Description

In QuickBooks Online, descriptions appear on transactions, reports, and forms to provide context for your records. Depending on where you want to make changes, the process varies. Below is a guide to managing descriptions across different areas of the product.

Customizing Descriptions on Invoices

You can control which columns appear on your sales forms, allowing you to show only the item description without the SKU or product/service name.

1. Select the Gear icon, then Custom Form Styles.
2. Find the style you use for invoices and select Edit.
3. Select the Content (or second) tab, then navigate to the Activity Table section.
4. In the table columns, uncheck Product/Service (or SKU) and ensure Description is checked.
5. Select Save.

This allows you to present a cleaner look to your customers, displaying only the description text you entered.

Removing Shading from Printed Invoices

While rows on the screen appear shaded for readability, you can usually remove this shading when printing a hard copy or PDF.

1. Open the invoice you wish to print.
2. Select the Print or Preview icon.
3. In the printer settings dialog box, look for a check box labeled Print in grayscale (or similar options regarding background colors/shading).
4. Check that box to prevent the shading from printing.

Editing Expense and Budget Descriptions

Descriptions for expenses and budgets are tied directly to your Chart of Accounts.

• Budgets: When you run a budget, the income and expense descriptions are pulled from the account names in your Chart of Accounts. To change the description on a budget, you must rename the account itself.
• Expenses: When entering an expense, the Account field categorizes the transaction (e.g., Office Supplies) based on the Chart of Accounts. The Description or Memo field is for specific details (e.g., “Paper for the office”).

To rename an account (which updates how it appears in budgets and reports):

1. Go to the Gear icon and select Chart of Accounts.
2. Locate the account you want to change.
3. In the Action column, select Edit.
4. Update the Name and select Save.

Understanding Account vs. Item Descriptions

When entering transactions, it is helpful to distinguish between accounts and items:

• Account Details: Used for general categorization. You select an account directly from the Chart of Accounts (e.g., Travel Expenses). The description here explains the general purpose of the expense.
• Item Details: Used for specific products or services. These are pulled from your Products and Services list and are typically used for inventory or itemized billing. Items are mapped to a specific account in the background.

Limitations and Known Behaviors

There are certain areas where description behavior is currently fixed or limited in QuickBooks Online:

• Purchase Orders vs. Sales Orders: Currently, the item description on a Sales Order is linked to the Purchase Order. If the description differs between the two, it is considered a known limitation.
• Gross Profit Labels: It is not currently possible to customize the “Gross Profit” label on reports.
• Report Item SKUs: Options to show or hide SKUs and descriptions in reports are determined by the report settings available in the current version of QuickBooks Online.

If you would like to see changes to these features, we encourage you to send feedback to the development team:

1. Select the Gear icon.
2. Choose Feedback.
3. Enter your suggestions and select Next to submit.