QuickBooks Online Authenticate an Element

You can authenticate with QuickBooks to create your own instance of the QuickBooks Online element through the UI or through APIs. Once authenticated, you can use the element instance to access the different functionality offered by the QuickBooks platform.

You can authenticate with QuickBooks using OAuth 2.0 authentication.

As of December 17, 2019, all existing OAuth 1.0 access tokens have been revoked and no new OAuth 1.0 connections are allowed. Click here to access and learn more about scripts to help you migrate from OAuth1 to OAuth 2.

Authenticating through the UI

Use the UI to authenticate with QuickBooks and create an element instance. When you authenticate with QuickBooks via OAuth 2.0, all you need to do is add a name for the instance. After you create the instance, you'll log in to QuickBooks Online to authorize Cloud Elements access to your account. For more information about authenticating an element instance, see Authenticate an Element Instance (UI).

After successfully authenticating, we give you several options for next steps. Make requests using the API docs associated with the instance, map the instance to a virtual data resource, or use it in a formula template.

Authenticating through API

Authenticating through API follows a multi-step OAuth 2.0 process that involves:


1
Redirect URL




2
Authenticate Users




3
Authenticate Instance



Note: You can connect to sandbox accounts by specifying connect.to.sandbox as true when you authenticate an element instance via API.

Getting a Redirect URL


1
Redirect URL




2
Authenticate Users




3
Authenticate Instance



Use the following API call to request a redirect URL where the user can authenticate with the service provider. Replace {keyOrId} with the element key, quickbooks. Note the scope and authentication.type parameters that are unique to QuickBooks Online.

curl -X GET /elements/{keyOrId}/oauth/url?apiKey=<api_key>&apiSecret=<api_secret>&callbackUrl=<url>&siteAddress=<url>&scope=com.intuit.quickbooks.accounting&authentication.type=oauth2

Query Parameters

Query ParameterDescription
apiKeyThe API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Client ID that you recorded in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.
apiSecretThe client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the Client Secret that you recorded in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.
callbackUrlThe URL that the API provider returns a user to after they authorize access. This is the Redirect URI that you recorded in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.
scopeThe scope provided is required to access data in QuickBooks online.
authentication.typeIdentifies that you are authenticating with OAuth 2.0.

Example cURL

curl -X GET \
  'https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/elements/{keyOrID}oauth/url?apiKey=*****v&apiSecret=*****&callbackUrl=https://auth.cloudelements.io/oauth&state=quickbooks&authentication.type=oauth2' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \

Example Response

Use the oauthUrl in the response to allow users to authenticate with the vendor.

{
"oauthUrl": "https://appcenter.intuit.com/connect/oauth2?scope=com.intuit.quickbooks.accounting&response_type=code&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fhttpbin.org%2Fget&state=quickbooks&client_id=fiu8Ef123jFHIPEuui19asfji8689EY89Fjhfhi1I52fs6GEkl",
"element": "quickbooks"
}

Authenticating Users and Receiving the Authorization Grant Code


1
Redirect URL




2
Authenticate Users




3
Authenticate Instance



Provide the response from the previous step to the users. After they authenticate, QuickBooks Online provides the following information in the response:

{
    "code": "Q011xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "realmId": "1231xxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "state": "quickbooks"
  }
Response ParameterDescription
codeThe authorization grant code returned from the API provider in an OAuth 2.0 authentication workflow. Cloud Elements uses the code to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint.
realmIDAn identifier unique to QuickBooks that identifies the company that the authenticated instance is connected to.
stateA customizable identifier, typically the element key (quickbooks) .

Authenticating the Element Instance


1
Redirect URL




2
Authenticate Users




3
Authenticate Instance



Use the /instances endpoint to authenticate with QuickBooks Online and create aan element instance. If you are configuring events, see the Events section.

To authenticate an element instance:

  1. Construct a JSON body as shown below (see Parameters):

    {
      "element": {
        "key": "quickbooks"
      },
      "providerData": {
        "code": "<AUTHORIZATION_GRANT_CODE>",
        "realmId": "<REALMID_FROM_PREVIOUS_STEP>",
        "dataSource":"QBO"
      },
      "configuration": {
        "oauth.callback.url": "<CALLBACK_URL>",
        "oauth.api.key": "<CONSUMER_KEY>",
        "oauth.api.secret": "<CONSUMER_SECRET>",
        "authentication.type" : "oauth2"
      },
      "tags": [
        "<Add_Your_Tag>"
      ],
      "name": "<INSTANCE_NAME>"
    }
    
  2. Call the following, including the JSON body you constructed in the previous step:

    POST /instances
    
  3. Locate the token and id in the response and save them for all future requests using the element instance.

Example cURL

curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
  -H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "quickbooks"
  },
  "providerData": {
    "code": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "realmId": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url": "https://auth.cloudelements.io/oauth",
    "oauth.api.key": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "oauth.api.secret": "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    "authentication.type" : "oauth2"
    },
  "tags": [
    "Docs"
  ],
  "name": "QBO_Instance-="
}'

Parameters

API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

ParameterDescriptionData Type
keyThe element key.
quickbooks
string
codeThe authorization grant code returned from the API provider in an OAuth 2.0 authentication workflow. Cloud Elements uses the code to retrieve the OAuth access and refresh tokens from the endpoint.string
realmIdThe realmId returned upon user authorization. An identifier unique to QuickBooks that identifies the company that the authenticated instance is connected to.string
nameThe name of the element instance created during authentication.string
oauth.api.keyThe API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Client ID that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.string
oauth.api.secretThe client secret obtained from registering your app with the API provider. This is the Client Secret that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.string
oauth.callback.urlThe API key or client ID obtained from registering your app with the provider. This is the Redirect URI that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.string
authentication.typeIdentifies the authentication type to use with the request.string
quickbooks.minorversionOptional. A specific version of the API other than the generally available version. For more information, see Minor Versions in the QuickBooks docs.STRING
scopeIdentifies the QuickBooks API access that your application is requesting.string
tagsOptional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance.string

Example Response for an OAuth 2.0 Authenticated Element Instance

In this example, the instance ID is 12345 and the instance token starts with "ABC/D...". The actual values returned to you will be unique: make sure you save them for future requests to this new instance.

{
  "id": 12345,
  "name": "API Instance",
  "createdDate": "2017-08-07T18:46:38Z",
  "token": "ABC/Dxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
  "element": {
      "id": 39,
      "name": "QuickBooks Online",
      "hookName": "QuickBooksOnline",
      "key": "quickbooks",
      "description": "Add a QuickBooks Online Instance to connect your existing QuickBooks Online account to the Finance Hub, allowing you to manage your customers, employees, invoices, purchase orders etc. across multiple Finance elements. You will need your QuickBooks Online account information to add an instance.",
      "image": "elements/provider_quickbooks.png",
      "active": true,
      "deleted": false,
      "typeOauth": true,
      "trialAccount": false,
      "configDescription": "If you do not have an QuickBooks account, you can create one at <a href=\"http://quickbooks.intuit.com/signup/\" target=\"_blank\">QuickBooks Signup</a>",
      "signupURL": "http://quickbooks.intuit.com/signup/",
      "defaultTransformations": [ ],
      "objectMetadata": [ ],
      "transformationsEnabled": true,
      "bulkDownloadEnabled": true,
      "bulkUploadEnabled": true,
      "cloneable": false,
      "extendable": true,
      "beta": false,
      "authentication": {
          "type": "oauth2"
      },
      "extended": false,
      "hub": "finance",
      "protocolType": "http",
      "parameters": [],
      "private": false
  },
  "elementId": 39,
  "tags": [
      "Docs"
  ],
  "provisionInteractions": [],
  "valid": true,
  "disabled": false,
  "maxCacheSize": 0,
  "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
  "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
  "configuration": {    },
  "eventsEnabled": false,
  "traceLoggingEnabled": false,
  "cachingEnabled": false,
  "externalAuthentication": "none",
  "user": {
        "id": 12345
      }
}

Token-Based Authentication

The QuickBooks Online element also allows for token-based authentication. To provision an instance using this method, you are still required to have all of the OAuth information ahead of time.

Example cURL

curl -X POST \
  https://api.cloud-elements.com/elements/api-v2/instances \
  -H 'authorization: User <USER_SECRET>, Organization <ORGANIZATION_SECRET>' \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{
  "element": {
    "key": "quickbooks"
  },
  "configuration": {
    "oauth.callback.url":"<INSERT_CALLBACK_URL>",
    "quickbooks.datasource": "<INSERT_DATASOURCE>",
    "oauth.user.refresh_interval": "<INSERT_REFRESH_INTERVAL>",
    "quickbooks.realm.id" : "<INSERT_REALM_ID>",
    "oauth.user.token":"<INSERT_USER_TOKEN>",
    "oauth.user.token.secret":"<INSERT_USER_TOKEN_SECRET>",
    "oauth.api.key": "<INSERT_API_KEY>",
    "oauth.api.secret": "<INSERT_API_SECRET>"
  },
  "tags": [
    "QBO Token"
  ],
  "name": "QBO Token",
  "externalAuthentication": "initial"
}'

Parameters for Token Based Authentication

API parameters not shown in Cloud Elements are in code formatting.

ParameterDescriptionData Type
'key'The element key.
quickbooks
string
Name
name
The name for the element instance created during authentication.Body
"oauth.user.refresh_interval"In seconds, the amount of time that should pass before a refresh needs to take place. The default for QuickBooks Online is 151 days or 13046400.
oauth.user.tokenThe token retrieve in the Getting an Oauth Token step.
oauth.user.token.secretA secret to establish the ownership of the token.
quickbooks.realm.idThe unique Identifier for the authorized QuickBooks company.
stateThis should always be quickbooks
quickbooks.dataSourceThis value determines what data source should be used for the connection.
oauth.callback.urlThe Callback URL from QuickBooks. This is the Callback URL that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.
oauth.api.keyThe Consumer Key from QuickBooks. This is the Consumer Key that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.string
oauth.api.secretThe Consumer Secret from QuickBooks. This is the Consumer Secret that you noted in QuickBooks Online API Provider Setup.string
Filter null values from the response
filter.response.nulls
Optional. Determines if null values in the response JSON should be filtered from the response. Yes or true indicates that Cloud Elements will filter null values.
Default: true.
boolean
tagsOptional. User-defined tags to further identify the instance.string
Merge Version and Object idsQuickBooks Online resources return the ID in api response, which is combination of  systemId (raw record ID)  and syncToken. When a user performs an api call (like GET /invoices) the response object will have ID: 1234|3, where 1234 is the record id and 3 is sync-token
This sync token helps manage concurrent requests, whenever user tries to patch any record, only the request with the most recent sync tokens will succeed.” We can use this field to enable / disable this synctokens by default on an instance
  • If Merge Version and Object ids  is set to true, the ID will be combination of <recoird-id>|<sync-token , example : 1234|3
  • If Merge Version and Object ids  is set to false, the ID will be just <record-id> , example : 1234

Example Response

{
    "id": 123,
    "name": "test",
    "token": "2jidFIehYe6B2uiIUFI82fsdf+1thuVT+mvofji3",
    "element": {
        "id": 39,
        "name": "QuickBooks Online",
        "key": "quickbooks",
        "description": "Add a QuickBooks Online Instance to connect your existing QuickBooks Online account to the Finance Hub, allowing you to manage your customers, employees, invoices, purchase orders etc. across multiple Finance elements. You will need your QuickBooks Online account information to add an instance.",
        "active": true,
        "deleted": false,
        "typeOauth": true,
        "trialAccount": false,
        "configDescription": "If you do not have an QuickBooks account, you can create one at <a href=\"http://quickbooks.intuit.com/signup/\" target=\"_blank\">QuickBooks Signup</a>",
        "signupURL": "http://quickbooks.intuit.com/signup/"
    },
    "provisionInteractions": [],
    "valid": true,
    "eventsEnabled": true,
    "disabled": false,
    "maxCacheSize": 0,
    "cacheTimeToLive": 0,
    "cachingEnabled": false
}