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Project Linking

Projects in Readybuild can be linked to QuickBooks Desktop customers or jobs in two ways: automatically when a project is exported, or manually by connecting to existing QuickBooks records.

Automatic Linking​

When a project is exported to QuickBooks, Readybuild automatically creates the corresponding customer or job in QuickBooks and stores the link.

When Automatic Linking Happens​

Projects are exported to QuickBooks when:

  1. An estimate is marked as sold and the contract has been signed by all clients
  2. A project is saved after the estimate has been sold

How It Works​

When a project exports, Readybuild creates a new record in QuickBooks (it does not search for existing matches). The sync strategy determines what gets created:

Sync StrategyWhat Gets Created in QuickBooks
Project OnlyA single Customer record using the project information
Project and ContactA Customer record for the contact, then a Job under that customer for the project

After QuickBooks creates the record, it returns a unique identifier (ListID) that Readybuild stores. This link allows future updates to sync correctly.

Look for the QuickBooks Desktop icon next to the project name:

IconHover MessageMeaning
Red X"Not linked to QuickBooks Desktop"Project is not linked
Green checkmark"Linked to QuickBooks Desktop (click to unlink)"Project is linked

Manual Linking​

Required Permission
QuickBooks Link/Unlink - You must have the QuickBooks Link/Unlink permission to access this setting.

Use manual linking to connect a Readybuild project to an existing QuickBooks customer or job. This is useful when:

  • You have pre-existing data in QuickBooks that wasn't created by Readybuild
  • A project needs to be linked to a different QuickBooks record
  • You want to re-link a project after it was previously unlinked
  1. Navigate to the project detail page
  2. Click the QuickBooks Desktop icon (red X) next to the project name
  3. The linking dialog opens showing:
    • Project information
    • Suggested QuickBooks matches
    • Search field for finding other records
  4. Select the QuickBooks customer or job you want to link to
  5. Click Link
  6. Confirm the connection
  7. The icon changes to a green checkmark

How Suggestions Work​

When you open the linking dialog, Readybuild suggests QuickBooks records that might be a match. It searches in this order:

  1. Email address - Exact match between contact email and QuickBooks customer email
  2. Contact name - Similar names between the Readybuild contact and QuickBooks customer
  3. Company name - Similar company names
  4. Project title - Similar to a QuickBooks job name

The best matches appear at the top. If you don't see the record you need, use the search field.

Searching for Records​

If the suggestions don't include the record you need:

  1. Type in the search field to filter by customer or job name
  2. The search looks through both customer names and job names
  3. Select the correct record from the filtered results

If No Matches Are Found​

If no suggestions appear:

  1. Check if the record exists in QuickBooks - You can only link to records that already exist
  2. If it doesn't exist, create the customer or job in QuickBooks first
  3. Wait for the next hourly sync - Readybuild refreshes the QuickBooks customer list at the top of every hour
  4. After the Web Connector runs, return to the project and try again
Timing

The QuickBooks customer list refreshes hourly. If you create a job in QuickBooks at 11:30am, it won't appear in Readybuild until the 12:00pm sync (or later, depending on when Web Connector runs).

Unlinking a Project​

  1. Click the QuickBooks Desktop icon (green checkmark) on a linked project
  2. Review the current QuickBooks record details
  3. Click Unlink to disconnect
  4. Confirm the unlinking
warning

Unlinking a project does not delete the record in QuickBooks. It only removes the association in Readybuild. If you export the project again, a new record will be created in QuickBooks.

Keeping Your Customer List Up to Date​

Readybuild keeps a copy of your QuickBooks customers and jobs so you can quickly search and link projects. This list refreshes automatically at the top of every hour when the Web Connector syncs.

If You Don't See a Customer or Job​

If a QuickBooks record isn't showing up in the linking dialog:

  1. Make sure the Web Connector has synced recently - Check the "Last Run" timestamp in Web Connector
  2. Run a sync manually - Click "Update Selected" in Web Connector
  3. Verify QuickBooks is open - The sync only works when QuickBooks is running
  4. Give it a moment - If you have many customers, it may take a minute to finish

Permission Requirements​

Manual project linking requires the QB Link/Unlink permission (QuickBooks Link/Unlink):

  • Users without this permission won't see the QuickBooks icon
  • The permission can be assigned through role configuration
  • Contact your administrator to request access