How to update QuickBooks Online from Excel



This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to QuickBooks Online using the Excel Add-In for QuickBooks Online.

The CData Excel Add-In for QuickBooks Online enables you to edit and save QuickBooks Online data directly from Excel. This article explains how to transfer data from Excel to QuickBooks Online. This technique is useful if you want to work on QuickBooks Online data in Excel and update changes, or if you have a whole spreadsheet you want to import into QuickBooks Online. In this example, you will use the Customers table; however, the same process will work for any table that can be retrieved by the CData Excel Add-In.

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


Establish a Connection

If you have not already done so, create a new QuickBooks Online connection by clicking From QuickBooks Online on the ribbon.

QuickBooks Online uses the OAuth authentication standard. OAuth requires the authenticating user to log in through the browser. To authenticate using OAuth, you can use the embedded OAuthClientId, OAuthClientSecret, and CallbackURL or you can obtain your own by registering an app with Intuit. Additionally, if you want to connect to sandbox data, set UseSandbox to true.

See the Getting Started chapter of the help documentation for a guide to using OAuth.

Retrieve Data from QuickBooks Online

To insert data into QuickBooks Online, you will first need to retrieve data from the QuickBooks Online table you want to add to. This links the Excel spreadsheet to the QuickBooks Online table selected: After you retrieve data, any changes you make to the data are highlighted in red.

  1. Click the From QuickBooks Online button on the CData ribbon. The Data Selection wizard is displayed.
  2. In the Table or View menu, select the Customers table.
  3. In the Maximum Rows menu, select the number of rows you want to retrieve. If you want to insert rows, you need to retrieve only one row. The Query box will then display the SQL query that corresponds to your request.
  4. In the Sheet Name box, enter the name for the sheet that will be populated. By default the add-in will create a new sheet with the name of the table.

Insert Rows to QuickBooks Online

After retrieving data, you can add data from an existing spreadsheet in Excel.

  1. In a cell after the last row, enter a formula referencing the corresponding cell from the other spreadsheet; for example, =MyCustomersSheetInExcel!A1.
  2. After using a formula to reference the cells you want to add to QuickBooks Online, select the cells that you are inserting data into and drag the formula down as far as needed. The referenced values you want to add will be displayed on the Customers sheet.
  3. Highlight the rows you want to insert and click the Update Rows button.

As each row is inserted, the Id value will appear in the Id column and the row's text will change to black, indicating that the record has been inserted.

Ready to get started?

Download a free trial of the Excel Add-In for QuickBooks Online to get started:

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QuickBooks Online Icon Excel Add-In for QuickBooks Online

The QuickBooks Online Excel Add-In is a powerful tool that allows you to connect with live data from QuickBooks Online, directly from Microsoft Excel.

Use Excel to read, write, and update QuickBooks Online Customers, Transactions, Invoices, Sales Receipts, etc. Perfect for mass imports / exports / updates, data cleansing & de-duplication, Excel based data analysis, and more!