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How to run a bulk product import into QuickBooks Desktop and fix common errors?

Once your file and QuickBook Desktop (QBD) are ready, follow these steps to run the import, check the results, and fix any issues that come up.

» Step 1: Back up QBD right before you import

Take one more backup immediately before starting the import. Unlike most actions in QBD, imports cannot be undone. A backup is your only way back if something goes wrong.

  1. Click File → Back Up Company → Create Local Backup.
  2. Save it somewhere easy to find, with a clear name and today's date.

» Step 2: Run the import

  1. Click File → Utilities → Import → Excel Files.
  2. If a tutorial popup appears, click No to skip it.
  3. Click Advanced Import on the first screen.
  4. Click Browse and select your prepared import file.
  5. Choose the correct sheet from the dropdown and tick This data file has header rows.
  6. Under Choose a mapping, click Add New. Give it a clear name (e.g., Product Import — Inventory Part) and set the Import type to Item. Save this mapping. You can reuse it for future imports without having to map everything again.
  7. In the mapping table, match each QBD field on the left to the correct column in your file. This is where most import mistakes happen. Key things to check:
    • Name should map to your SKU column — not the product description
    • Item Type should map to the column containing Inventory Part
    • Your custom fields (Color, Size, etc.) should only appear in the dropdown if you completed the custom field setup in FAQ 1
  8. Click Preview to see how the first few rows will look in QBD. If anything looks off, go back and adjust the mapping before continuing.
  9. When the preview looks correct, click Import.
  10. Wait for the import to finish. Do not close QBD, shut down your computer, or disconnect from the network while it's running. For large files (5,000+ rows), this can take 10–30 minutes.

» Step 3: Read the import results

When the import finishes, QBD shows a summary:

  • Successful Rows: Should match the row count you noted when saving your file.
  • Failed / Skipped Rows: QBD will offer to save a log file listing every row that didn't import and why. Always save this log.

» Step 4: Spot-check the imported products

Don't rely on the results screen alone. Open a few products and check them manually.

  1. Click Lists → Item List.
  2. Search for a handful of specific SKUs. Pick a mix of simple products and ones with more attributes.
  3. Double-click each one and confirm the description, price, accounts, category, and custom fields all look correct.

» Step 5: Fix any issues in bulk

If you spot the same issue across many products — for example, a missing category or wrong account — fix them all at once rather than one by one.

  1. Click Lists → Add/Edit Multiple List Entries.
  2. Set the List dropdown to Inventory Parts.
  3. Click Customize Columns to add the columns you need to fix.
  4. Filter to the affected products, click into the cells, and paste in the corrected values.
  5. Click Save Changes when done.

» Step 6: Set up pricing tiers (if needed)

QBD stores one standard price per product. If your products have multiple price tiers (e.g., Wholesale, Retail), you will need to set up Price Levels — available on Premier and Enterprise only.

  1. Confirm Price Levels are enabled: Click Edit → Preferences → Sales & Customers → Company
    Preferences → tick ‘Use price levels'.
  2. Lists → Price Level List.
  3. Price Level button (bottom-left) → New.
  4. Create a price level for each tier in your source file. Choose ‘Per Item' for maximum flexibility
    (Enterprise) or ‘Fixed %' (Premier).
  5. For large catalogs: export the Item List after import, paste in the tier prices from the original file,
    and re-import via the same wizard

» Step 7: Set your initial inventory quantities

The import intentionally leaves Quantity on Hand blank — this is by design. Opening balances should be entered separately through an Inventory Adjustment so they post to your Inventory Asset account correctly.

  1. Click Vendors → Inventory Activities → Adjust Quantity/Value on Hand.
  2. Set the Adjustment Type to Quantity.
  3. Choose an Adjustment Account — typically Opening Balance Equity for the initial setup, or a dedicated Inventory Adjustment account.
  4. Enter the physical-count date.
  5. Add each product and enter the correct quantity, or use Find & Select Items to bulk-add.
  6. Click Save & Close.

» A note on variants

QuickBooks Desktop doesn't support product variants the way some other platforms do. Every variant — for example, a candle in three different sizes — becomes its own separate product in QBD.

If your product file has multiple rows for the same product in different sizes or colors, each of those rows will import as its own individual item. This is expected and correct.

» Common errors and how to fix them

  • Product name is too long. QBD Pro and Premier limit product names to 31 characters. If a name is longer than this, the row will be rejected. Shorten the name in your import file before re-importing. If you need to keep the original name for reference, store it in a custom field called Original SKU.

  • Duplicate product name. QBD rejects rows where a product with the same name already exists. Check whether it's an unintended duplicate. If so, rename or delete the existing product. If you're re-running an import, filter out the already-imported rows from your file before running again.

  • Income Account, COGS Account, or Asset Account is missing. These three fields are required on every row. Go back to your import file, fill them in on every row, and re-run. Make sure the account names in your file match exactly what's in QBD, including capitalisation.

  • Custom field shows in the wizard but values didn't come through. This usually means the Use for: Items checkbox wasn't ticked when the custom field was created. Go back to Define Fields, make sure the checkbox is ticked for the affected field, then re-import those products using Add/Edit Multiple List Entries.

  • Price shows as $0 after import. The Sales Price column in your file was formatted as Text instead of a Number. Re-open the file, change the column format to Number, and re-import the affected products.

  • Products imported as Non-Inventory Part instead of Inventory Part. The Item Type column wasn't mapped correctly during the import. Fix the type by going to Lists → Item List, right-clicking the affected product, and selecting Change Item Type. Do this before you start creating any invoices — changing the type after transactions have been recorded can affect your historical reports.

  • Import wizard freezes or crashes mid-import. Close QBD and reopen it. Check the Item List to see how many products made it through. Filter your import file to remove the rows that already imported, then re-run with just the remaining rows. For very large files (over 5,000 rows), split the file into smaller batches of 2,000–3,000 rows and import them one at a time.

Still need help? Reach out to our support team at help@wizcommerce.com.