Importing and Exporting Chart of Accounts in CustomBooks™

Overview

The Chart of Accounts (CoA) contains the General Ledger (GL) accounts used to categorize and record your company's financial transactions. CustomBooks™ provides several options for importing a Chart of Accounts, making it easier to set up a new company or transfer an existing account structure.

You can import accounts to the Chart of Accounts (CoA) in CustomBooks™ in two ways:

From the Company/Client List.
From a file using the Data Import Wizard.

You can also export an existing Chart of Accounts to several file formats for reporting, review, or other business purposes.

Importing from the Company/Client List

If you have another company or client with a fully set up Chart of Accounts, you can copy and import it into a newly set up account.

From the Setup Wizard: CoA Setup

If the account is newly set up and you're importing from the Setup Wizard.

In the Accounting, Chart of Accounts (page 8), choose Import from Client List.
Select the source company/client to import the Chart of Accounts (CoA) from, then click Next.
Select the GL accounts to import, and click Next.
Once the import is successfully completed, click Close to proceed.

From the Chart of Accounts

Open the Chart of Accounts by navigating to Accounting > Chart of Accounts.
Click the More Actions dropdown, select Import, and then choose From Client List.
Select the source company/client to import the Chart of Accounts (CoA) from, and click Next.
Select the GL accounts to import, and click Next.
Once the import is successfully completed, click Close to proceed.

Importing from a File Using the Data Import Wizard

If you have a custom Chart of Accounts that you'd like to use, the best way to import it is through the Data Import Wizard: Chart of Accounts.

We recommend using import templates to simplify field mapping and ensure a smooth import process. These templates act as a foundation for organizing your data before uploading it into the system. You can download or export the import templates from the Tab 2 (Data Relationships) window, or refer to the attachments included in this article.

From the Setup Wizard: CoA Setup

If the account is newly set up and you're importing from the Setup Wizard.

On the Accounting, Chart of Accounts (page 8), choose Import from File.
The Import Tool - Chart of Accounts window will pop up. Click Next to proceed.
Click the Chart of Accounts button to select the data file from your computer.
The Fields Mapping - Chart of Accounts window should pop up.
- If you're using our recommended Chart of Accounts data import template, you can easily map the fields by the column headers, and the system will automatically map the fields. Click the Mapping drop-down in the yellow command bar at the top, then select Map by field by header.
- Otherwise, you will need to manually map the fields. Double-click the fields within the CustomBooks™ fields column to map them.
  
  Additional Settings:
  - Set the Enter Beginning Balance as of date.
  - Set and select the Default Chart of Accounts.
  
  Click the Save and Close button to save the field mapping and proceed.

Next is the Chart of Accounts Mapping Preview. Review the data and the mapping, then click Import to Staging.
On the Staging Data tab, the Data Import Wizard will verify and check for errors. Select all data, then click the Verify Staging Data button. If there are any errors, double-click the staging data to open and correct them (the error details will appear in the Error Description column). Once all data is verified, click Create CustomBooks™ Data to import the staging data into live CustomBooks™ data.
On the Create Data tab, click the Import Staging Data into CustomBooks™ button to complete the import.
Close the Data Import Wizard and return to the Setup Wizard.

From the Chart of Accounts

Open the Chart of Accounts. Go to Accounting > Chart of Accounts.
Click the More Actions dropdown > Import > then select From CSV File.
The Import Tool - Chart of Accounts window will pop up. Click Next to proceed.
Click the Chart of Accounts button to select the data file from your computer.
The Fields Mapping - Chart of Accounts window should pop up.
- If you're using our recommended Chart of Accounts data import template, you can easily map the fields by the column headers, and the system will automatically map the fields. Click the Mapping drop-down in the yellow command bar at the top, then select Map by field by header.
- Otherwise, you will need to manually map the fields. Double-click the fields within the CustomBooks™ fields column to map them.
  
  Additional Settings:
  - Set the Enter Beginning Balance as of date.
  - Set and select the Default Chart of Accounts.
  
  Click the Save and Close button to save the field mapping and proceed.

Next is the Chart of Accounts Mapping Preview. Review the data and the mapping, then click Import to Staging.
On the Staging Data tab, the Data Import Wizard will verify and check for errors. Select all data, then click the Verify Staging Data button. If there are any errors, double-click the staging data to open and correct them (the error details will appear in the Error Description column). Once all data is verified, click Create CustomBooks™ Data to import the staging data into live CustomBooks™ data.
On the Create Data tab, click the Import Staging Data into CustomBooks™ button to complete the import.
Close the Data Import Wizard and return to the Chart of Accounts.

For a quick overview of the process and guided steps, please watch the video below.

Exporting Chart of Accounts

To export your Chart of Accounts:

Go to Accounting > Chart of Accounts.
Click Export List on the yellow command bar at the top.
Select the fields/columns you want to export.
In the CoA - Preview window, click the Export button and choose the desired format. The supported formats are .pdf, .xlsx, .xls, and .docx.