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Alteryx Designer Desktop Knowledge Base

Definitive answers from Designer Desktop experts.

QuickBooks Input Tool

PeterP
8 - Asteroid
Created
quickbooks_online_preview.png

 

Ever wish you had an easy way to read in data to Alteryx Designer from your Quickbooks Online account? Well, now there's a tool for that.

 

This article will describe how to make an API call to QuickBooks Online through the QuickBooks Input Tool attached to this article.

 

How to create your QuickBooks Developer App

 

NOTE: All information can be found in the developer portal for your intuit account.

 

  1. Log into the Intuit developer portal here.
  2. Navigate to "My Apps" at the top of the navigation and select to create a new app. We will then select the “Just start coding” option.
  3. From the app’s homepage, select the keys tab to view your development keys.
  4. Under Redirect URIs, be sure to specify https://developer.intuit.com/v2/OAuth2Playground/RedirectUrl. (We will reference this link to receive our necessary tokens to grant authorization)

 

 

development keys.PNG

 

5. Visit the link entered in your Redirect URI to visit the OAuth2Playground.

6. You will then select your production app that will load your client ID and Secret

7. Next select the Scope (the access your app is requesting, ie. Accounting/Payment/Payroll etc.)and click “get authorization code”. (Seen Below)

 

 

playground 2.0.PNG

 

8. This will then take you to a confirmation window to connect and pass us our refresh token.

9. You will be redirected back to the screen with a response providing the Refresh Token located in the box below in #4.

 

 

refreshtokenedited.PNG

 

 

By now, you will have the following credentials needed to configure your QuickBooks Input tool:

 

  • Client ID
  • Client Secret
  • Refresh Token

 

Our next step is to read through the Intuit Developer API documentation to create the proper Request URL for our desired data.

 

Configuring the QuickBooks Connector Macro Tool

 

Users will need to locate their Client ID, Client Secret, Refresh Token, as well as the desired API Endpoint URL to return the proper response from their Quickbooks account. Once the refresh token has been input, users will no longer have to provide the refresh token to the tool every time it is used.

 

The Quickbooks Input tool will provide the JSON response in a JSON key/value pair. This is the most practical way to return the data to the users as parsing the table structures for reports will vary based upon the users API Endpoint Request.

 

You can download the YXI Installer file for the QuickBooks Input Tool here.

 

NOTE: The Refresh Token generated through the OAuth Playground is meant to expire in 101 days. The macro is constructed to reset the expiration counter back to 101 days every time you run the macro. IF the macro is not used for 101 days however, the user will need to repeat steps 1-9 in order to generate a new refresh token.

 

Comments
anad
7 - Meteor

Hi,

 

I installed the connector and as soon as I drag the tool on onto the workspace it comes up with an error.20-09-2019 09-44-51.png

 

 

Macro.jpg

 

I tried putting in all the details and running it and it still comes up with an error 20-09-2019 09-38-54.png

 

 

Strangely it did not work when I did it first time but then for no apparent reason in started working and now it is not working again however I did not change anything.  Macro was used recently and it worked fine so token has not expired.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Ana

PeterP
8 - Asteroid

Hi @anad,

 

The error you are seeing when you dragged the tool for the very first time is because there has not been an access token inputted, which makes sense. The workflow has a placeholder [access token], that is unknown initially. After inputting all the parameters, you mention the tool worked (because you've now generated an access token). However, you say the workflow does not work. Can you please tell me what error you are running into? 

anad
7 - Meteor

Hi,

 

Thank you for your reply, the initial error when I just drag the tool onto the workspace makes sense now so I can forget about that one.

 

Once I input all the credentials and run the workflow it still comes up with an error

 

 24-09-2019 10-27-33.png

Thnak you for your help.

 

Ana

 

PeterP
8 - Asteroid

Hi @anad,

 

Are you using that same refresh token every time? Please keep in mind after the first successful run, you will no longer need to provide a refresh token. If you've been attempting with the same refresh token, can you please try going back to the intuit playground and generating a new refresh token and trying the same process to see if you get a successful call back? 

anad
7 - Meteor

Hi,

 

I got a new refresh token and tried it but then I got this error. 

26-09-2019 12-13-53.png

So I installed the connector in C:\User\xxxx\AppData\Roaming\Alteryx\Tools and it worked, I then unticked First time retrieving Refresh Token and ran it again and it worked fine. I then moved the workflow that I temporarily saved on the desktop onto a shared drive and it would not work again so I had to tick back the box to make it work. If you Save as from Alteryx it is fine it only gets confused when you move the workflow.

 

So what is the rule with this refresh token and the tick box, when should I tick it and when I shouldn't?  

Also what happens if leave it ticked?

 

Thank you

anad
7 - Meteor

Does running the workflow with that check box ticked after the first time causes problems?

anad
7 - Meteor

So it all works when I run it for the first 2 times and then it stops.  I have 7 instance of quickbooks I am trying to connect to could this be the issue?

anad
7 - Meteor

Hi,

 

Just an FYI,  I figured it out and if you are trying to connect to more then one instance of QB at the same time you cannot use the same macro as it can store only one access token.

 

 

pedrodrfaria
13 - Pulsar

Hi,

 

The dropbox link here as well as the one in the gallery is broken. Any way to fix it? Thanks! 

lvtaylorUV
5 - Atom

Pedrodraria - I am experiencing this same issue, was this ever resolved for you?

pedrodrfaria
13 - Pulsar

@lvtaylorUV No yet.

I'm also searching to download this tool.  Does anyone have a copy of it, or contact with the original author?

Dynamomo
11 - Bolide

Hi @PeterP ,

Long time no see/talk.  I hope you've been well!

The dropbox link is no longer working.  Can you please refresh this, there are a bunch of folks looking for the QB Input POC that was built.

Thanks!

Maureen

pedrodrfaria
13 - Pulsar

Hey guys,

 

After a while I was able to find this tool. 

 

I uploaded to a github since the link @PeterP is not working. 

 

@PeterP , I will upload this to the community, but please let me know when you update your link and I will remove it from my end. Do not want to take any kind of credit for this, I just want to make sure no one has the same issues I had when I was looking for it. (I sent you a private message)

 

Link:

https://github.com/pedrodrfaria/Alteryx 

 

apmessner
7 - Meteor

Has the QuickBooks Input Tool been removed? Every time I click the link above, I get redirected to a search for "QuickBooks Input Tool" that returns results for other input tools but nothing specifically for QuickBooks.

 

Edit: I just saw the GitHub link and was able to dowonload the YXI file there.