How to Export Data from QuickBooks Online

This guide shows you how to export all the data Conto needs from QuickBooks Online. QBO exports each data type as a separate Excel file. You’ll export a few files, then upload them all to Conto in one step.

Prerequisites

• QuickBooks Online (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, or Advanced)
• Admin access (required for the recommended bulk export method)

What to export

Conto needs these files from QuickBooks Online:

File	Why Conto Needs It
Chart of Accounts	GL accounts for categorizing transactions
Vendor List	Vendor names for matching against bank statements
Customer List	Customer names for matching deposits and receivables
Payroll Journal	Employee names for matching payroll transactions (see note below)
General Ledger	Transaction history to match against bank statements

You don’t need all five — the chart of accounts and general ledger are the most important. Vendor and customer lists improve Conto’s ability to auto-match transactions. For employee names, use a Payroll Journal from your payroll provider rather than QBO’s Employee Contact List (see note below).

Recommended: Bulk Export

The fastest way to get everything at once. Requires admin access.

1. Open the Export Tool

Click the Gear icon (top-right corner) and select Export Data under Tools.

2. Select Reports

On the Reports tab, set the date range to cover the period you want in Conto.

Toggle on:

• General Ledger
• Balance Sheet (optional — not required by Conto)
• Profit and Loss (optional)
• Trial Balance (optional)
• Journal (optional)

3. Select Lists

Switch to the Lists tab and toggle on:

• Chart of Accounts
• Customers
• Employees
• Vendors

4. Export

Click Export to Excel and confirm. A ZIP file downloads containing individual .xlsx files — one per report and list.

5. Unzip and Review

Unzip the downloaded file. You should see separate Excel files for each item you selected. Open each briefly to confirm it contains data.

Admin access required

Only admin users can see the Export Data option. If you don’t see it under the Gear icon, ask your QuickBooks administrator to perform the export, or use the individual export methods below.

Alternative: Individual Exports

Use these methods when you don’t have admin access, or when you need more control over what’s exported.

Chart of Accounts

1. Go to Accounting (left sidebar) > Chart of Accounts
2. Click Run Report (upper-right corner)
3. Click the Export icon (downward arrow) > Export to Excel

The exported file includes account name, type, detail type, and balance.

Account numbers

Account numbers only appear in the export if you’ve enabled them in Settings > Advanced > Chart of Accounts.

Vendor List

Vendors may be labeled Suppliers in some regions.

1. Go to Expenses > Vendors (left sidebar)
2. Click the Export icon (next to Print)
3. Select Export to Excel

For more detail, run the Vendor Contact List report instead: Reports > search “Vendor Contact List” > customize columns > Export to Excel.

Customer List

1. Go to Sales > Customers (left sidebar)
2. Click the Export icon (next to Print)
3. Select Export to Excel

For more detail, run the Customer Contact List report: Reports > search “Customer Contact List” > customize columns > Export to Excel.

Employee Names (Payroll Journal)

QBO’s Employee Contact List export is not compatible with Conto. Instead, get employee names into Conto via a Payroll Journal:

• Third-party payroll (ADP, Paychex, Gusto, etc.): Export a payroll journal or payroll detail report from your payroll provider. See How to Import a Payroll Journal for what Conto expects.
• QBO built-in payroll: Go to Reports > Payroll and export the Payroll Journal report to Excel.

General Ledger

1. Go to Reports (left sidebar)
2. Search for “General Ledger” or scroll to the “For my Accountant” section
3. Click General Ledger
4. Set the date range to cover the period you want in Conto
5. Click Run Report
6. Click the Export icon > Export to Excel

Large date ranges

Multi-year general ledgers with thousands of transactions may time out during export. If this happens, break the export into smaller date ranges (e.g., one year or one quarter at a time) and upload each file separately — Conto merges them automatically.

Alternative for large files

If the General Ledger report keeps timing out, try the Transaction Detail by Account report instead (also under Reports > For my Accountant). It’s more flexible for large datasets and Conto accepts it the same way.

Verification

Before uploading to Conto, spot-check your exported files:

• Chart of Accounts file has account names and types
• Vendor list file has vendor names
• Customer list file has customer names
• Payroll Journal file has employee names (if applicable)
• General Ledger file has transaction dates, types, names, and either debit/credit columns or a single amount column

Troubleshooting

”Export Data” option is missing

Only admin users can see this option. Ask your QuickBooks administrator, or use the individual export methods above.

General Ledger export times out

Break the date range into smaller chunks — quarterly or yearly. Upload each file to Conto separately.

Exported file is empty

Check that data exists for the selected date range. For reports, click Run Report before exporting — you can’t export a report you haven’t generated yet.

Missing columns in the export

Some QuickBooks Online subscription tiers don’t support class or location tracking. If you need these columns, verify your subscription supports them (Plus or Advanced plans).

Limitations

• Excel format only — QBO exports .xlsx files natively. CSV is not available without third-party tools.
• Flattened chart of accounts — Sub-account parent-child relationships may not be preserved in the export. Verify after importing into Conto.
• No payroll details in QBO exports — QBO’s Employee Contact List includes contact info only, not wages or pay history. Use a Payroll Journal from your payroll provider for employee transaction data.
• No attachments — Invoice/bill PDFs and receipt images are not included.

What’s Next

After exporting, import your QuickBooks Online data into Conto. Upload all your exported files at once — Conto auto-detects each file type.

Related

• How to Import QuickBooks Online Data into Conto
• How QuickBooks Import Works in Conto
• How to Import a Payroll Journal — for clients with third-party payroll
• Understanding Conto’s Readiness Score