How to Import Timesheets into QuickBooks Online (CSV)
QuickBooks Online accepts time as a CSV through its time-import flow, and the whole job comes down to two things: a file whose columns match what QuickBooks expects, and employee names that match your QuickBooks employee list exactly. Get those two right and the import takes a minute.
JULY 28, 2026 · BY THE CLOX TEAM
QuickBooks Online accepts time as a CSV through its time-import flow, and the whole job comes down to two things: a file whose columns match what QuickBooks expects, and employee names that match your QuickBooks employee list exactly. Get those two right and the import takes a minute.
01
The file QuickBooks Online expects
A time-activities CSV carries one row per employee per day per project: the employee, the date, hours and minutes (or a decimal duration), and optionally the customer or project and a service item for job costing. Export it from whatever tracks your time; Clox produces this exact file from the Reports page, Export, then QuickBooks Online (CSV). If the export isn't in your Reports menu yet, enable the provider first in Settings under Integrations; each enabled provider adds its export format to the menu.
- In QuickBooks Online, open Time, and choose the option to add or import time. As of July 2026 the import lives in the Time area's management flow.
- Upload the CSV.
- Map the columns when prompted: employee, date, duration, and customer or project if you track job costing.
- Resolve any unmatched employees (see below), then confirm. QuickBooks previews rows before committing.
- Spot-check two entries against the source week, one regular and one overtime, before running payroll.
02
The errors that actually happen
Unmatched employees. "Mike Rodriguez" in your tracker and "Michael Rodriguez" in QuickBooks won't match. Fix the names at the source so every future import matches; a one-time rename beats a weekly mapping chore.
Date format. US-format dates (MM/DD/YYYY) are the safe play. A file with day-first dates imports cleanly and wrongly, which is worse than failing.
Double imports. Importing the same week twice doubles hours silently. Import once, after approval, and let the approval step be the trigger.
03
Doing this weekly without the ritual
The import is easy; assembling a correct CSV by hand is the slow part. Clox closes the loop: crew punches are tagged to jobs at clock-in, you approve the week on the Team page, and the export is already in QuickBooks Online's shape, names and all. There's also an optional live sync for QuickBooks Online if you'd rather skip files entirely; the integration overview compares the two paths. Free for 14 days, one plan.
04
FAQ
Can QuickBooks Online import overtime as a separate line?
Do I need Time Elite or Premium?
What about QuickBooks Desktop?
Clox exports this exact file from the Reports page. Free for 14 days, no credit card.