BackupBuddy FAQ's

Getting Started

What is BackupBuddy?BackupBuddy is a QuickBooks Online app that extracts your financial statements together with all supporting documents — a combination not yet available from any other product on the market. It transforms your QBO data into Excel and Google Sheets, with every supporting document hyperlinked directly from the relevant line item for seamless access. BackupBuddy is strictly read-only: we pull data out of QuickBooks for reporting and review purposes. We never modify, write to, or delete anything in your QBO file.

Who is BackupBuddy for?BackupBuddy is built for accountants, bookkeepers, and small business owners who need to understand the costs, billing, and charges behind their financials — and share that detail with clients, stakeholders, or project managers. If you regularly field client queries about what's driving a number on a financial statement, BackupBuddy gives you one-click access to every supporting document (invoices, receipts, bills) underpinning each charge, so you can review or share them instantly. It's especially valuable in industries like construction where cost transparency and document trails matter.

How do I install BackupBuddy?You can install BackupBuddy directly from the Intuit QuickBooks App Store. Click "Get App Now," sign in with your Intuit account, and authorize BackupBuddy to connect to your QuickBooks Online company file. Setup takes under two minutes.

Is there a free version?Yes. BackupBuddy offers a free tier with customizable limits on exports per month, connected companies, and report types available. Paid tiers unlock premium features such as bulk client exports, additional report types, and priority support.

What does each plan include?BackupBuddy offers tiered pricing. The Free plan includes limited exports per month and standard reports. The Pro plan offers unlimited exports, multiple connected companies, and all report types. The Premium plan includes everything in Pro plus multi-client management, white-label options, API access, and priority support. Visit our pricing page for detailed plan information.

Data & Reports

What can I extract from QuickBooks Online?Any financial statement, general ledger, or entire ledger available in QBO — including Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance, GL detail, Accounts Receivable and Payable aging, customer and vendor lists, and chart of accounts. You select exactly what you need.

What makes BackupBuddy different from other QBO export tools?Supporting documents. BackupBuddy doesn't just export numbers — it exports every supporting document (invoices, receipts, bills, attachments) linked to the transactions in your report. Each document is hyperlinked directly from the relevant line item in your spreadsheet, so you or your client can click through and see exactly what's behind each charge. No other product on the market combines financial statements with linked supporting documents in a single export.

What formats can I export to?BackupBuddy currently exports to Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) and Google Sheets.

Does BackupBuddy change anything in my QuickBooks file?No. BackupBuddy operates in strict read-only mode. We use the Intuit API with read-only permissions. We cannot create, edit, or delete any transactions, accounts, or settings in your QBO file.

Can I schedule automatic exports?Not yet — but we're building it. Scheduled reporting (daily, weekly, monthly) is currently in development and will be available soon.

Can I export data from multiple QBO company files?Yes. Accountants and bookkeepers can connect multiple client company files and manage exports from a single BackupBuddy dashboard. Please check your plan for any per-tier limits.

Security & Privacy

Where is my data stored?Exported data is stored on Amazon Web Services (AWS) infrastructure using secure servers. Data is encrypted both in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest (AES-256).

Does BackupBuddy sell or share my financial data?Never. We do not sell, rent, license, or share your financial data with any third party for marketing, advertising, or any purpose beyond providing the BackupBuddy service to you. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

How does BackupBuddy connect to QuickBooks?We use Intuit's official OAuth 2.0 authentication protocol. You authorize BackupBuddy through Intuit's secure sign-in flow — we never see or store your QuickBooks username or password. You can revoke access at any time from your QBO account settings.

Is BackupBuddy approved by Intuit?Yes. BackupBuddy has passed Intuit's technical review and security review, which are required to be listed on the QuickBooks App Store.

How long do you keep my exported data?Exported files are retained on our servers for a defined retention period based on your subscription. You can download your exports at any time during this period. When you cancel your subscription or disconnect a company file, your stored data is deleted within 30 days. See our Privacy Policy for full retention details.

Can I delete my data?Yes. You can request deletion of all stored data at any time by contacting our support team. We will process deletion requests in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

Billing & Account

How do I upgrade or downgrade my plan?You can change your plan at any time from your BackupBuddy account settings. Upgrades take effect immediately. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.

What is your refund policy?We offer a full refund within 14 days of initial purchase if you're not satisfied. After 14 days, subscriptions are non-refundable but you can cancel at any time to prevent future charges.

How do I cancel?You can cancel your subscription from your BackupBuddy account settings or by contacting our support team. Cancellation stops future billing but your access continues through the end of your current billing period.

How do I disconnect BackupBuddy from QuickBooks?You can disconnect from within BackupBuddy's settings, or directly from QuickBooks Online under Apps > My Apps > BackupBuddy > Disconnect. Disconnecting revokes our API access to that company file.

Troubleshooting

My export failed. What do I do?Check that your QuickBooks Online subscription is active and that BackupBuddy still has authorization (you may need to re-authorize after a QBO password change). If the issue persists, contact our support team with the company file name and the date/time of the failed export.

BackupBuddy isn't showing all my accounts or transactions.BackupBuddy pulls data based on the permissions of the QBO user who authorized the connection. If you're connected as a user with restricted access in QBO, the export will reflect those restrictions. Reconnecting as a Primary Admin or Company Admin typically resolves this.

I changed my QBO password. Do I need to reconnect?Yes. For security, Intuit revokes third-party app tokens when you change your password. Simply re-authorize BackupBuddy from the app dashboard.

Some supporting documents aren't showing up in my export.BackupBuddy exports the supporting documents that are attached to transactions within QBO. If a document wasn't uploaded or attached to the relevant transaction in QuickBooks, it won't appear in the export. Verify that attachments are linked to the correct transactions in QBO and re-export.