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Setting up the QuickBooks Desktop Web Connector
Setting up the QuickBooks Desktop Web Connector

It's easy to connect QBDT Web Connector with Adaptive!

Matt Gummersbach avatar
Written by Matt Gummersbach
Updated over a week ago

Troubleshooting Tips:

Follow these tips & guidelines to help ensure your Web Connector installation goes as smoothly as possible:

  • Make sure the Web Connector file is stored on the same computer as your QuickBooks file.

    • Note: If you are using a remote server, the file must be moved to that remote server.

    • Different remote servers have different methods of installing files onto them.

    • Most users are familiar with moving files to their own remote servers.

    • Users that do not know how to do this, should have a teammate available that can help them with this process.

    • You should be able to download the Web Connector file to your main computer, and then upload it to your remove server.

  • Make sure that you're logged in as an Admin user.

  • Make sure you're in Single User mode. If you're in Multi-User mode, you'll need to log back in as a Single User.

  • Have you tried opening the Web Connector file at least 3 times?

    • Sometimes it takes multiple attempts to get the Web Connector to Run

    • You can try the following 2 approaches to launching the Web Connector:

      • Double click the Web Connector to Open directly from the File Explorer.

      • From within QuickBooks, click:

        • File → App Management → Update Web Services → Add Application

  • If all of the above troubleshooting fails, it's recommended that you please restart your computer and try again.

Downloading Web Connector on Multiple Computers

  • Setting up the Web Connector for Multiple Users:

    1. Share Adaptive's download link with the user (but not the .QWC file itself).

      • Each user must click on the Adaptive .QWC download link themselves.

      • Then each user must download the .QWC file for themselves.

      • Sharing downloaded files between users will not work.

    2. And each user must make sure to click the .QWC download link while they are also logged into Adaptive.

    3. Follow the steps below on Installing Web Connector.

  • Setting up the Web Connector for yourself, but on a different computer / QuickBooks file:

    1. Log in to the new computer/QB file.

    2. Click Adaptive's link to download the .QWC file.

    3. Make sure you are logged into Adaptive before clicking the link.

    4. Follow the steps below on Installing Web Connector.




Installing Web Connector:

  1. Download the QBDT Web Connector:

    • Click on the QBDT Web Connector link that Adaptive has sent you in order to download the QB Web Connector file (.QWC file)

    • If you use a remote desktop for QBDT (most do), then you'll need to transfer the QWC file onto that remote desktop:

    • These are the 2 most common options to transfer files onto your Remote Desktop:

      • A) Download the file onto your local computer, then transfer the file to your remote desktop. The transfer process is different for each type of remote desktop, so you may need to look up that process for your specific type of remote desktop. If you don't know how to do this, then use Option B:

      • B) Or, go straight to your remote desktop, and login to both your email and to Adaptive. Then you can visit the Web Connector link and download the file directly to your remote desktop.

  2. Open QuickBooks Desktop:

    • Make sure you have the correct company file open.

    • Make sure that you're logged in as a QB Admin User in Single User mode. Otherwise, you may encounter permission issues while trying to set up the web connector.

  3. Open the QWC file: (2 options)

    • Easiest way to do this is to simply double click the downloaded .QWC file

    • If, for some reason, the web connector doesn’t Open by double-clicking, you can also manually open it from within QBDT:

      1. In QBDT, click File → Update Web Services

      2. Click “Add Application

      3. Select the .QWC file

  4. Go through the QWC file connection process:

    • Basically, just confirm your way through all the various dialogs.

    • The only screen that you will need to actually make any selection is the page below with radio buttons. You'll want to select the 2nd-to-Last option.

  5. At this point, the web connector should be open with Adaptive showing as one of the connections.

  6. The Auto-Run Option:

    • Auto-Run will cause Web Connector to sync at designated intervals.

    • Most users will want to leave Auto-Run unchecked for now.

  7. Trigger a Manual Sync:

    • Click the checkbox to the left of the connection.

    • Then click “Update Selected

    • The first time triggering a manual sync, you'll be prompted to enter a Password. This is just an administrative step that QB requires. So you can enter any password, such as "123," and the Web Connector will run.


  8. Once the sync is in progress, you can go back to Adaptive:

    • If you're still on the “Connect to QuickBooks” screen, you can visit finance.adaptive.build and you should be viewing you Adaptive dashboard.

    • If you're still seeing the “Connect to QuickBooks” screen, contact us at Adaptive Support ([email protected] or use Adaptive Live Chat) and request that we update your User Status to “Onboarding Finished”.

    • At this point, you should start seeing your QuickBooks objects being imported into Adaptive:

      • Vendors

      • Cost Codes

      • Jobs

      • Bills

      • Expenses

      • etc.

  9. And you're done!


If you have any questions or want to share feedback, feel free to reach out at [email protected].

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