Build Automated Workflows with Live QuickBooks Online Data in Workato



Use CData Connect Cloud to connect to live QuickBooks Online data and build automated workflows in Workato.

Workato is a cloud-based automation platform that helps businesses integrate applications and automate workflows. When paired with CData Connect Cloud, you get instant, cloud-to-cloud access to QuickBooks Online data for visualizations, dashboards, and more. This article shows how to connect to QuickBooks Online and build workflows with live QuickBooks Online data in Workato.

About QuickBooks Online Data Integration

CData provides the easiest way to access and integrate live data from QuickBooks Online. Customers use CData connectivity to:

  • Realize high-performance data reads thanks to push-down query optimization for complex operations like filters and aggregations.
  • Read, write, update, and delete QuickBooks Online data.
  • Run reports, download attachments, and send or void invoices directly from code using SQL stored procedures.
  • Connect securely using OAuth and modern cryptography, including TLS 1.2, SHA-256, and ECC.

Many users access live QuickBooks Online data from preferred analytics tools like Power BI and Excel, directly from databases with federated access, and use CData solutions to easily integrate QuickBooks Online data with automated workflows for business-to-business communications.

For more information on how customers are solving problems with CData's QuickBooks Online solutions, refer to our blog: https://www.cdata.com/blog/360-view-of-your-customers.


Getting Started


CData Connect Cloud provides a pure SQL Server, cloud-to-cloud interface for QuickBooks Online, allowing you to easily build visualizations from live QuickBooks Online data in Workato. As you build automations, Workato generates SQL queries to gather data. Using optimized data processing out of the box, CData Connect Cloud pushes all supported SQL operations (filters, JOINs, etc) directly to QuickBooks Online, leveraging server-side processing to quickly return QuickBooks Online data.

Configure QuickBooks Online Connectivity for Workato

Connectivity to QuickBooks Online from Workato is made possible through CData Connect Cloud. To work with QuickBooks Online data from Workato, we start by creating and configuring a QuickBooks Online connection.

  1. Log into Connect Cloud, click Connections and click Add Connection
  2. Select "QuickBooks Online" from the Add Connection panel
  3. QuickBooks Online uses OAuth to authenticate. Click "Sign in" to authenticate with QuickBooks Online.
  4. Navigate to the Permissions tab in the Add QuickBooks Online Connection page and update the User-based permissions.

Add a Personal Access Token

If you are connecting from a service, application, platform, or framework that does not support OAuth authentication, you can create a Personal Access Token (PAT) to use for authentication. Best practices would dictate that you create a separate PAT for each service, to maintain granularity of access.

  1. Click on your username at the top right of the Connect Cloud app and click User Profile.
  2. On the User Profile page, scroll down to the Personal Access Tokens section and click Create PAT.
  3. Give your PAT a name and click Create.
  4. The personal access token is only visible at creation, so be sure to copy it and store it securely for future use.

With the connection configured, you are ready to connect to QuickBooks Online data from Workato.

Automate QuickBooks Online Data Workflows in Workato

To establish a connection from Workato to the CData Connect Cloud Virtual SQL Server API, follow these steps.

  1. Log into Workato.
  2. In the navigation bar, click Projects.
  3. In your new (or existing) project, click Create > Connection.
  4. In the search bar, enter "SQL Server" and open the Connect to SQL Server screen.
  5. In Connect to SQL Server, enter the connection name and the following connecting settings:
    • Location: enter the name of the project.
    • Connection type: select Cloud.
    • Host: enter tds.cdata.com
    • Port: enter 14333
    • Username: enter your CData Connect Cloud username. This is displayed in the top-right corner of the CData Connect Cloud interface. For example, [email protected].
    • Password: enter the PAT you previously generated page.
    • Database: enter the Connection Name of the CData Connect Cloud data source you want to connect to (for example, QuickBooksOnline1).
  6. Click Connect to see the Connection established message.
  7. Next, set up your recipe. In your project, click Create > Recipe.
  8. In Set up your recipe, enter the name and location of your recipe.
  9. Select Run on a schedule.
  10. Select the action to occur on the schedule.
  11. Select a table from your Connect Cloud connection and any applicable filters.
  12. Click Save to save the recipe.
  13. Click Test Jobs to test you recipe.

Real-Time Access to QuickBooks Online Data from Cloud Applications

At this point, you have a direct, cloud-to-cloud connection to live QuickBooks Online data from Workato for workflows and automations. For more information on gaining live access to data from more than 100 SaaS, Big Data, and NoSQL sources from cloud applications like Workato, refer to our Connect Cloud page.

Ready to get started?

Learn more about CData Connect Cloud or sign up for free trial access:

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