Accounting can generate a lot of paper. QuickBooks provides tools that can help you manage digital versions.
Managing documents is about to get much easier with the Doc Center available in QuickBooks Desktop. Whether you're organizing receipts, invoices, or other essential records, the QuickBooks Desktop Doc Center streamlines the entire process by serving as your go-to hub for file storage and management. By simplifying how you upload, categorize, and access your documents, QuickBooks keeps everything in one place, making your financial tasks smoother.
In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to effectively use the Doc Center to upload, attach, and manage your files—keeping your workflow efficient and your documents securely within reach.
How to Use the QuickBooks Doc Center for Efficient Document Management
The Doc Center in QuickBooks Desktop can streamline your process of uploading documents into the software and managing them. It serves as a dedicated central storage space that allows you to:
upload files into QuickBooks from your PC itself or other storage devices.
enter keywords, descriptions, and other details that can help you find documents in the future.
open files.
remove files.
To find the Doc Center, click Docs in the toolbar to open a window like the one pictured below.
QuickBooks’ Doc Center, showing a file that’s been uploaded.
Click Add document in the upper left corner. QuickBooks will open your PC’s file directory. Scroll to the correct folder, then double-click the desired file to move it into the Doc Center. It will appear in a list there, along with the date and time it was uploaded. You can also drag and drop documents from your desktop or from Microsoft Outlook.
Once a file appears in the Doc Center’s list, you can open or remove it by highlighting it and clicking the button in the lower right corner. Click View Details, and QuickBooks opens a window where you can enter a Title, Description, Keywords, and Comments.
Best Practices for Uploading and Organizing Receipts in QuickBooks Desktop
If you’re trying to upload receipts into the Doc Center that are in a graphics format like .jpg or .png, you may get an error message and be unable to open them. Word and PDF documents should upload just fine, but Windows may not be set up to display your graphics files in QuickBooks. If this happens to you, minimize QuickBooks and enter the phrase “default apps” in the search box in the lower left corner of Windows (the far left box on the toolbar). Click it to open the Settings window.
You’ll need to work with Windows’ default apps settings if you find you can’t open uploaded receipts in a graphics file format like .jpg.
Scroll down and click Choose default apps by file type. Scroll down in the lengthy list that opens until you see your file type (like JPEG File) in the left column. Click the Photos icon to the right, then Photos again in the window that opens, like in the above image. It will look like nothing has happened. Close the window and go back to QuickBooks. You should be able to upload receipts with the file extension now. Repeat this process for any file type you use to save documents.
Your Guide to Attaching Files to Transactions in QuickBooks Desktop
The Doc Center is a good place to store files quickly that you don’t want attached to anything. But say you’re entering a bill, and you want to attach an invoice you’ve just scanned. To do this, go to Vendors | Enter Bills and fill in the bill’s details, then click Attach File in the toolbar. In the window that opens, click Computer in the upper left corner if you want to select a file from your PC’s directory or Doc Center if you want to pull one that you’ve saved there. Find your file and double click it, then click Done.
You’ll notice that the Attach File icon in the toolbar has changed a bit to include the number of attachments you’ve uploaded. Click it to open the Attachments window, then double-click the name of the file you just attached to the bill. Close the file after you’ve looked at it, then click Done. Finish the bill and save it. Attachments you’ve uploaded will always be available when you open their corresponding transactions.
You can attach receipts and other documents to individual transactions in QuickBooks.
Uploading Documents from the QuickBooks Mobile App
You can use the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app to snap photos of receipts, bills, and documents and upload them into your company file in QuickBooks. You’ll have to visit different pages on the desktop version to find them, though:
For receipts, go to Vendors | Receipt Management. QuickBooks will display a picture of the receipt and a Receipt Details form. It will transfer what it can from the receipt, and you can fill in the rest, then save it and send it to the correct register.
To find a bill you uploaded, go to Vendors | Upload & Review Bills. QuickBooks will display the photo you snapped and fill in the details it can on a bill form. Enter anything missing and save it.
If you’ve snapped a picture of and uploaded a document, you’ll find it in the Doc Center in QuickBooks when you click Add document from mobile in the upper left corner. Click Add to move it into the Doc Center.
Why Storing Documents Locally in the QuickBooks Desktop Doc Hub Makes Sense for Your Business
Managing your business’s documents doesn’t have to be a hassle--and it can also be less expensive and a lot more eco-friendly, too. Your source document is now attached to the transaction on your screen, too, so you can be more efficient in your work and take fewer trips to the filing cabinet to sift through records until you find what you're looking for.
By saving your documents digitally, you can save on physical storage costs, paper, and bankers' boxes. We recommend storing your documents in OneDrive, which is always backed up, or in Carbonite, too. If you're concerned about the risk of losing digital data, remember that your hard copies are more at risk from natural disasters.
With the Doc Center, you can keep your financial records organized and easily accessible, whether you’re running a field service operation, retail store, or manufacturing business. By streamlining how you upload, attach, and manage critical documents, QuickBooks helps ensure that your workflows stay efficient and error-free. Need a hand getting started or fine-tuning your setup? Our team is here to help you maximize QuickBooks and make your document management process seamless. Schedule a consultation today to ensure your business stays on track and your documents are right where you need them!
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