video Settings ⚙, then Subtitles/CC, and English (auto-generated). Repeat this process and select Autotranslate to update the subtitles to a language of your choice. 

What information can I import to QuickBooks Online?

You can import the following information to QuickBooks Online:

  • Bank Transactions
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Chart of Accounts
  • Products and Services
  • Invoices
  • Bills
  • Journal Entries

Do I need to import my data in a specific order?

Yes. To make sure your data imports correctly, import each spreadsheet in this order:

  • Chart of Accounts
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Employee
  • Class
  • Locations
  • Products and services
  1. Customers
  2. Suppliers
  3. Products and services
  4. Invoices
  5. Bills

If you need complete steps, click on the links above to learn how to import your customers, suppliers, products, and services, invoices, and bills.

You can use a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file, Google Sheets, or an XLS/XLSX file to import information to QuickBooks Online. 

Here are some details about the different formats:

  • CSV file: A common file format used for text files that contain tabular data. In CSV files, each field of text is separated by a comma, semicolon, or other special character.
  • XLS/XLSX file: XLS is the file format of Microsoft Excel 1997-2003. Microsoft Excel 2007 and newer use the XLSX file format.
  • Google Sheets: A cloud-based spreadsheet created in Google Drive.

You can import content from multiple sources. For example, if you have a list of contacts in Excel (XLS/XLSX), and some in Outlook (CSV), you can just follow the import process for each source.

You can now import Journal Entries using Excel CSV files. Just go to create a new Journal Entry and select Import.

Before you import your journal entries, make sure that your file includes the following information:

  • Journal No
  • Journal Date
  • Journal Code
  • Account Name
  • Journal
  • Debits
  • Credits
  • Select date format

If your spreadsheet has new accounts, be sure to add them in your chart of accounts before importing.

QuickBooks Online uses the first row of your spreadsheet for mapping and doesn't import its content. If you need the information from the first row of your file, add a header row to your spreadsheet, or duplicate the first line before importing the file.

You can't import a contact that already exists in QuickBooks Online. Check your current contact list and rename the duplicate name(s) before importing your file.

You can only import spreadsheets with less than 1,000 rows. We suggest splitting your spreadsheet into smaller files and importing them separately.

QuickBooks Online can only import specific fields for each type of data. To learn more about which fields can be imported, download the sample files available in your QuickBooks product.

No, QuickBooks Online doesn't make any changes to your spreadsheet.

No, currently there's no option to undo or delete the imported contacts by batch.

  • If your version of QuickBooks Online supports multicurrency, your home currency is assigned to all customers and suppliers by default. If a change in customer or supplier currency is necessary, select the Currency column and choose the currency you want to associate with the contact on the Review screen while importing your list.

If you have imported your products and services incorrectly, don’t worry — you can overwrite all values for each product or service that you import with the identical name. Just import the same file again and select Overwrite all values at the bottom of the page.

Note: After you select Import, your overwrite can't be undone.

There are a few tasks you should perform to ensure your legacy file is in as clean a state as possible, prior to converting it to QuickBooks Online.

Note: If you are converting your file from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, it's best to complete these steps in QuickBooks Desktop before you start the conversion process.

  • Quotes: Close or finalise.
  • Purchase orders: Close or finalise.
  • Unbilled Activity: Delete or finalise.
  • Delete any accounts that were never used in the Chart of Accounts. They may be set to inactive status now, but they should also be deleted.
  • Run a Payroll Report for dates of current compliance (month to date) if converting mid reporting period.
  • Print off full employee info details and current leave balances.
  • Print off year-to-date (YTD) balances for Gross Wages, PAYG W, and Superannuation by Employee.
  • Archive reports run on Accruals Basis, all Dates:
    • Trial Balance
    • Balance Sheet
    • Profit & Loss Report
    • Accounts Receivable Ageing (& Detail)
    • Accounts Payable Ageing (& Detail)
    • General Ledger (Optional but recommended)

It's not possible for you to merge multiple QuickBooks Online companies into one. However, you can consider using Qvinci Consolidations, which is our authorised 3rd party app. Qvinci can sync data from QuickBooks files in many locations, allowing you to consolidate and compare companies easily.

Next steps