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DIY Import Guide

Table of Contents

Before You Begin What Can Be Transferred Gather Your Data Helpful Tips Create Your New AccountEdge File Convert Accounts Import Accounts into AccountEdge Accounts Import Log Convert Contacts Import Customers into AccountEdge Customer Import Log Convert Items Import Items into AccountEdge Items Import Log

Before You Begin

The first step is to pick a start date, which will be the day you begin using AccountEdge to enter all your business transactions. From that day forward, you will no longer enter transactions in your previous accounting software. Your previous software will now become your ‘file cabinet’. Most business owners look back much less than they think.

Typically, you would want to start at the beginning of a month, quarter, or fiscal year. Each has its pluses and minuses, so pick the most realistic date for you, even if it means re-entering some data into AccountEdge. For example, it might be two weeks after the quarter ended, so you may want to re-enter the last two weeks of transactions in AccountEdge.

While starting with AccountEdge at the end of a financial quarter or fiscal year is most common, you can switch over at any time that works best for you.

What Can Be Transferred

This guide will walk you through converting the following information from any Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) to AccountEdge:

  • Chart of Accounts with Opening Balances
  • Customer, Vendor, and Employee Contacts
  • Items

This guide does not address converting transaction history. 

If you have a QuickBooks IIF file, you can use our QuickBooks IIF Import Tool.

If you are looking to convert historical transactions, an AccountEdge Partner offers a more detailed conversion from QuickBooks and Sage products. For more information, click here.

Gather Your Data

Before you begin importing your information into AccountEdge, first gather your existing data.

When you begin exporting your data from your software, carefully review the files you create. We suggest you delete any data you won’t need moving forward (accounts you don’t use, old customers or vendors, items you no longer sell).

We suggest exporting the following reports from your previous accounting software to keep a more detailed history:

  • Detailed Trial Balance
  • Profit and Loss 
  • Balance Sheet
  • Aged Receivables and Payables (as of conversion date)
  • Statement of Cash Flow
  • Sales by Customer Detail and Sales by Item Detail
  • Purchases by Vendor Details and Purchases by Item Detail

AccountEdge Import Templates

The key to bringing your data into AccountEdge is understanding the fields available in your current software and in AccountEdge, using Excel to maximize the data you convert.

Using our sample company file, Widgets Coffee Co., we have put together a set of Excel files as a template you can use to match up your data and prepare for import:

Keep the header row (top row) untouched, but remove the example data shown and replace it with your details. The Excel file must be saved as a Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) for import compatibility.

Helpful Tips

AccountEdge fields marked with an asterisk* are required and must be filled in for a successful import.

Fields marked with a caret^ are conditional fields. When importing, at least one of these fields must contain valid entries that match the fields in the company file.

Back-Up. Back-Up. Back-Up. Make copies of your AccountEdge Company File after completion of each step. This will let you quickly restart a step without starting over.

Create Your New AccountEdge File

Before you get started converting your data, you will need to install AccountEdge on your computer. Once installed, it is time to create your new AccountEdge Company File.

Click here for our New Company File Assistant FAQ.

Now you are ready to convert your data into AccountEdge.

Convert Accounts

Getting your accounts (aka your general ledger chart of accounts) list ready for import is the most important step in this process. 

  1. Review your list of Account Numbers and ensure they follow the AccountEdge format for Account Numbers and Account Type. All account numbers must be unique; you can not have duplicate account numbers.

Take a look at how AccountEdge formats the Account Number by account type:

Account Number Account Type
1-XXXX Asset
2-XXXX Liability
3-XXXX Equity
4-XXXX Income
5-XXXX Cost of Goods
6-XXXX Expense
8-XXXX Other Income
9-XXXX Other Expense
  1. If your account numbers are four digits, you must convert them to five-digit numbers. We recommend adding zero at the end of your account numbers.
  2. Click here for the Accounts List Import Template to match your data to the correct fields.
  3. Remove the example data shown (keep the header/top row of column labels) and replace it with your details. 
  4. Match your fields properly and confirm that all fields are in the appropriate format.

NOTE: We suggest you import your Account Number, Account Name, and Opening Balance into AccountEdge. The Account Number field is required to import a new account.

  1. Save the Excel file as a Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) for import.

Import Accounts into AccountEdge

Now that your accounts are formatted, you can import them into AccountEdge.

  1. Click on File from the top menu bar, and select Import Data > Accounts > Account Information.
  2. Select the following:
  • Import File Format: Tab-delimited
  • First Record is: Header Record
  • Duplicate Records: Reject Them
  1. The Open File window appears. Select the tab-delimited file you saved with your account information. Select Open.
  2. Next, if you used our Import Template, you can select automatch to match the fields. If not, you can manually select the field on the left, and then select the field you want to match it to on the right. Continue this process until all desired fields have been matched appropriately. Select Import.
  3. After completing your import, a pop-up window will show you how many records were imported without errors, skipped, or imported with warnings.

If it says all your records imported without errors, you have completed importing your accounts into your AccountEdge company file. Review your new Accounts List in AccountEdge and ensure all information is correct. 

If the window shows that some records were skipped or were imported with warnings, continue to the Import Log location.

Accounts Import Log

The AccountEdge Import Log lists any errors encountered during the import process. The errors and warnings during the import process are listed at the bottom of the log. Those error codes will correspond to the number in front of each record.

  1. Open the AccountEdge Import Log (found in the same folder that contains your AccountEdge Company File). Open Import Log.txt with a spreadsheet program for easier viewing.
  2. Open the Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) used to import your data and make the corrections based on the error messages. 

NOTE: You can remove the records from this file that were imported successfully to make it easier to review your details.

  1. Save the file as a new version.
  2. Import the new file using the same steps listed above. Make sure to select Duplicate Records > Update Existing Record when re-importing the data.
  3. Continue that process until all records have been imported successfully.

Convert Contacts

The instructions in this section will focus on customers, but the same steps can also be used for Vendors and Employees.

  1. Review your contact list and ensure you have all the details you want to import.
  2. Click here for the Customer List Import Template to match your data to the correct fields.
  3. Remove the example data shown (keep the header/top row of column labels) and replace it with your details. 
  4. Match your fields properly and confirm that all fields are in the appropriate format.

NOTE: We suggest you import the following fields: Company or First Name, Last Name, Street 1, Street 2, City, State, Postal/Zip, Contact, Phone, and Email.

NOTE: AccountEdge lets you track a contact card by company name or contact name. If you track customers by Contact Name, use the ‘Co./Last Name’ and ‘First Name’ fields. If you maintain contact by Company Name, use the ‘Co./Last Name’. If you track a Company Name and Contact Name for your customers, you should match your Company Name column to the ‘Co./Last Name’ field and Contact Name to the ‘Contact’ field in AccountEdge.

  1. Save the Excel file as a Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) for import.

Import Customers into AccountEdge

Now that your contacts are formatted, you can import them into AccountEdge.

  1. Click on the File drop-down menu and select Import Data > Cards > Customer Cards.
  2. Select the following:
  • Import File Format: Tab-delimited
  • First Record is: Header Record
  • Duplicate Records: Reject Them
  1. The Open File window appears. Select the tab-delimited file you saved with your customer information. Select Open.
  2. Next, if you used our Import Template, you can select automatch to match the fields. If not, you can manually select the field on the left, and then select the field you want to match it to on the right. Continue this process until all desired fields have been matched appropriately. Select Import.
  3. After completing your import, a pop-up window will show you how many records were imported without errors, skipped, or imported with warnings.

If it says all your records imported without errors, you have completed importing your customers into your AccountEdge company file. Review your new Customer List in AccountEdge and ensure all information is correct. 

If the window shows that some records were skipped or were imported with warnings, continue to the Import Log location.

You can import your Vendor and Employee Contact Information using the same steps listed above.

Customer Import Log

The AccountEdge Import Log lists any errors encountered during the import process. The errors and warnings during the import process are listed at the bottom of the log. Those error codes will correspond to the number in front of each record.

  1. Open the AccountEdge Import Log (found in the same folder that contains your AccountEdge Company File). Open Import Log.txt with a spreadsheet program for easier viewing.
  2. Open the Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) used to import your data and make the corrections based on the error messages. 

NOTE: You can remove the records from this file that were imported successfully to make it easier to review your details.

  1. Save the file as a new version.
  2. Import the new file using the same steps listed above. Make sure to select Duplicate Records > Update Existing Record when re-importing the data.
  3. Continue that process until all records have been imported successfully.

Convert Items

  1. Review your item list and ensure you have all the details you want to import.
  2. Click here for the Items List Import Template to match your data to the correct fields.
  3. Remove the example data shown (keep the header/top row of column labels) and replace it with your details. 
  4. Match your fields properly and confirm that all fields are in the appropriate format.

NOTE: We suggest you import the following fields: Item Number, Item Name, Asset Account, Income Account, Expense Account, Selling Price, and Item Description.

  1. You will need to add the following account information for each item:
  • Asset Account Number is what you use to track inventoried items.
  • Income Account Number you use to track the item’s sale.
  • Expense/Cost Of Sales Account Number you use to track when you purchase the item.

NOTE: Make sure you use the new account numbers you imported into AccountEdge from the ‘Convert Accounts’ section.

  1. For each item, AccountEdge needs to know whether you buy, sell, and/or inventory it. If you used our Import Template, these columns are already there. If not, you can manually add a Buy, Sell, and Inventory column.  In these columns, mark whether you buy, sell, or track inventory counts for the item.
  • If you want to track inventory for an item, add an X in the Inventory column
  • If you want to sell an item, add an X in the Sell column
  • If you want to buy an item, add an X in the Buy column
  1. Save the Excel file as a Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) for import.

Import Items into AccountEdge

Now that your items are formatted, you can import them into AccountEdge.

  1. Click the File drop-down menu and select Import Data > Items.
  2. Select the following:
  • Import File Format: Tab-delimited
  • First Record is: Header Record
  • Duplicate Records: Reject Them
  1. The Open File window appears. Select the tab-delimited file you saved with your item information. Select Open.
  2. Next, if you used our Import Template, you can select automatch to match the fields. If not, you can manually select the field on the left, and then select the field you want to match it to on the right. Continue this process until all desired fields have been matched appropriately. Select Import.
  3. After completing your import, a pop-up window will show you how many records were imported without errors, skipped, or imported with warnings.

If it says all your records imported without errors, you have completed importing your items into your AccountEdge company file.

If the window shows that some records were skipped or were imported with warnings, continue to the Import Log location.

Items Import Log

The AccountEdge Import Log lists any errors encountered during the import process. The errors and warnings during the import process are listed at the bottom of the log. Those error codes will correspond to the number in front of each record.

  1. Open the AccountEdge Import Log (found in the same folder that contains your AccountEdge Company File). Open Import Log.txt with a spreadsheet program for easier viewing.
  2. Open the Tab-Delimited Text File (.txt) used to import your data and make the corrections based on the error messages. 

NOTE: You can remove the records from this file that were imported successfully to make it easier to review your details.

  1. Save the file as a new version.
  2. Import the new file using the same steps listed above. Make sure to select Duplicate Records > Update Existing Record when re-importing the data.
  3. Continue that process until all records have been imported successfully. 
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