How to export your data from QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online lets you export your reports, lists, and non-posting transactions (estimates, purchase orders, customer statements, attachments, recurring templates, chart of accounts, products & services) as Excel files, bundled into a single .zip for reports and lists. There is no native one-click full-company JSON/CSV export; each data type is exported separately via Settings > Export data or from each list/report screen.
✓ Verified against QuickBooks Online's official documentation, October 2026
Step by step
- 1Go to Settings (gear icon) and in the TOOLS column select 'Export data'
- 2Select the reason for exporting, then select Continue
- 3On the Reports tab, set the date range using the Pre-selected date ranges dropdown
- 4Add or remove items from the Reports and Lists tabs by turning switches on or off
- 5Select 'Export to Excel' and then OK to confirm the export completed
- 6For non-posting data not included in the bundle (Estimates, Purchase Orders, Customer Statements, Attachments, Recurring Templates, Chart of Accounts, Products & Services), open each respective screen and use its own 'Export to Excel' or 'Export' option
- 7For attachments specifically, go to Settings > Attachments, select the files, use the Batch actions dropdown and select Export (downloads as a zip file)
What the export includes
- ✓Reports and lists bundled as Excel files in one .zip (posting transactions that affect account balances, e.g. invoices, receipts, bills)
- ✓Estimates, Purchase Orders, and Customer Statements (exported individually from their transaction screens)
- ✓Attachments (exported as a zip file via Settings > Attachments)
- ✓Recurring Templates list, Chart of Accounts, and Products & Services lists
What it doesn't include
- ✗A single combined JSON/CSV export of the entire company file
- ✗Third-party app integration configurations
- ✗Items not covered by the Export data tool must be pulled manually from their individual screens (the tool does not capture every data type in one pass)
Before you start
- ⚠There is no bulk 'export everything' button — reports/lists come as one zip, but estimates, purchase orders, statements, attachments, recurring templates, chart of accounts, and products/services each require a separate export step
- ⚠After canceling a paid QuickBooks Online subscription you get read-only access and can still export data to Excel or to QuickBooks Desktop for up to one year after cancellation
- ⚠If you cancel during a free trial or the trial expires, data is only available for 90 days
- ⚠If a credit card payment is declined, you have 14 days to update billing before the account is suspended; after that you must re-subscribe to regain access to your data
- ⚠Intuit explicitly recommends exporting or printing your data before canceling, since access is not permanent
Where to take your data
Free and cheaper tools that can take a QuickBooks Online export. See all QuickBooks Online alternatives →
Wave Accounting
Clean up the exported chart of accounts, customer/vendor lists, and transaction reports in Excel, then re-enter or bulk-upload via Wave's CSV bank transaction import; invoices and customers are generally re-created manually since Wave has no native QuickBooks-format importer
Reformat the exported chart of accounts, customers, vendors, and products/services lists to Zoho Books' required CSV templates and import them under Settings > Data Import; transactions typically need to be reformatted to Zoho's expected CSV columns before import
GnuCash
Convert the exported Excel chart of accounts and transaction reports into CSV, then use GnuCash's built-in CSV Transaction/Account Importer (File > Import > Import Transactions from CSV) to bring in accounts and transactions
Exporting from QuickBooks Online: common questions
Can I export my entire QuickBooks Online company file as a single file?+
No. The Export data tool bundles reports and lists into one Excel-file zip, but estimates, purchase orders, customer statements, attachments, recurring templates, chart of accounts, and products/services each need to be exported separately from their own screens.
Does QuickBooks Online export to CSV or JSON?+
Exports are delivered as Excel (.xlsx) files, bundled in a .zip for the reports/lists export; attachments also export as a zip. There is no native CSV or JSON export option in the UI.
How long can I access my data after canceling QuickBooks Online?+
If you were on a paid subscription, you get read-only access and can export data to Excel or to a desktop version of QuickBooks for up to one year after cancellation. If you canceled during a free trial or the trial expired, data is only available for 90 days.
What happens if my QuickBooks Online payment fails?+
You have 14 days to update your billing information while retaining full access. After that, the account is suspended and you must re-subscribe to regain access to your data.
Do I need a specific QuickBooks Online plan to export data?+
No, basic export (reports, lists, estimates, purchase orders, attachments, etc.) is available on any plan. QuickBooks Online Advanced additionally offers Custom Report Builder for creating more specific custom report exports.
Can I export my attachments and receipts from QuickBooks Online?+
Yes. Go to Settings > Attachments, select the files you want, then use the Batch actions dropdown and select Export; they download as a zip file.
Sources
This guide was written from QuickBooks Online's own documentation and checked against it in October 2026. If a step has changed, the official page wins.
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