If you are an existing customer using this connector and looking for assistance with an inquiry, please use this article or reach out to us at support@clicktime.com.
The ClickTime Connector application allows you to synchronize timesheet and expenses data from ClickTime into your locally installed QuickBooks Company File. This is designed to integrate with US versions of QuickBooks installed on a local Windows machine.
If you have not already, we recommend reviewing this article to learn about the supported features and system requirements. The steps (below) will walk you through the installation & setup process.
Installing and Setting Up the Connector
Mapping ClickTime to QuickBooks
Installing and Setting Up the Connector
In order to download and install the ClickTime Connector for QuickBooks, you will need to have Administrative access to ClickTime. You will also need to be using a Windows computer as an Administrator, and the QuickBooks Company File must be installed on your machine. NOTE: if you are accessing QuickBooks through a remote desktop, hosted server, etc. then QuickBooks and the Connector will both need to be installed on the host computer. Please contact your IT department or whomever maintains this configuration for you - and feel free to loop ClickTime Support into the process if we can assist.
Please Note: For the connector file to work properly, the QBFC13 file must be installed on your computer first. If you are a customer who has been using this integration, the file should be present. If you run into any difficulty regarding this or have any questions getting started, please reach out to us at support@clicktime.com.
After receiving the updated Connector files from ClickTime support, you can download and extract the file, then right-click to "Install".
On the next screen, click "More Info":
Then click "Run Anyway":
and follow the prompts to complete installation
Once the ClickTime Connector for QuickBooks is installed, you will see it in your list of programs and can search for it.
If you do not see the application, please check your security level for your computer to make sure you have the ability to install programs as an Administrator for your local computer.
You can now open your QuickBooks Company File and run the Connector. If you don't open the Company File now, you'll be prompted to do so during the Setup Wizard before you can continue with setup and synchronization. We'll cover all the Setup Wizard steps below.
The Setup Wizard will run the first time you install the Connector on your computer. This will make sure that both the Connector and your QuickBooks Company File have been set up correctly to allow regular data synchronization.
Please note: If your organization is set to "Require" Single Sign-On, you will not be able to log into the Connector. If you need to synchronize ClickTime data with your QuickBooks company file, change the setting to "Allow" Single Sign-On (more details here).
The first page will ask you to Start the Setup Wizard:
Next you'll be asked to launch QuickBooks and to make sure that you are in Single-user Mode:
In Step 4, you need to give the Connector permission to access your QuickBooks Company File.
You should see a pop-up from QuickBooks asking for permission. Please choose the third option "Yes, whenever this QuickBooks company file is open" and then Continue.
Note: If you are reinstalling the Connector and not seeing this pop-up message, please see this section of the Troubleshooting guide for assistance.
Then confirm this access by clicking "Done" on the next pop-up to continue with the wizard.
This allows the Connector to read/modify QuickBooks data, and add time or expenses to your QuickBooks Company File.
Note: While you may see a message about the certificate being expired, the application is working as expected and can still be installed. ClickTime periodically updates these certificates for security & compliance. Meanwhile, you can proceed and choose the same "Yes, whenever this QuickBooks company file is open" option and then click "Continue" as seen here:
Next you'll need to make sure QuickBooks is tracking time. Open your QuickBooks Preferences (from the Edit menu), then go to "Time & Expenses". On the Company Preferences tab, choose "Yes" for "Do you track time?", then click OK. You can skip this if you are only going to use the Connector to synchronize Expenses.
Finally there are three more preferences to set (these can be changed at any time from the Connector Settings).
- If you are using ClickTime Payroll to track up to 2 Leave Types, make sure that "Leave Type Controls" are turned on on the Company --> Preferences page of ClickTime (more details here).
- You must define the default account for new Service Items to be billed to. Since the Connector can be used to create Service Items in your QuickBooks Company File, it needs to know the default account for those new Service Items. You can always change the account for a specific Service Item in QuickBooks. If you don't know what to choose, please check with your local Intuit Professional, or check existing Service Items to see which account they are billed to
- ClickTime can add an optional timestamp to all the time entries that are synchronized indicating that the time entries were exported using the Connector and when. These timestamps will be displayed on invoices (although they can be manually deleted). If you don't want this to display, leave this box un-checked (most organizations will likely leave this un-checked—you can always change the setting later).
After you've selected the default account for new Service Items, you'll be able to "Finish & Sign In". On the next page you'll be asked to log in with your ClickTime Administrative login:
After logging in you'll be presented with a few options. The Connector will then communicate with your ClickTime account and the local QuickBooks Company File and let you know if there are items that exist in QuickBooks that are not linked to a corresponding ClickTime item.
We'll discuss how the Connector works in the next section and how to create the relationships between your ClickTime People / Projects / Tasks and your QuickBooks Employees / Customer:Jobs / Service Items.
RE-installation: Please Note: As of October 2023, the most recent version of the ClickTime Connector for QB is version 1.4.5. This is a new version that is compatible with QuickBooks 2023, as well as the older version of QuickBooks Desktop that are supported by Intuit. It also includes an updated security certificate.
If you have used the Connector in the past, you likely have an older version installed. You will need to uninstall the old version of the Connector (1.4.4 or prior) before installing the latest version (1.4.5). You will likely already have the QBFC13 files installed as well and these do not need to be replaced.
UNINSTALLING THE OLD CONNECTOR: you only need to uninstall the "ClickTimeConnector" file, not the QBFC 13 file. For best results, we generally recommend talking to your IT department or whomever assists you with uninstalling/installing programs. However, for those who have admin privileges on their computer or are able to do this step on their own, here is an example of how this works under Windows 10. Please note that your experience may vary depending on your version of Windows:
1. Go to the Add/Remove Programs list from the Windows 'Start' menu:
2. Select "ClickTimeConnector":
3. Click the "uninstall" option and wait for the progress bar to complete:
Once the old Connector files have been uninstalled, please use the Installing and Setting Up the Connector section (here) for detailed instructions on how to install the Connector file.
The files for the connector can be found here:
- https://app.clicktime.com/download/QBC/ClickTimeConnectorQB.zip
- https://app.clicktime.com/download/QBC/QBFC13.zip
Mapping ClickTime to QuickBooks
In order to synchronize time entries from ClickTime into QuickBooks, the Connector must know how to classify the time entries your employees have entered. The following ClickTime items will map to the corresponding QuickBooks items when synchronizing time entries.
| ClickTime | QuickBooks |
| Person | Employee |
| Client | Customer |
| Project | Job |
| Task | Service Item |
There are three different ways to map ClickTime options to QuickBooks:
- Importing Items: You can copy QuickBooks Lists into your ClickTime account. If you choose this option, the Connector will automatically create People, Projects and Tasks in your ClickTime account for any QuickBooks Employees, Customer:Jobs, and Service Items that do not have a relationship.
- Manual Mapping: At any time you can view all active ClickTime Projects and QuickBooks Customer:Jobs and update how your Projects relate to your Customer:Jobs.
- Mapping During Synchronization: The Connector will also let you know when you go to synchronize time if there are People, Projects, or Tasks it does not know how to map. It will require that you create a relationship for those before you can import time
Please note: People, Projects, and Tasks in ClickTime can only be linked to one Employee, Customer:Job, and Service Item in QuickBooks. You will not be able to link multiple options in ClickTime to the same option in QuickBooks, or vice-versa.
Use the links below to skip the appropriate section of this guide:
Importing Items
Manual Mapping
Mapping During Time Synchronization
By default, the Connector will check your QuickBooks Company File for any items that do not yet exist in ClickTime. This is especially helpful if you are just getting started with ClickTime and want to make sure all of your options in QuickBooks are available in ClickTime. There are two ways to use this function:
- From the Connector Landing page, or
- From the Manage Lists page
The first thing the Connector will do after you log in is check to see if there are any items in QuickBooks that are not linked to existing ClickTime items. It will then offer to "Copy Them to ClickTime":
This is most useful if you have just started using ClickTime and want to populate your ClickTime account with the possible time entries from QuickBooks.
Please note that it is not required that all items in QuickBooks are linked with existing items in ClickTime. Only those Projects that have had time logged in ClickTime that you'd like to synchronize with QuickBooks need to have existing relationships.
To use this function, click the "Copy Them to ClickTime" button, which will take you to the next page where you can confirm that you'd like to Copy Employees, Customer:Jobs, and/or Service Items:
Clicking "Next" will take you to the final page where you will see exactly which Employees, Customer:Jobs, and/or Service Items will be copied.
In this case there is one employee in QuickBooks that cannot be copied because their QuickBooks account does not have an email address. We can see who the employee is by clicking the "x Employee Will Not Be Copied" text:
Please add an email address to their account and try again, or create them in ClickTime and manually map the employee by following the steps in this section of the guide.
Clicking "Finish" will copy the items into ClickTime.
If something is not able to be copied, the Connector will provide more information:
NOTE: for best results, we recommend creating items in ClickTime first and then mapping them to QuickBooks through the Connector, but in some cases it may be necessary to add items to QuickBooks first. Just know that this method creates 'placeholder' Clients, Projects, etc. in ClickTime with arbitrary Project numbers and other data. So you may want to review these objects in ClickTime once they are created.
If you decide you do not want to see the message letting you know which items are unlinked from the Connector landing page, you can choose to "Hide" it. PLEASE NOTE: there is not a way to display this message after hiding, so please only do so if you are certain you do not want to see the message in the future. You can always check which items are in QuickBooks, but not ClickTime, using the method in the next section of this guide.
You can also Import Items from QuickBooks to ClickTime by going to the "Settings" page and then "Manage Lists":
Then click "Copy QuickBooks Lists to ClickTime":
You'll then be asked to confirm that you'd like to Copy Employees, Customer:Jobs, and/or Service Items:
Clicking "Next" will take you to the final page where you will see exactly which Employees, Customer:Jobs, and/or Service Items will be copied.
Clicking "Finish" will copy the items into ClickTime.
You can also review your items in ClickTime/QuickBooks at any time and manually set up the relationship between them. When doing so you'll see the option to update your QuickBooks Company File with items that are in ClickTime as well. From the home page, click "Settings" and then "Manage Lists":
Next, click "Link Time Lists" or "Link Expense Lists":
Keep reading for more information on Linking Time Lists, or go here for more information on Linking Expense Lists (the functions are very similar but have one important difference).
PLEASE NOTE: for any Clients, Projects & Tasks in ClickTime that will eventually have associated hours synced to QuickBooks, these Clients/Projects/Tasks MUST be linked to the corresponding Customers, Jobs & Service Items in QuickBooks. If one of these objects is inactive in QuickBooks, the corresponding object must must be inactive in ClickTime and vice-versa. Otherwise, the Connector will continue to prompt you to link them.
After clicking on "Link Time Lists", you'll be brought to the first page where you will see all of your active ClickTime people and their relationship to a QuickBooks employee:
You can choose to "show inactive people" as well, which will appear grayed out:
On the left will be your ClickTime people and on the right will be your QuickBooks employees. In situations where there is no QuickBooks employee, you can use the "+" icon to tell the Connector which QuickBooks employee should be associated with this ClickTime record:
You'll then be asked which person to associate the employee with. If the employee is not yet in QuickBooks, you can choose to link them to "A New Employee", and will be asked to enter their name:
If you choose this option you'll be creating a new employee in QuickBooks with this person's name and email address. Whether you've selected an existing person, or create a new employee, you will want to click "Link" to create the relationship and close the window, or "Link and Go to Next" to automatically be brought to the next unlinked person:
If you realize someone has been linked incorrectly, use the "-" icon to remove the relationship
When you are finished with People, you'll next be asked to link ClickTime Projects to QuickBooks Customer:Jobs:
Just like with People, you can use the "+" icon to link a Project to a Customer:Job. You'll be able to link to an existing Customer:Job, create a new Job under an Existing Customer, or create a new Customer:Job:
The next page will be where you can link ClickTime Tasks to QuickBooks Service Items:
You can use the "+" icon to link a Task to an existing Service Item or to create a new Service Item in QuickBooks.
If you are using QuickBooks Payroll you'll have a fourth option where you can link up to two different Leave Types to Payroll Items in QuickBooks:
In order to synchronize Time Off, you will need to have enabled Leave Type List Controls on the Company --> Preferences page (more details here), and assign at least one Payroll Item to the employee.
Checking the "Use time data to create paychecks" box in QuickBooks is required for all employees, so you'll want to make sure this is set for everyone you synchronize time for.
As mentioned above, each Person/Project/Task in ClickTime can only be associated with one Employee/Customer:Job/Service Item in QuickBooks. If you try to link a ClickTime option to something in QuickBooks that already has a relationship, you'll see this warning message:
IMPORTANT: if you see this warning message, DO NOT PROCEED (click the 'cancel' button). Otherwise, you may overwrite an existing link which can complicate the syncing process later by routing data to the wrong places in QuickBooks.
If you are continuing to see this warning message, you may want to make sure that every option in ClickTime has a single corresponding option in QuickBooks. If you choose to link after seeing this warning message, the previous relationship will be broken.
Linking Expenses is very similar to Linking Time (above), with some small differences.
ClickTime will synchronize expenses with a QuickBooks Vendor Account (instead of a QuickBooks Employee). This means that any of your employees who will be reimbursed for expenses must also be created in QuickBooks as a Vendor (in addition to an Employee):
When you start to Link Expense Lists, the first screen will allow you to choose how your ClickTime People relate to QuickBooks Vendors:
Just like with the other mapping options, you can click the "+" icon to create a relationship
If the employee is not yet set up in QuickBooks as a Vendor, you can add them with the Connector.
Clicking "Link & Go to Next" will save the relationship and load the next employee without an associated Vendor account.
The next screen will be where you can link a ClickTime Project to a QuickBooks Customer:Job. These are the same relationships that are set when you Link Time Lists above. If a relationship does not exist, use the "+" icon to create the item:
The last screen will ask you to associate your ClickTime Expense Types (more details here) with a QuickBooks Account:
Click the "+" icon to create a relationship. You can then choose an Existing Account or create a new one.
Please see this guide for more assistance with synchronizing Expenses data into your QuickBooks Company File.
Mapping During Synchronization
For complete instructions on how to use the Connector to synchronize time or expenses, please see this article. This section will briefly cover mapping time entries during synchronization - you should be familiar with the Manual Mapping process outlined above before proceeding.
When you run the ClickTime Connector to synchronize time (or expenses), everything that meets your people/time period requirements must have an existing relationship. If you try to synchronize time without a relationship, you will be told there is that "Some ClickTime and QuickBooks items are unlinked".
You will then be able to use the Link Lists Wizards (discussed above) to create the relationship (which may require using the Connector to create the item in QuickBooks).
Once you have gone through the Link Lists Wizard and made sure the Connector knows how to process all time entries, re-run the synchronization and everything should move through as expected.
For complete details on how to run the Connector to synchronize time and expenses, please see this guide.
The Connector Settings are the same fields you set up in the last step of the Setup Wizard (see above). These are settings you can change at any time. First use the "Settings" option on the Connector landing page:
And then click "Connector Settings":
Here you can decide if you'd like to add (or remove) the "Exported from ClickTime" timestamp to the time/expense entries that are exported:
You can also change the Default Account that new Service Items will be billed to when created using the Connector:
QuickBooks Payroll users can enable the "use time data to create paychecks" option and determine the default Payroll Type when new employees are created using the Connector:
Finally, you can choose to "Run the Welcome Wizard" the next time you run the Connector if you'd like to go through the Setup Wizard again.
Please see the Synchronizing Time and Expenses to QuickBooks Desktop Guide for detailed instructions for using the Connector to export time and expenses to your QuickBooks Company File.
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