How to Sync Time Entries with QuickBooks Online

Typing time entries into your accounting system once a month is the kind of work that disappears the moment you connect the two systems. The Timesheet integration with QuickBooks Online does exactly that: tracked time becomes billable time on the right customer, and invoice and payment status flows back so your time tracker knows what's been billed.

This is the practical setup, the mapping decisions that matter, and the troubleshooting list for the few things that can go sideways. The integration lives on the Pro plan, which has a 30-day free trial (no credit card).

#What the Integration Does

#Out from Timesheet, into QuickBooks

• Time entries sync as billable time
• Projects map to QuickBooks customers
• Team members map to QuickBooks employees or vendors

#Back from QuickBooks, into Timesheet

• Invoice status updates when time is invoiced
• Payment status updates when invoices are paid

#Sync Cadence

• Automatic sync every 15 minutes
• Manual sync on demand
• Webhook-driven updates for status changes

#Prerequisites

Before you connect:

• Timesheet Pro (active subscription or trial)
• QuickBooks Online (not QuickBooks Desktop)
• Admin access to both accounts
• Projects set up in Timesheet
• Customers set up in QuickBooks

#Connecting

#Step 1: Initiate

1. In the Timesheet web app, Settings → Integrations
2. Find QuickBooks Online
3. Click Connect

#Step 2: Authorize in QuickBooks

1. You'll be redirected to QuickBooks
2. Sign in to your account
3. Review the requested permissions
4. Click Connect to authorize

#Step 3: Confirm

1. Back in Timesheet, the QuickBooks company name appears
2. You're connected

#Mapping Projects to Customers

The critical step. Without mappings, no time flows.

#Where to Map

1. Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
2. Project Mapping section
3. Your Timesheet projects appear in a list

#Creating Mappings

For each project you want to sync:

1. Find the project
2. Click the dropdown
3. Pick the matching QuickBooks customer
4. Save

#Mapping Examples

#A Few Things That Save Trouble

Names don't have to match exactly. Mapping is by selection from the dropdown, not by name string.

Create new customers in QuickBooks first. If a customer doesn't exist there, create it in QuickBooks, then come back and map.

Skip internal projects. Leave the mapping empty for projects you don't want to sync (admin, learning, internal R&D).

#Mapping Team Members

For teams, map members to QuickBooks employees or vendors.

#Employee or Vendor

• Employees: W-2 staff tracked in QuickBooks payroll
• Vendors: 1099 contractors paid through accounts payable

#Setup

1. Open the QuickBooks integration settings
2. Find Team Mapping
3. For each team member, pick the matching QuickBooks employee or vendor
4. Save

#Why It Matters

Mapped team members let QuickBooks:

• Track time by person for payroll
• Generate reports by employee
• Apply correct labor costs

#What Automatic Sync Sends

Every 15 minutes:

• New billable time entries
• Updates to existing entries
• Corrections and deletions

#What Triggers a Sync

• Any change to billable time entries
• Tasks marked billed or paid
• Project mapping changes

#Checking Sync Status

• Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
• Last sync time
• Errors or warnings

#Creating Invoices from Synced Time

Once time is in QuickBooks, invoicing is the normal QuickBooks workflow.

#In QuickBooks

1. Sales → Invoices
2. Click Create Invoice
3. Select the customer
4. QuickBooks shows the unbilled time entries
5. Add entries to the invoice
6. Review and send

#Status Flows Back

When you invoice time in QuickBooks:

• Timesheet marks those entries Billed
• When the invoice is paid, entries become Paid
• The two-way sync keeps both systems aligned without anyone re-keying data

#Manual Sync

For when 15 minutes is too long.

#Force a Sync

1. Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
2. Click Sync Now
3. Wait for completion
4. Review the result

#When to Use It

• After a bulk time entry edit
• Right before sending an invoice
• After fixing mapping errors
• When troubleshooting

#Handling Conflicts

A few patterns to be aware of:

Edited in both places. Same time entry changed in Timesheet and QuickBooks. Resolution: Timesheet is the source of truth for time entries; QuickBooks is the source of truth for invoice status.

Deleted on one side. Entry deleted in one system. Resolution: deletions in Timesheet remove from QuickBooks; deletions in QuickBooks don't propagate back to Timesheet.

Mapping changed mid-stream. Project remapped after some entries synced. Resolution: previously synced entries stay with the original customer; new entries use the new mapping. To move historical entries, do it manually in QuickBooks.

#How to Mostly Avoid Them

• Edit time in Timesheet, not QuickBooks
• Mark billed and paid in QuickBooks, not Timesheet (the status flows back)
• Don't delete synced time from QuickBooks

#Best Practices

Map before tracking. Set up project-customer mappings before the team starts tracking. Otherwise you get "orphan" entries that don't sync.

Use consistent project names. Mapping handles the connection, but consistent names mean you can remember what links to what without opening the settings.

Weekly check. Five minutes on the sync status: any failed syncs, any unmapped projects with time, any customer assignments that look off.

Monthly reconciliation. Before close:

1. Ensure all time is synced
2. Create invoices for billable time
3. Record received payments
4. Verify the totals match between systems

Document the mappings. A simple spreadsheet or doc with project → customer and member → employee/vendor saves you ten minutes the next time someone asks.

#Troubleshooting

#Time Not Appearing in QuickBooks

• Is the project mapped?
• Is the entry marked billable?
• Has 15 minutes passed since the change?
• Is the connection still active?

#Connection Expired

QuickBooks tokens expire periodically.

1. Open the integration settings
2. Disconnect
3. Reconnect and re-authorize

#Duplicate Entries

• Don't delete in QuickBooks (they'll re-sync from Timesheet)
• Check whether the entries were modified in Timesheet
• Contact support if it keeps recurring

#Time on the Wrong Customer

1. Update the project mapping in Timesheet
2. In QuickBooks, manually move the affected entry to the right customer
3. Future entries use the new mapping

#Disconnecting

If you need to disconnect:

1. Settings → Integrations → QuickBooks
2. Click Disconnect
3. Confirm

After disconnect:

• Sync stops immediately
• Existing data in both systems remains
• No automatic deletion
• You can reconnect anytime

#Summary

The integration replaces manual data entry with:

• Connect: OAuth authorization between Timesheet and QuickBooks Online
• Map: projects → customers, team → employees or vendors
• Sync: automatic every 15 minutes, manual on demand
• Invoice: in QuickBooks, from synced time
• Status: invoice and payment status flows back to Timesheet

Set it up once and the monthly close stops being a re-keying exercise.

#Where to Go Next

• Connect to Zapier for broader workflow automation
• Generate PDF invoices when you want the invoice produced from Timesheet directly
• Export to Excel for one-off reports outside the QuickBooks flow