Importing Inventory with Excel

There are a number of reasons why you may want to use Excel to import items to your item list in QuickBooks: Converting a list from another program, making copies of existing items, bulk addition of a new product line, and more. Today I’m going to give you an overview of how to use Excel to manipulate the item list.
I’m going to use Premier 2008 in my examples, but the approach I’ll use works for older versions as well. Starting in 2008 intuit added an “import wizard” that simplifies the import process, but this method is very restricted and can’t be used for all situations. Instead, we’ll use the advanced import method – which is the method used in versions older than 2008.
Note that to be able to use Excel to import and export the item list you must have Excel installed in the same computer that you are using for QuickBooks.

In the Export window, if “csv” is the only option (the Excel options are “grayed out”), then you either do not have Excel installed, or QuickBooks can’t find Excel. Sometimes errors in your Windows Registry prevents QuickBooks from seeing Excel even if it is installed – if this happens, reinstall Excel and then this option should be available.

For the item list we don’t need any of the options on the Advanced tab, and you don’t need the explanation worksheet. Usually you will create a new Excel workbook – if you add to an existing one, the new export will usually be added in front of the highest numbered worksheet and will be assigned the name SheetX, where “X” should be the next highest number in that spreadsheet.
Your spreadsheet will look something like the following: