Connect QuickBooks Online

Step-by-step guide to connecting QuickBooks Online, what happens right after you connect, how records are matched, and how to fix common sync problems.

Written by Ethan RiveraUpdated over a week ago15 min readIntermediate

What this guide covers

This guide walks you through connecting your QuickBooks Online company to JobsiteOn. You will learn how to authorize the connection, what happens right after you connect, how records are matched, and how to fix common sync problems. Once connected, your customers, invoices and payments stay in step without double entry.

Before you begin

You need Admin or Owner permissions in JobsiteOn to connect integrations.
You need an active QuickBooks Online subscription (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced).
You must be a QuickBooks Online admin or primary admin to authorize the connection.
Add the same email address to each customer in both systems if you can. Email is the most reliable way JobsiteOn matches records.

What syncs between JobsiteOn and QuickBooks

JobsiteOn entity	QuickBooks entity	Sync direction
Contacts	Customers	Bi-directional
Invoices	Invoices	JobsiteOn to QB
Pricebook items	Items	Bi-directional (see below)
Payments	Payments	Bi-directional

JobsiteOn sends a pricebook item to QuickBooks once, when it isn't in QuickBooks yet. Later edits to that item in JobsiteOn aren't sent. See Sync Pricebook with QuickBooks.

What does not sync

Properties: QuickBooks has no property records. Synced invoices carry the contact's billing address, not the property address.
Quotes: quotes stay in JobsiteOn. An invoice made from a quote syncs like any other invoice.
Jobs: job records stay in JobsiteOn. The invoices on a job are what appear in QuickBooks.
Team members: user accounts and roles are managed separately in each system.

Step 1: Find QuickBooks in the Marketplace

Go to /settings.
In the settings sidebar, click Marketplace under Integrations.
Under Browse apps, find QuickBooks Online and click View integration.

Team members who aren't owners or admins see Ask owner/admin instead of the button.

Step 2: Authorize the connection

Click Connect.
Your browser goes to the Intuit sign-in page. Sign in to QuickBooks Online if asked, and choose the company to connect.
Review the access JobsiteOn asks for and approve it.

Intuit then sends you back to JobsiteOn, and the QuickBooks page shows the company you connected.

Authorization errors

If the authorization fails:

"Access denied": confirm you are an admin on the QuickBooks account.
"Session expired": sign in to QuickBooks again and retry.
Reconnecting: a reconnect has to use the same QuickBooks company. JobsiteOn turns down a reconnect to a different company.

Step 3: What happens right after you connect

JobsiteOn starts working in both directions:

It sends your existing records to QuickBooks. Contacts, pricebook items and invoices that aren't in QuickBooks yet are queued right away, oldest first, up to 2,000 of each. Draft and cancelled invoices are left out of this step. With Payments sync on, the payments recorded on an invoice JobsiteOn adds to QuickBooks follow it. On an invoice JobsiteOn takes over because QuickBooks already has its number, payments recorded before you connected aren't sent, because they may already be in QuickBooks, unless you choose Different payments for one on a possible duplicate. JobsiteOn sends about 100 records every two minutes. Reconnecting later does the same for records that still aren't in QuickBooks.
It brings in what's already in QuickBooks. Within about an hour, or right away when you click Sync now, JobsiteOn imports your active QuickBooks customers and items, plus payments recorded against invoices that are linked to JobsiteOn. On an invoice JobsiteOn took over by number, payments created in QuickBooks before it took the invoice over stay in QuickBooks only. JobsiteOn never matches a QuickBooks payment to a JobsiteOn payment by amount on its own. When a QuickBooks payment lands on an invoice that also has a cleared JobsiteOn payment for the same amount that JobsiteOn didn't send, such as one recorded before you connected, you see a possible duplicate warning, and the QuickBooks page shows a banner. The QuickBooks payment is still imported if the JobsiteOn invoice shows money owed, and left out if it already shows paid in full. Choose Same payment if it's one payment recorded in both places, or Different payments if it's two. See "Possible duplicate payment" in Sync Invoices with QuickBooks.

If you have more than 2,000 contacts, items or invoices, click Sync now after the first batch reaches QuickBooks. Each click queues up to 2,000 more of each.

Matching logic

Contacts are matched in both directions, and each direction matches a little differently:

When JobsiteOn sends a contact, it looks for a QuickBooks customer with the same email address, then for one whose display name is exactly the name JobsiteOn gives it. That name is the company name followed by the person's name in parentheses, such as "Acme Roofing (Dana Lee)", or just the person's name when the contact has no separate company. A match is linked, and JobsiteOn updates that QuickBooks customer with the contact's details. Without a match, JobsiteOn adds a new QuickBooks customer.
When JobsiteOn imports a QuickBooks customer that isn't linked yet, it looks for a contact that isn't linked to a QuickBooks customer yet, first by email address, then by first and last name. A single clear match is linked, and blank fields on the contact are filled in from QuickBooks. When there's no match, or more than one, JobsiteOn adds a new contact.

Your existing contacts are usually sent before the first import runs, so most of them are matched by email or display name, not by first and last name. For example, say your contact Dana Lee has no email and belongs to Acme Roofing, and QuickBooks has a customer named "Dana Lee" with no email. Connecting adds a QuickBooks customer "Acme Roofing (Dana Lee)", and the import then adds "Dana Lee" as a second JobsiteOn contact.

Pricebook items: when JobsiteOn sends an item, it looks for a QuickBooks item with the same SKU, then the same name, and updates the match with the JobsiteOn item's details. When it imports a QuickBooks item, it links a single pricebook item with the same SKU, or without a SKU match the same name. Matching records are linked instead of added twice.
Invoices: when JobsiteOn sends an invoice and QuickBooks already has one with the same invoice number, JobsiteOn links to it and replaces its details with the JobsiteOn invoice.
Payments: never matched by amount or date. JobsiteOn ties a QuickBooks payment only to the JobsiteOn payment it sent it from, the one it brought it in as, or the one you pick with Same payment on a possible duplicate.

Tip: Before connecting, clean up your contact records in both systems. Merge duplicates and use the same email addresses on both sides so the automatic matching links the right records.

Step 4: Check the first sync

After the first batch has gone through:

Open /contacts in JobsiteOn. Spot-check a few contacts and verify that names and emails match QuickBooks.
Open QuickBooks and check the Customers list. Contacts sent from JobsiteOn should appear.
Check the invoices in QuickBooks. Invoices sent from JobsiteOn should appear.
On the QuickBooks page, click View log next to Recent sync activity to see each record JobsiteOn sent or brought in.

Understanding the sync log

The Audit log tab lists each sync event with:

Event: what happened, such as "entity pushed", "entity pulled" or "sync failed".
Record type: the kind of record, such as a contact or invoice.
Status: success or failure.
Time: when it happened. Open a row to see the JobsiteOn and QuickBooks IDs and any error details.

Use the log to find records that need attention.

Step 5: Ongoing sync behavior

After the first sync, the integration runs on its own:

Changes in JobsiteOn: when you create or edit a contact or an invoice, or a payment is recorded, refunded or returned, JobsiteOn sends the change to QuickBooks within a few minutes. Four exceptions: for a contact that's already in QuickBooks, an address change on its own waits for the contact's next name, email, phone, mobile or company change; edits to a pricebook item that's already in QuickBooks aren't sent; a refund or lost chargeback on an invoice that was paid in full isn't sent, because JobsiteOn keeps that invoice settled; and a payment recorded before you connected, or while Payments sync was off or QuickBooks was disconnected, and later changes to it, aren't sent, with a few exceptions, such as a payment on an invoice JobsiteOn itself added to QuickBooks after Payments sync last started, or one you chose Different payments for. See Sync Invoices with QuickBooks for how payments and refunds work.
Changes from QuickBooks: when a customer, item or payment is added or changed in QuickBooks, QuickBooks notifies JobsiteOn and the change usually shows up within a few minutes. Payments sync both ways, so a payment recorded in QuickBooks on a synced invoice comes into JobsiteOn. Invoice edits made in QuickBooks don't come back to JobsiteOn.
Backup check: JobsiteOn also checks QuickBooks once a day for anything it missed, or once a week if nobody on your team has used JobsiteOn in the last 7 days.
Conflict handling: if a contact is edited in both systems, the most recent edit wins. For pricebook items, see Sync Pricebook with QuickBooks.

Manual sync

If you need changes to sync right away:

Open the QuickBooks page: /settings > Marketplace > QuickBooks Online > Manage integration.
Click Sync now.

Sync now queues records that aren't in QuickBooks yet, along with payments that still need to reach QuickBooks, sends up to 100 waiting changes right away, then brings in payments and customer and item changes from QuickBooks. Anything left in the queue goes out on the regular two-minute schedule. Clicking Sync now again while it's still running doesn't start a second sync.

If one part of the sync doesn't finish, the rest still runs and syncing stays on. The QuickBooks page shows "Your last sync finished with problems" and a View sync errors link. The message clears after the next Sync now in which every step finishes, or when you reconnect QuickBooks. The regular two-minute sends and the daily check don't clear it.

Step 6: Disconnect QuickBooks

If you need to disconnect the integration:

Open the QuickBooks page.
In the Disconnect QuickBooks box, click Disconnect.
Confirm the action.

Disconnecting stops all syncing. Records that have already been synced remain in both systems. No data is deleted from either side.

To connect again later, open QuickBooks Online in the Marketplace and click Connect. If you sign in to the same QuickBooks company, records that were linked before stay linked. Payments recorded while QuickBooks was disconnected aren't sent, except on invoices JobsiteOn adds to QuickBooks after you reconnect, or when you choose Different payments for one. Changes made in the meantime to payments JobsiteOn had already sent, such as refunds, go out when you reconnect, and so do payments that were due to go before you disconnected but hadn't reached QuickBooks yet: ones recorded while Payments sync was on, and ones on an invoice JobsiteOn added to QuickBooks while it was on.

Handling sync errors

Failed changes show up in the sync log with a failure status. Whenever a sync error is open, the QuickBooks page also shows a banner with a View sync errors link, such as "2 sync errors need a look". A possible duplicate payment gets a stronger banner, "A QuickBooks payment may be counted twice". The sync errors page lists the open errors, 50 at a time with Load more. See Resolve Sync Errors. Common causes and fixes:

A customer was made inactive in QuickBooks

QuickBooks doesn't delete customers. It makes them inactive. JobsiteOn keeps the contact and its link either way. If an invoice for that customer fails to reach QuickBooks, make the customer active again in QuickBooks and retry the invoice.

QuickBooks needs each customer to have its own display name. When JobsiteOn sends a contact whose display name matches an existing QuickBooks customer, it links the contact to that customer and updates it. Two JobsiteOn contacts with the same name and company therefore end up on one QuickBooks customer. Rename one of them before it's sent (for example, add a middle initial). If two contacts already share a customer, contact support.

Invoice totals don't match

JobsiteOn doesn't send tax to QuickBooks. QuickBooks works out the tax on each invoice from its own tax settings, so totals differ when those settings don't match the tax you charge in JobsiteOn. Check the customer's tax settings in QuickBooks. When the QuickBooks invoice totals less, a JobsiteOn payment for the full amount leaves the difference as a credit for the customer in QuickBooks, and the sync errors show "A payment recorded in JobsiteOn was more than the invoice had open in QuickBooks."

QuickBooks asks you to reconnect

JobsiteOn renews your QuickBooks sign-in every hour. If QuickBooks refuses to renew it, for example because someone disconnected JobsiteOn inside QuickBooks, syncing stops and the QuickBooks page shows a red banner instead of saying QuickBooks isn't connected. Click Reconnect QuickBooks and sign in to the same QuickBooks company. Your settings and synced records stay as they are.

If the banner says QuickBooks sync is paused instead, click Try again first. JobsiteOn rechecks the connection and starts syncing again if it passes.

Once syncing is back on, JobsiteOn sends the payments recorded, refunded or deleted while it was stopped, on invoices that are already in QuickBooks. Reconnecting and Sync now also send contacts, pricebook items and invoices that never reached QuickBooks. The payments on an invoice JobsiteOn adds to QuickBooks go with it. Edits made in the meantime to contacts and invoices that are already in QuickBooks go out the next time you change them.

"Rate limit exceeded"

QuickBooks limits how many requests an app can make each minute. JobsiteOn stays under that limit and retries a change that runs into it a few times. If a change still fails, it moves to the Dead letter queue tab of the sync errors page (/settings/marketplace/quickbooks/manage/errors), where you can click Retry. See Resolve Sync Errors.

Best practices

Connect early in your setup. The fewer records you have, the fewer matches you need to check after connecting.
Use consistent emails. Email is the first thing JobsiteOn matches on in both directions. Keep emails consistent across both systems.
Check the sync log weekly. A quick review catches errors before they compound. Fixing one contact mismatch today prevents invoice errors next week.
Pick one place to edit each kind of record. Edit contacts and invoices in JobsiteOn and let the sync send the changes. For pricebook items that are already in QuickBooks, make changes in QuickBooks, because JobsiteOn doesn't send later item edits.

Troubleshooting

There's no Connect button

Only owners and admins can connect QuickBooks. Other team members see Ask owner/admin on the Marketplace page.

The first sync is taking a long time

JobsiteOn sends about 100 records every two minutes, so 2,000 contacts take about 40 minutes. It queues at most 2,000 of each kind at a time. Click Sync now again to queue the rest. Customers and items from QuickBooks come in on the first hourly check after you connect, or when you click Sync now.

Invoices are not appearing in QuickBooks

Check that Invoices is turned on under Sync settings on the QuickBooks page.
Check the sync log for a failure on that invoice.
Click Sync now. It resends invoices that never reached QuickBooks, except drafts and cancelled invoices. A draft goes again the next time you save it.

A contact appears twice in QuickBooks after connecting

This happens when the contact's email address and the display name JobsiteOn gives it both differ from the existing QuickBooks customer, so JobsiteOn added a new one. The contact stays linked to the customer JobsiteOn added. Use the same email address in both systems so future contacts match, and contact support before you merge the two customers in QuickBooks.

FAQ

Can I connect multiple QuickBooks accounts to one workspace?

No. JobsiteOn syncs a workspace with one QuickBooks Online company. While QuickBooks is connected, opening QuickBooks Online in the Marketplace takes you to the QuickBooks page instead of showing Connect, and Reconnect QuickBooks only accepts the same company. Your synced records keep that company's QuickBooks IDs even after you disconnect, so contact support before you connect a different QuickBooks company.

Does the integration work with QuickBooks Desktop?

No. Only QuickBooks Online is supported.

Will disconnecting delete my data?

No. Disconnecting stops syncing but does not delete any records in either system.

Can I choose which invoices to sync?

No. While Invoices sync is on, every invoice you create or edit goes to QuickBooks, drafts included. Cancelling an invoice in JobsiteOn voids it in QuickBooks. To stop sending invoices, turn Invoices off on the QuickBooks page.

Is the connection secure?

Yes. The integration uses OAuth 2.0 for authorization and encrypted HTTPS for all data transfers. JobsiteOn does not store your QuickBooks password.

How much does the QuickBooks integration cost?

The integration is included in your JobsiteOn plan at no additional cost. QuickBooks Online subscription fees are separate.

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