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How to import QuickBooks customers

ZenGrow & ZenAIBeginner2 minutesUpdated August 15, 2026

Go to Settings > Integrations > QuickBooks Online and click Import Customers. WorkZen pulls your QuickBooks customers in as clients, skips anyone already imported, and links customers that match an existing client by email, so no duplicates are created.

If you ran your business on QuickBooks before WorkZen, your customer list is already sitting there. The import pulls it across in one click, so you can start scheduling and invoicing without retyping anyone.

Run the import

You need a connected QuickBooks account first; see How to connect QuickBooks Online to WorkZen.

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations and open QuickBooks Online.
  2. Click Import Customers.
  3. A dialog explains what will happen. Click Import.

The import runs immediately and reports back with three numbers: imported (new clients created), linked (matched to clients you already had), and skipped (already synced from a previous run).

How duplicate protection works

The import is built so you cannot end up with two copies of the same person:

SituationWhat WorkZen does
Customer never seen beforeCreates a new client
Customer imported previouslySkips it
Customer email matches an existing clientLinks them, no new client

Linking matters if you started adding clients in WorkZen by hand before importing. The matching client keeps everything you already gave it (jobs, invoices, notes) and simply gains the QuickBooks connection.

Note

The import reads from QuickBooks only. It never writes back, so your QuickBooks data is untouched no matter how many times you run it.

After the import

Imported customers appear under Clients like any other client, and they participate in the ongoing two-way sync. For what flows between the two systems from here on, see What syncs between WorkZen and QuickBooks.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Open the QuickBooks integration page

    Go to Settings > Integrations and open QuickBooks Online. Your account must already be connected.

  2. 2

    Click Import Customers

    A confirmation dialog explains what the import does. Click Import to start.

  3. 3

    Review the result

    WorkZen reports how many clients were imported, how many were linked to existing clients, and how many were skipped as already synced.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, as many times as you like. Customers already imported are skipped, so re-running only picks up customers added to QuickBooks since the last run.
They are linked instead of duplicated. The existing WorkZen client is connected to the QuickBooks customer, and future syncing flows through that link.
No. The import only reads from QuickBooks. Nothing on the QuickBooks side is created, changed, or deleted.
The import handles customer lists up to 30,000, which covers even very large service businesses.

This article answers:

  • How do I import my QuickBooks customers into WorkZen?
  • Can I bring my existing client list from QuickBooks?
  • Will importing from QuickBooks create duplicate clients?
  • How do I migrate my customer list to WorkZen?

Related articles

How to connect QuickBooks Online to WorkZenLink your QuickBooks Online account so invoices, payments, estimates, and clients flow from WorkZen into your books automatically.2 min readWhat syncs between WorkZen and QuickBooksExactly which records flow from WorkZen to QuickBooks Online, how fast, what the sync statuses mean, and how to fix a failed sync.3 min readHow To Create A Client From Scratch in WorkZenCreate a client record in WorkZen with contact details, a primary address, and notes. A name and one contact method are all you need to start.Video, 1:41What the Needs attention alerts meanWorkZen alerts admins when something breaks that only they can fix, like a disconnected integration or a failed subscription payment.2 min read

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