3C Connect only supports the use of either QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Online. This article refers specifically to QuickBooks Desktop. If you need to change the type of QuickBooks you're using in 3C Connect, please contact our support team.

To begin the initial setup, you'll need to use the computer where the QuickBooks Desktop application is installed. Navigate to the Initial Setup page under the QuickBooks heading in your 3C Connect settings.

Download the QuickBooks Web Connector. This program is what facilitates the synchronization of data between your 3C Connect and QuickBooks accounts. Install this program, and click proceed by clicking next if you happen to receive a window with a black box.

Download your QWC file. Be sure to treat this file with care and keep it private, as it contains 3C Connect account information.
​
You will also see an option in step 2 to regenerate your QWC file. Make sure to only click this button if you've been instructed to by our support team. This is generally because an error occurred with QuickBooks customer IDs.

Open QuickBooks Desktop for the first synchronization. After the first synchronization, you'll have the option to either synchronize data only when QuickBooks is opened or at anytime, even if QuickBooks is closed.

Once QuickBooks is open, double click on the QWC file you downloaded in step 2. Follow the instructions that appear, then click OK to proceed.

The next message you receive will give you the option to choose if and when QuickBooks will synchronize data. We recommend selecting "Yes, always; allow access even if QuickBooks is not running." If you select "No", data will not synchronize.

In most cases, two fields will appear in this dialog requesting a login and password. It's important to use a login and password that is not in use. Because of the way QuickBooks works, if you use a login that a member of your team uses, your data may become muddled.

Once you've finished step 4, the QuickBooks Web Connector will open. This is where you can execute your first synchronization by doing the following:

Synchronization will begin immediately. Once it's been completed and you click the "Finish Setup" button, you've successfully finished your initial QuickBooks setup!

Please note that we do not recommend setting the Web Connector to auto-run more often than every 10 minutes.

Configure your QuickBooks synchronization settings, class and tax mappings by navigating to the General Settings page under the QuickBooks heading of the 3C Connect settings menu.

One of the most important settings regarding the QuickBooks Web Connector is the "Client File" option, which allows you to automatically synchronize the currently opened QuickBooks file, or manually designate which QuickBooks file is synchronized.

Current Company File

The default choice is to synchronize whatever file is opened in QuickBooks. This is a good option if you will only ever open a single file for a single company when using QuickBooks. Conflicts can be caused if you open differing books and the Web Connector synchronizes two inharmonious files.

Manually Designated File

If you plan to manage multiple businesses, create backups often or open more than one QuickBooks file, it is recommended to manually designate a fixed file path. The file path that will appear in this dropdown as an option is whichever QuickBooks file was open and last synchronized by the Web Connector.

Note that if you ever change the file name or location of the file that you'd like to synchronize, or if you want to change the file name that appears here, you'll need to follow this process to update the path:

To learn more about your QuickBooks General Settings, refer to our General Settings article which details each option.