Saturation's QuickBooks Online (QBO) integration keeps your production's day-to-day spend and your books in sync, without double entry. Once connected, transactions, categories, projects, contacts, and attachments flow from Saturation into QuickBooks automatically, so your accounting records stay current as your production actualizes its budget.
Overview of the Integration
The Saturation-QuickBooks integration allows you to sync:
Transactions from your Saturation financial account (both credit and debit can be mapped to separate accounts)
Categories mapped to QuickBooks expense accounts
Projects with QuickBooks projects or classes
Contacts with QuickBooks vendors
Transaction attachments
Note: Currently, the integration does not pull in transactions from external bank or credit card accounts (Chase, Amex, etc.) that you haven't run through Saturation. If your team is still charging cards outside of Saturation Pay/Credit, connect those accounts directly to QuickBooks rather than to Saturation - routing them through both systems creates duplicate entries, since Saturation would not be the authoritative source for those accounts.
Connecting Saturation to QuickBooks Online
To set up the integration:
Navigate to the Integrations section in Saturation
Click on QuickBooks
Click the "Login" button to enable the integration
You will be prompted to log in to your QBO account
Sign in and authorize the integration
Note: If you hit a connection error mid-setup, it's usually caused by a previous connection attempt that got interrupted and left a stale authorization behind - this typically clears with a retry, or our support ([email protected]) can clear the block on the backend.
Set up your chart of accounts before you sync
Before turning on syncing, build out your QuickBooks chart of accounts the way you want it to look. Saturation maps into your existing structure, not the other way around. Note: Most teams create dedicated holding accounts, such as "Saturation Pay" and "Saturation Credit," as a landing zone for incoming transactions before they're reconciled into final categories.
Once your chart of accounts is ready, set up a mapping table linking each Saturation category to the matching QuickBooks GL code. This is what lets the integration route future transactions automatically instead of dumping everything into "Uncategorized Expense." You can speed this up with a template or an existing project's mapping — and it's worth standardizing on one template across all projects rather than customizing each one.
Sync Settings
In the QuickBooks integration settings, configure your sync preferences under the tab "Category":
Automatic GL code syncing toggle: When enabled, transactions sync automatically to QuickBooks. Whenever a transaction is categorized, it will be matched to the corresponding QuickBooks account.
Manual syncing: Turning off auto sync will leave new transactions uncategorized in QuickBooks. You will need to manually finalize each transaction in the Accounting section. Transactions remain uncategorized until finalized in the Accounting section.
Either way, new transactions initially land in QuickBooks as "Uncategorized Expense," then update once you assign the correct category in Saturation.
Finalizing a transaction in the Accounting table is what locks the GL code and triggers the push - nothing hits your books permanently before that step.
You can also set a start date for syncing, so historical transactions don't flood your records when you bring a production online mid-year.
Accounting Management
The Accounting table (Workflows > Accounting), available to admin or accountant access, is your last checkpoint before data hits QuickBooks: review incoming transactions, bulk edit contacts/projects/categories/GL codes, verify where a transaction will land, and finalize to lock it in.
The Accounting tab on your Workspace under "Workflows" provides transaction management for users with admin or accountant access.
They can:
Review transactions before QuickBooks syncing
Finalize transactions to lock GL codes
Bulk edit transaction details:
Contacts
Projects
Categories
QuickBooks GL codes
Configuration Options
Once connected, you'll be presented with several configuration options:
1. Financial Account Sync
Link your Saturation financial account to an existing QuickBooks bank account or add it as a new account
Select a default account for uncategorized expenses
2. Category Sync
Map Saturation categories to QuickBooks expense accounts
Option to use a template or project to populate mappings quickly
Note: For most effective use, try to stick to one template or chart of accounts for all projects
3. Project Sync
Sync Saturation projects with QuickBooks projects or classes
Note: If you're using the customer field for projects and class field for budget lines (common for productions with a handful of standing GL accounts), this generally works, but more complex chart-of-accounts structures are worth reviewing with your accountant or Saturation support before turning on syncing.
4. Contact Sync
Sync Saturation contacts as QuickBooks vendors
5. Attachment Sync
Toggle on/off the syncing of transaction attachments to QuickBooks
Benefits of the Integration
When properly configured, this integration can:
Streamline transaction data flow between Saturation and QuickBooks
Maintain consistency between project budgets and accounting records
Reduce manual data entry and errors
Access comprehensive financial data across both platforms
Common issues
Refunds not appearing in QuickBooks was a known bug (actualized/finalized refunds weren't generating the journal entry update) that's since been fixed- if you're still seeing it, contact support ([email protected]).
Duplicate transactions are almost always caused by connecting the same external account to both Saturation and QuickBooks.
Everything landing in "Uncategorized Expense" usually means your mapping table isn't built out yet or transactions haven't been finalized.
Best Practices
Consistent Categories: Maintain a consistent chart of accounts or template across projects
Regular Checks: Review synced data to ensure accuracy
Use Attachments: Attach relevant documents for comprehensive record-keeping
Transaction Review: Review transactions in the Accounting table before syncing
By leveraging the QuickBooks Online integration with Saturation, you can significantly improve your financial workflow, ensuring that your budgeting and accounting data are always in sync and up-to-date.