Connect your company file.
Set up QuickBooks Web Connector, save your password, and verify a live company read. Complete the desktop steps on the Windows computer that runs QuickBooks.
Full setup guide (opens in a new tab)Before you start
- Open the correct company file and sign in as the QuickBooks admin.
- Have QuickBooks Web Connector installed on that computer. If it is missing, follow Intuit’s installation instructions (opens in a new tab), then reopen your company file.
- Keep your connection’s setup page open for its QWC file and password.
Get your connection’s QWC file
Open the setup link supplied by your app. It takes you to Connect QuickBooks Desktop, shown below.
Starting in the portal? Open Connections, choose Create Connection → In Portal, select a project if asked, enter a connection name, and choose Create Connection. Use a separate connection for each company file.
Open connectionsChoose Download QWC File. Keep the downloaded .qwc file in Downloads (or the folder you chose). Leave the setup page open: the next screen provides your connector password.
Download QWC File is below the checklist. Your app may use its own branding. Select to enlarge. Open QuickBooks Web Connector
- Switch to QuickBooks Desktop on the Windows computer with your company file open.
- Choose File in the top-left menu, then App Management.
- Choose Update Web Services. This opens QuickBooks Web Connector in a separate window.
In some QuickBooks versions, Update Web Services appears directly under File.
File → App Management → Update Web Services. QuickBooks Enterprise example. Select to enlarge. Import the file and approve access
In the QuickBooks Web Connector window, choose Add an Application at the bottom right. Open Downloads (or your chosen folder), select the .qwc file from step 1, and choose Open.
Choose Add an Application. Existing applications can stay in the list. Select to enlarge. Check that the service matches your setup page, then choose OK. In QuickBooks, select Yes, whenever my QuickBooks company file is open. Leave personal-data access unchecked for this setup. Choose Continue, then Confirm.
Access while the company file is open. Sample company shown; connection names hidden. Select to enlarge. Save the Web Connector password
Return to your setup page. Under Copy and paste password, choose Copy password.
Use Copy password. This example shows a placeholder, not a real password. Select to enlarge. Switch back to Web Connector and paste into your app’s Password field. Press Tab, then choose Yes to save it. Use this connector password, not your QuickBooks login or API key.
Choose Yes to save the connector password. Select to enlarge. Enable updates and connect
After import and password setup, check Auto-Run, then set Every-Min to 1. Select the checkbox at the far left of your app’s row, then choose Update Selected.
Keep QuickBooks Desktop, the company file, and Web Connector open. Return to the setup page and wait for Connected.
Auto-Run on, Every-Min set to 1 (bottom row). Example connection names hidden. Select to enlarge. Verify a live company read
Open the connection’s API console. Select the Company endpoint (
GET /api/qbd/v1/company), choose Live from QuickBooks as the data source, then choose Run. Confirm that the returned company name matches the file you opened.Connected confirms contact with Web Connector. The returned company details confirm access to the right file.
Building an integration? Create a Developer API Key for the connection’s project with qbd:read access. Use the QBD API specification for request details, or follow the Agent Skill guide to verify your connector.