QuickBooks Desktop Accounting Integration

Create an accounting integration to Goflow using QuickBooks Desktop. This connection enables you to send order invoices and purchase bills from Goflow to QuickBooks. Additionally, you can synchronize customer and vendor lists, and retrieve open customer balances from QuickBooks while entering a new wholesale order in Goflow.

The integration with QuickBooks Desktop works through a connector app installed on a network machine. This app maintains a continuous connection to QuickBooks and manages the data flow between Goflow and QuickBooks.

Creating a New QuickBooks Desktop Integration

The installation process is divided into two phases. First, your IT department completes a list of tasks to enable the integration. Once these tasks are completed, coordinate with Goflow Integrations to finalize the installation.

Goflow charges a setup fee for the installation, as it involves technical work. Assuming all IT requirements are met, the installation process should typically take no more than one hour to complete.

Completing Pre-Installation Checklist

To create an integration between QuickBooks Desktop and Goflow, your IT department needs to complete the following tasks:

QuickBooks Tasks

Multi-User License: The QuickBooks application must have a multi-user license installed. The connector app will log in to QuickBooks as a user, and there should be at least one additional user available for your accounting department.
Goflow Username: Create a username in QuickBooks named Goflow. This user should be granted External Accountant permissions. Safe keep the login credentials for the Goflow user. You will need it in the future, and Goflow does not keep the credentials to your QuickBooks.
Network Sharing: The QuickBooks file must be shared over a network. This allows for simultaneous access by multiple users.
Dedicate a Machine: Choose a machine within your network where the connector app would be installed. This machine should be one that is not in regular use by other users. Since Goflow will be logging into QuickBooks on this machine, other users will not be able to use it for QuickBooks. The best practice is to dedicate the server for this purpose.

Network Tasks

Static IP: Goflow will access the connector app by calling the network's external IP address. To prevent a loss of connection, ensure that the network has a static IP address.
Forward Port: Goflow communicates with the connector app through network port 8891. Configure port forwarding on your router, and point port 8891 to the local IP address of the server, both internally and externally.
Whitelist: Allow Goflow access to your network. Whitelist the following Goflow IP addresses:
- 34.233.244.163
- 38.125.194.130
- 71.125.76.101

Installing the App

After your IT department completes the pre-installation checklist, get in touch with Goflow Integrations, and request an installation. Coordinate with Integrations on the following:

Share your contact information, including a reachable phone number for communication during the installation process.
Expect to receive an estimate from Goflow Integrations, which must be approved before the installation can begin.
Discuss your preferred approach to synchronizing the customer and vendor directories. Decide whether to import all customers and vendors from QuickBooks, only specific ones, and which customers and vendors to push from Goflow to QuickBooks.
Schedule a suitable installation time. Keep in mind that Goflow will have to access your QuickBooks file in single-user mode during the installation process. Choose a time when your accounting team can log out of QuickBooks.

At the scheduled time, start a shared-screen session from your server by following these steps:

From your server, go to the screen-share page.
Click Start a New Session.
Enter your Name, and click Start Session.
Follow your browser's instructions for running the client.

Please note that during the app installation, Goflow will login to your QuickBooks file with the Admin username. Be prepared to enter the admin password when prompted, and stay available for any potential questions or issues that may arise during the installation process.

Managing QuickBooks Desktop Settings

From the left sidebar, go to Settings › Accounting. On this page, you can manage the following QuickBooks Desktop settings:

Maintaining the QuickBooks Desktop Integration

Maintaining a constant connection between Goflow and QuickBooks is important to ensure that invoices can flow in uninterruptedly, and that you can keep creating new customers, vendors, and products in Goflow. If you need to log in to QuickBooks in single-user mode, you will have to temporarily disconnect Goflow. Once your single-user tasks are completed, remember to reestablish the connection with Goflow.

Disconnecting the App

To disconnect the Goflow connector app, follow these steps:

Login to your server.
Exit the connector app. While the app is running, access it through the icon in the Notifications Tray. Right-click on the icon, and click Exit.
Log out the Goflow user from QuickBooks.

The connector app is now disconnected. You can log in with single-user mode from another machine on the network.

Reconnecting the App

To reconnect the Goflow connector app, follow these steps:

Login to your server.
Login to QuickBooks with the Goflow user, and in multi-user mode.
Start the connector app. Locate the app icon on the taskbar, and click on it once. While the app is in the process of reconnecting, monitor its status in the Notifications Tray. Once the connection is successfully established, the app icon will display a green dot, indicating a successful connection.

The app is now connected. If necessary, update the status in Goflow as well. Log in to Goflow, and go to Settings › Accounting, and update the QuickBooks status to Connected.

Automatic Disconnection

When Goflow tries to communicate with QuickBooks but fails after several attempts, the integration status is automatically changed to Disconnected. At the same time, an email is sent to the notifications contact informing them about the disconnection. The disconnection status prevents automatic invoices to QuickBooks from failing. Because Goflow is aware that QuickBooks is disconnected, it holds all pending invoices in queue until the connection is reestablished.

If you have enabled automatic syncing, you will not be able to create new products, new vendors, or new wholesale customers until the connection issue is resolved.

Troubleshooting the QuickBooks Connection

If QuickBooks is disconnected, try to reconnecting it.

If the app shows a green dot, but Goflow still can't connect, check the connection locally on the server. If you receive the message GFQB Server is up and running, there might be an issue with reaching the machine from outside the network. If your IP address has changed, notify Goflow Support. If you have a new router, ask your IT team to forward the port.
If the app icon in the notification tray disappears when hovered over, the app cannot reach your QuickBooks file. Make sure you're logged into the correct QuickBooks file and try again. The file path can be found at C:\Users\Public\Documents\QBFlow\qb.json.
For further analysis, check the error message in the trace log. The file is located at C:\Users\Public\Documents\QBFlow\trace.log. Open the file, and scroll the bottom to read the last error.
If the company file is moved on the network, or a new copy of the file is made, update the file path in C:\Users\Public\Documents\QBFlow\qb.json.
If you need further assistance, contact Goflow Support. Indicate what steps you have taken to troubleshoot.
If you create a completely new company file, the connector will have to be installed again.
When the QuickBooks version is updated, usually there should be no issues reconnecting. If you update from 2020 or lower, to 2021 or higher, the connector will have to be installed again.