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Data Extraction Guide

Shannon Brady
  • Updated

Overview

This guide is designed for anyone already committed to migrating who needs to know exactly where to find the data required. It covers a detailed, software-by-software walkthrough of how to export the data your BrightBooks migration needs.

This document is a companion to the BrightBooks Migration Guide, which explains the two migration routes available (Opening Balances and Full Data Import) and what to do with your data once it is in BrightBooks. Use this guide alongside it to get your data out of your previous software in the right format, from the right report, before you begin the import.

 

What Data You Need, and Why

Before contacting your previous software provider or logging in to pull reports, confirm which migration route you are taking, since this determines how much data you need.

Opening Balances (Recommended)

Your trial balance, and your customer and supplier details and balances, all as at a single date. This is the quicker, lower-risk route and the one recommended for almost all businesses.

Full Data Import (Not Recommended)

The above, plus a full year-by-year history of receipts, payments, journals, and trial balance/customer/supplier balances at each year-end. Only choose this route where you have the time, data confidence, and reconciliation experience it demands.

Note: Whichever route you choose, take your reports as at the day before your BrightBooks start date (or, for Full Data Import, as at the end of the year before the one you're importing). Cross-check every export total against your old software's own reports before you import anything into BrightBooks.

The pages that follow cover the six most commonly encountered competitor products, one per page, with the exact reports and menu paths to use. Menu names occasionally change with software updates, so if a step doesn't match exactly what you see on screen, look for the nearest equivalent report name, or check the software's own help centre.

 

Below are some examples of how to obtain some of the data from other software products. 

These examples are provided as general guidance only and may not match the exact steps or screens in the version of the software you are using. Because each external product works differently and can change over time, we’re not able to guarantee or fully support the exact export steps within those systems. If you have any issues exporting your data (for example, finding the right menu, choosing the correct format, or missing information), please contact the provider of the original software directly and confirm the correct export process with them before importing into BrightBooks.

 

Xero

Trial Balance

  • Go to Accounting > Reports > Trial Balance, set the report date to the day before your BrightBooks start date, then select Update.
  • Select Export (bottom right) and choose Excel or PDF, then save the file.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • For customer balances, run Accounting > Reports > Aged Receivables Detail; for supplier balances, run Aged Payables Detail. Set the "as at" date and export to Excel or PDF.
  • For contact details, go to Contacts, choose the Customers or Suppliers group, select the ⋯ menu and choose Export to download a CSV for the BrightBooks Contacts import template.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • Repeat the Trial Balance and Aged Receivables/Payables steps above for each year-end date you are importing.
  • For transaction detail, use the invoice/bill reports under Business > Invoices/Bills, and Accounting > Reports > Journal Report, filtered by date and exported to Excel.

 

QuickBooks Online

Trial Balance

  • Go to Settings (gear icon) > Export Data, set your date range, switch on Trial Balance, Customer List and Supplier List (and General Ledger for a Full Data Import), then Export to Excel.
  • Alternatively, run Reports > Trial Balance individually, set the date, then Export > Export to Excel.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • Customer balances: Reports > Accounts Receivable Aging Detail, set the "as of" date, then Export.
  • Supplier balances: Reports > Accounts Payable Aging Detail, set the "as of" date, then Export.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • Journals: go to Reports, search "Journal", set the Report period to the year being imported, then Export > Export to Excel.
  • Customer/supplier transactions: Sales > All Sales, or Expenses, filtered by date, then Export > Export to Excel. Repeat the Trial Balance and Aged reports for each year-end date.

 

Sage 50 (Sage 50cloud Accounts / Sage Business Cloud Accounting)

Trial Balance

  • Go to Nominal codes > Reports > Trial Balance, select Period Trial Balance, set it to the month end before your BrightBooks start date, then Export as Excel or CSV.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • Customers: Customers > Reports > Aged Debtors (Detailed or Drillable), set the date, then Export as CSV. Contact records: Customers > Reports > Customer details folder > Customer Record CSV.
  • Suppliers: Suppliers > Reports > Aged Creditors, then Export as CSV. Contact records: Suppliers > Reports > My supplier reports > Switching > Supplier Record.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • Use the Day Books reports for each transaction type (Sales Invoices/Credits, Purchase Invoices/Credits, Bank Receipts/Payments, Nominal Ledger for journals), filtered by year and exported as CSV.
  • Repeat the Trial Balance, Aged Debtors and Aged Creditors reports for each year-end being imported.

Note: Desktop Sage 50 must be run on the PC or server it's installed on — arrange access in advance if the licence has lapsed.

 

Big Red Cloud (incl. Big Red Book)

Trial Balance

  • Go to Reports > Nominal Ledger > Trial Balance, set the date to the day before your BrightBooks start date, then export to Excel or PDF.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • Customers: Reports > Sales Ledger > Debtors Statements To Print (or Aged Debtors), select the period and filter by customer, then export or print.
  • Suppliers: Reports > Purchase Ledger > Creditors Listing or Aged Creditors, then export or print.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • Use the Sales Book and Purchase Book reports for a transaction-by-transaction listing of each year, and the Nominal and Debtor/Creditor Journals reports for journal postings.

Note: Export routes are less standardised than the larger platforms, and screens can vary between product tiers — confirm the exact navigation with Big Red Cloud support first.

 

Zoho Books

Trial Balance

  • Go to Reports > Accountant > Trial Balance, set the date range, use Customize Report Columns to add Opening/Closing Balance if needed, then Export As CSV, XLS or XLSX.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • Customers: Sales > Customers > More > Export Customers for contacts; check Reports > Receivables for balances.
  • Suppliers: Purchases > Vendors > More > Export Vendors for contacts; check Reports > Payables for balances.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • Use the Sales and Purchases reports for transaction-level detail, and the Journal Report (Reports > Accountant > Journal Report) for manual postings. Repeat the Trial Balance and Receivables/Payables reports for each year-end date.

Note: Exports are capped at 25,000 rows — split by date range or request a full data backup from Zoho support if you exceed this.

 

TASBooks

Trial Balance

  • Go to Nominal > Reporting > Print Trial Balance, set the date to the day before your BrightBooks start date, then print or export.

Customer & Supplier Data

  • Customer and supplier records, including balances, can be exported to Excel from the Sales Ledger and Purchase Ledger modules, though this is less automated than the cloud platforms above.
  • If you're not confident extracting opening balances yourself, a TASBooks support provider (such as Pimbrook or Synergy Network) can assist.

Full Data Import (Optional)

  • TASBooks can export detailed customer, supplier, and stock records, but transaction-level exports (receipts, payments, journals) typically require support-assisted extraction. Build in extra time and cross-check every export total before importing.

 

Final Checks Before You Import

Once you have your exports, work through the following before you touch the BrightBooks import screens.

  • Cross-check every export total against the equivalent report in your old software — do not proceed if totals don't tie out.
  • Confirm your opening debtor and creditor listings agree back to your trial balance figure.
  • Confirm your bank balance agrees to your bank statement and your trial balance as at the same date.
  • Map each nominal or account code from your old software to the correct BrightBooks code before importing, using General Ledger > Chart of Accounts in BrightBooks.
  • Only then complete the import using the BrightBooks Contacts and Journal import templates (Settings > Imports).

For full detail on completing the import itself, entering opening customer and supplier balances, and the additional steps required for a Full Data Import, refer to the BrightBooks Migration Guide.