Connecting QuickBooks Online to Raken is quick — you authorize the connection, and your Raken Customer Success team handles the rest. This article walks you through the connection step and explains what happens during onboarding.

Note: This article describes the current, CS-managed version of the integration. Existing customers who connected before this update are being migrated to it on a rolling basis. If you previously configured this integration yourself and noticed those permissions were removed, that's expected as part of this migration — see the FAQ below.

Quick Answer

To connect QuickBooks Online to Raken:

Go to Company > Integrations > QuickBooks Online
Click + Connect and sign in with your QuickBooks Online credentials
Approve the connection — your CS team will complete the rest of the setup

How to Connect Your QuickBooks Online Account

Step 1: Navigate to Integrations

Log into the Raken web app. Click Company in the left side navigation, then click Integrations.

Step 2: Open the QuickBooks Online Tile

Click the QuickBooks Online tile to open the integration page.

Step 3: Connect Your Account

Click the orange + Connect button in the top right corner. You will be redirected to QuickBooks Online to authorize the connection. Sign in with your QuickBooks Online credentials and approve the access request. Once approved, you will be redirected back to Raken.

Step 4: Your CS Team Takes It From Here

Once connected, your Raken Customer Success Manager will reach out to schedule your onboarding. During onboarding, your CS team will:

Review your current Raken setup (pay types, cost codes, time policies)
Match and import your existing QuickBooks Online records into Raken (Projects, Employees, Vendors, Pay Types, Cost Codes)
Configure your sync settings — which record types sync automatically going forward
Validate the first sync and confirm everything is working correctly
Set the integration to Active once setup is complete

This matching and import step only applies to records that already existed in QuickBooks Online before the integration was set up. Once setup is complete and the integration is Active, anything new you create in QuickBooks Online afterward — a new Project, Employee, Vendor, Payroll Item, or Service Item — syncs to Raken automatically, typically within about 30 minutes, with no manual step required, as long as that record type's sync is enabled on your account.

You can view your integration settings and linked records at any time from Company > Integrations > QuickBooks Online, but configuration changes are handled by your CS team.

What Syncs from QuickBooks Online to Raken

Projects — QBO Projects import as Raken Projects
Employees — QBO Employees import as Raken Workers
Vendors / 1099 contractors (optional) — QBO Vendors with the 1099 box checked import for contractor time tracking. About half of connected accounts choose not to enable this.
Pay Types (optional, import-only) — QBO Payroll Items import as Raken Pay Types
Cost Codes (optional, import-only) — QBO Service Items import as Raken Cost Codes. These always import as company-level codes — QuickBooks Online only supports one company-wide Service Items list, so this applies even if your Raken cost codes are currently set up at the project level.

Note: Only QuickBooks Online Projects sync as Raken Projects — Customers do not. Make sure your jobs are set up as Projects in QuickBooks Online.

Note: Worker classifications do not sync in either direction — Raken does not pull classification data from QuickBooks Online, and does not push Raken classification data to QuickBooks Online.

Troubleshooting & FAQ

Why is my integration showing as Paused after connecting?

The integration defaults to Paused during setup to allow your CS team to complete the linking and import process before live syncing begins. This is expected — your CS team will set it to Active once setup is complete.

I connected my QBO account but nothing has imported yet. What do I do?

If your onboarding session with CS hasn't happened yet, that's expected — the initial matching and import of your existing records is handled during that session. If onboarding is already complete and the integration is Active, new records created in QuickBooks Online should sync automatically within about 30 minutes (for record types you've enabled); if something is still missing after that, email help@rakenapp.com.

Can I configure the integration myself?

You can view your settings and linked records at any time. The initial configuration — matching your existing records, setting sync preferences, and linking pay types and cost codes — is managed by your CS team to ensure accuracy and prevent misconfiguration. After that initial setup, new records sync automatically without any further configuration needed.

I used to be able to configure this integration myself — why can't I anymore?

Raken moved QuickBooks Online to a CS-managed onboarding model to reduce misconfiguration and add Pay Type/Cost Code sync. If your account previously had self-service configuration access, that access was removed as part of migrating your account to this new version — this is expected, not an error. Your CS team now handles configuration on your behalf, and you gain the new Pay Type and Cost Code sync as part of the move. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you have questions about your specific migration.

My integration doesn't look like what's described in this article — why?

You're likely still on the previous version of the integration. Existing customers are being migrated to the CS-managed model (described in this article) on a rolling basis. Until your account is migrated, you won't see the Confirm Matches step or Pay Type/Cost Code sync described here. Contact your Customer Success Manager for your account's migration timeline.

What happens to my integration if my account isn't migrated yet?

Your existing sync keeps working normally — nothing already connected will stop syncing. Once your account is migrated, self-service configuration access moves to your CS team, and you'll gain access to the new Pay Type/Cost Code sync if you'd like it. Contact your Customer Success Manager if you'd like to check on your migration timeline.

Considerations

Requires the Performance Plan and QuickBooks Online Plus, Advanced, or Intuit Enterprise Suite.
Onboarding is CS-managed. You connect your account; your CS team completes the one-time matching of existing records. After that, new records sync automatically for any record type you've enabled.
Only QuickBooks Online Projects sync as Raken Projects — not Customers.
Vendors/1099 contractors, Pay Types, and Cost Codes are all optional. Pay Types and Cost Codes are import-only — there's no matching option for these two record types.
Cost Codes always import as company-level codes, never project-level — plan for some reconciliation during onboarding if your existing codes are project-specific.
Only Vendors with the 1099 box checked sync from QuickBooks Online.
Time tracking must be enabled on each employee record in QuickBooks Online for that employee to sync to Raken.
Worker classifications do not sync in either direction.
Existing customers are being migrated from the prior self-service version to this CS-managed version on a rolling basis. Not all current customers have this experience yet.

Getting Started with the Raken + QuickBooks Online Integration