Connection not active

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This is the most common connection problem. It means our server has not heard from your Web Connector recently, so the app’s requests have nowhere to go. QuickBooks itself is usually fine.

What you see

The app shows this message:

The computer that runs QuickBooks Desktop is not reachable. Make sure it is on, signed in, and that the QuickBooks Web Connector is running.

During setup, the Test the connection step shows the title “The Web Connector has not checked in yet” with the same message.

Why it happens

The Web Connector on your computer calls our server about every 10 seconds. When those calls stop, we report the connection as not active. The calls stop when:

the computer is off, asleep or signed out of Windows
the Web Connector is closed, or it was started by a different Windows user
the app’s row in the Web Connector is unchecked, or Auto-Run is off
the Web Connector password was never saved
the Web Connector cannot reach the internet, or something on the network blocks it

How to fix it

Work through these in order on the computer that runs QuickBooks. Most people are done by step 3.

Turn on the computer and sign in to Windows. Sign in as the same Windows user who set up the connection. The Web Connector keeps a separate app list for each Windows user, so another user sees an empty list.
Open the Web Connector. Look for its icon in the notification area at the right end of the taskbar, or open QuickBooks Web Connector from the Start menu. If it is already running, double-click the icon to show its window.
Check the app’s row. In the Web Connector window, find the row for the app, named “{App} ({Company})”. The box at the left of the row is checked, and Auto-Run is checked.
Check that the password is saved. The Password cell shows a row of asterisks. If it is empty, see Web Connector password problems.
Clear Every-Min. Leave the Every-Min box empty. A number there makes the Web Connector check in every few minutes instead of every 10 seconds, which looks like an inactive connection from the app’s side.
Read the Last Result column. If it shows an error code such as QBWC1012, QBWC1048 or QBWC1085, go to the matching page in the help center.
Check that only one QuickBooks version is installed. With several versions side by side, the Web Connector can fail to open the right one. See Keep one QuickBooks version installed.
Restart the Web Connector. Choose Exit in the Web Connector, then open it again from the Start menu. If that does not help, restart the computer and open QuickBooks and the Web Connector again.
If the app’s row is missing, the app was removed from the Web Connector. Ask the app for a new setup link and run it. A new setup creates a new connector with a new password.

If the Web Connector shows a log file error

If the Web Connector refuses to start or reports a problem with QWCLog.txt, follow QBWC1085: Problem with the log file.

Log entries you can ignore

When the app has nothing to do, it tells the Web Connector to check back in a few seconds. The Web Connector writes these replies to its log, QWCLog.txt, as QBWC1031 entries that look like errors. They are normal and say nothing about a problem. A blank Every-Min column and a green or “no data exchange” status on an idle row are also normal.

On hosted QuickBooks

The Web Connector has to run inside your hosted desktop session, and the session has to stay signed in. When the host signs you out, the Web Connector closes with it. See Hosted QuickBooks.

How to check it worked

In the Web Connector, the app’s row updates its status within about 10 seconds and the Last Result column shows no error.
If you are in setup, the Web Connector checked in item ticks off. Click Check again if the page does not update on its own.
Otherwise, try the action in the app again.

When to contact the app’s support

Contact the app’s support team if the steps above do not help, or if the problem returns every day. They can see the last time your Web Connector checked in and can create a new setup link. Send them:

the time the problem started
the exact message the app showed
a screenshot of the Web Connector window with the app’s row visible

For developers, see INTEGRATION_CONNECTION_NOT_ACTIVE.