Configuring Accounting Settings

This is the most important part of setting up a client correctly. Two things must be right before DocStreamAI can reliably submit documents to your client's accounting software: the client's industry must be set accurately during onboarding, and QuickBooks Online or Xero must be connected by an owner or admin. This guide covers both, plus the submission settings that decide how documents flow.

Part 1 — The onboarding questionnaire (industry & currency)

When the client accepts their invite, DocStreamAI walks them through a short onboarding questionnaire before they reach their dashboard. For an accountant-invited owner, it's two steps: Country & Currency, then Industry.

Choose the correct industry (critical)

Industry is the single highest-impact setup choice. DocStreamAI uses it to assign default expense categories to invoice line items. The wrong industry means systematically miscategorized expenses from day one.

Tell your client to pick the closest specific match — not the most general one. "Professional Services" fits a law or consulting firm, but it's wrong for a restaurant or a construction business. Use the examples shown next to each option to confirm the match.

Only choose "Other" when nothing truly fits. "Other" turns off industry-guided categorization and means more manual review on every document.

Who sets it: the business owner sets industry during their onboarding. You can't set it on their behalf, so brief them before they accept the invite. If the wrong industry was chosen, check whether it can be updated in settings — and if not, contact DocStreamAI support to correct it.

Country & currency

Sets the client's default currency and whether multi-currency handling is enabled. If the client invoices in more than one currency, make sure that's reflected here.

Part 2 — Connect QuickBooks Online or Xero

Connecting accounting software requires Owner or Admin role. The Accountant role cannot connect it. Have the client (Owner), or an Admin they designate, perform the connection — or ask the owner to grant you Admin temporarily. Only one accounting provider can be connected at a time.

QuickBooks Online

1. Inside the client workspace, open Integrations.
2. On the QuickBooks Online card, click Connect.
3. Configure the accounting settings in the panel that opens (see Part 3), then click Continue to Connect.
4. Acknowledge the ownership notice — it confirms that documents created via DocStreamAI belong to the organization.
5. Authorize with Intuit and select the correct company file.
6. You're returned to DocStreamAI and the card shows Connected. Vendor sync begins automatically.

Xero

Same flow: Integrations → Connect on the Xero card → configure settings → Continue to Connect → authorize with Xero → select the correct Xero organization.

Part 3 — Submission and handling settings

When you click Connect, a settings panel opens before the authorization step. These control how documents are categorized and submitted.

Submission behavior (most important)

• Manual — every document waits for review before it's submitted. Best for new clients.
• Hybrid (recommended for most) — auto-submits only when both the sender email and the vendor name are recognized; unknown senders or new vendors are held for review.
• Automatic — auto-submits known vendors without review. Use only once you trust the vendor list.

Recommended path: start a new client on Manual, review the first batch of documents together, then move to Hybrid once vendors have synced and categories look right.

Labeling behavior

• Category-wide — all line items share one category per document. Simpler.
• Line by line — each line item gets its own category. More detailed.

Amount mismatch behavior

What happens when a line's unit price × quantity doesn't match its total:

• Manual review (recommended) — flag the document for a human.
• Auto-calculate — recalculate quantity to make the math reconcile. Use with care.

Receipt approval

Whether matched receipts need approval before they're attached to transactions. Off by default (auto-submit on match); turn on for stricter control.

Part 4 — After connecting: vendors

Once connected, DocStreamAI syncs the existing vendor list from QuickBooks or Xero (this can take a few minutes). Open Vendors to review them. Per-vendor settings let you override the global behavior:

• Auto-submit per vendor — force manual review for a specific vendor.
• Allow company domain — treat any address at @vendor.com as a verified sender, not just an exact match.
• Default category — pre-assign an expense category for all invoices from that vendor.

Accountant setup checklist

• Client chose the correct industry during onboarding
• Country and currency are correct
• An owner or admin connected QuickBooks or Xero
• Submission behavior suits the client (start on Manual)
• Vendor list has synced from the accounting software
• Gmail or Outlook is connected for the client's inbox(es)
• You've reviewed a test document end to end before going live

Troubleshooting

• "Managed by admin" on the QuickBooks/Xero card: your Accountant role can't connect accounting software — ask the owner or an admin to connect it.
• Vendor list is empty after connecting: wait a few minutes, then reconnect if it's still empty.
• Documents failing to sync: reconnect if the token expired, and make sure the required currency is enabled in QuickBooks or Xero.
• Categories look wrong: the industry chosen at onboarding is the usual cause — verify it, and correct it (via settings or support) if needed.