Connect Pipeline CRM to QuickBooks Online so you can create invoices and proposals straight from a deal, and keep customer records in sync between both apps.
Before you start:
- Account Admin permissions in Pipeline CRM
- Admin access to your QuickBooks Online account
- An active QuickBooks Online subscription
- The QuickBooks company you want to connect, if you manage more than one
This integration works with QuickBooks Online only. QuickBooks Desktop isn't supported.
Two names for the same document: Pipeline CRM calls it a Proposal. QuickBooks calls it an Estimate. You'll see both words — they mean the same thing.
Step 1: Install the QuickBooks App
- Click Settings in the lower-left corner.
- Go to Other > App Store.
- Find QuickBooks and click Install.
Step 2: Connect Your QuickBooks Account
- In the QuickBooks settings, open QuickBooks Online API.
- Click Connect. Pipeline CRM sends you to QuickBooks to sign in.
- Select the QuickBooks company you want to connect.
- Click Connect to authorize access.
You're returned to Pipeline CRM once the connection completes.
Step 3: Test the Connection
- Click Save.
- Click Test Connection.
- Confirm you see a success message.
Step 4: Map Your Fields
Match each Pipeline CRM field to the QuickBooks field it should fill.
Pipeline CRM field
QuickBooks field
Company Name
Customer Name
Primary Email
Phone
Phone Number
Address fields
Billing Address
Step 5: Choose a Sync Direction
Decide which way changes travel between the two apps.
Option
What happens
Both (recommended)
Changes made in either app update the other
Pipeline to QuickBooks
Only Pipeline CRM changes reach QuickBooks
QuickBooks to Pipeline
Only QuickBooks changes reach Pipeline CRM
Step 6: Set Permissions and Visibility
Admins always have full access. For everyone else, choose which actions they're allowed to take:
- Create estimates
- Create invoices
- Convert estimates to invoices
Then, under Estimates and Invoice Visibility, choose who can see estimates and invoices that were created directly in QuickBooks:
Setting
Who can see them
Admin
Account Admins only
Everyone
All users on your account
Installation Owner
Only the person who connected the integration
Step 7: Turn On the Integration
- Go to Settings > Other > App Store.
- Find QuickBooks.
- Toggle the integration to Enabled.
An Invoices & Proposals tile now appears on your deal, person, and company pages.
Step 8: Import Your QuickBooks Customers (Optional but recommended)
Bring existing QuickBooks customers — plus their invoices and estimates — into Pipeline CRM.
- In the QuickBooks settings, select the Import tab.
- Click Import. The import starts right away.
- Wait for the summary notification showing what was imported.
Important: Read How Importing and Syncing Work below before your first import. Customers without an email address in QuickBooks are skipped, and later updates from QuickBooks can overwrite contact details you already have in Pipeline CRM.
How Importing and Syncing Work
How records are matched
Pipeline CRM matches QuickBooks customers to Pipeline people by email address.
- Email matches an existing person → the two records are linked
- No match → a new person record is created
- No email in QuickBooks → that customer is skipped
Imported invoices and estimates are attached to the matched person and their company. If the company doesn't exist in Pipeline CRM yet, it's created for you.
What your first import does
- Links QuickBooks and Pipeline CRM records by email
- Keeps your existing Pipeline data — phone numbers, addresses, custom fields
- Leaves your data alone where QuickBooks has nothing to put there
What happens after that
Once records are linked, any change to a customer in QuickBooks triggers a sync — and the QuickBooks version overwrites the Pipeline CRM record.
Important: Fields QuickBooks doesn't store, such as phone, address, and website, are cleared in Pipeline CRM when that sync runs. If your QuickBooks customer records are incomplete, you can lose contact details.
To protect your data: use the Both sync direction, fill in your QuickBooks customer records before importing, and review your data before the first import.
Example: John Smith (john@email.com) exists in both apps. QuickBooks has only his name and email; Pipeline CRM also has his phone, address, and website.
- You run the import → the records link, and Pipeline CRM keeps the phone, address, and website. ✅
- Later you edit his name in QuickBooks → the sync runs, Pipeline CRM shows the new name, and the phone, address, and website are gone. ⛔
What syncs automatically — and what doesn't
When you…
What happens
Create an invoice or proposal for a deal
The person is created as a QuickBooks customer, if they aren't one already
Update a linked contact in Pipeline CRM
The change syncs to QuickBooks
Create a new contact in Pipeline CRM
Nothing — no QuickBooks customer is created until you make an invoice or proposal for them
Create a new customer in QuickBooks
Nothing — run an import to bring them in
Update a customer in QuickBooks
The change syncs to Pipeline CRM, if your sync direction allows it
Not every Pipeline CRM contact belongs in QuickBooks. Pipeline CRM holds all of your leads and prospects; QuickBooks only needs the ones with financial transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to import my QuickBooks customers? No. If you skip the import, nothing changes. Records still get linked one at a time — a link is created each time you make an invoice or proposal for someone — and syncing after that follows your sync direction setting.
Can I run the import more than once? Yes. Run an import anytime to bring in new QuickBooks customers or refresh existing ones.
Why was a customer skipped during the import? They don't have an email address in QuickBooks. Add one, then run the import again.
Does this work with QuickBooks Desktop? No. QuickBooks Online only.
Where do I change these settings later? Go to Settings > Other > App Store and open QuickBooks.
See Create and Send QuickBooks Invoices and Proposals to start using it.
Need help? Contact support at customercare@pipelinecrm.com.