Top 5 QuickBooks Online Features You're Probably Not Using
If you're a small business owner using QuickBooks Online (QBO), you're already ahead of the game.
But here’s the truth: most people aren’t using QuickBooks to its full potential — and that means you're probably working harder than you need to.
QuickBooks has some powerful built-in tools designed to save you time, streamline your bookkeeping, and give you better insight into your business — if you know where to find them.
Here are 5 underrated QuickBooks Online features you might not be using (but definitely should be):
1. Bank Rules: Automate Your Categorizing
Manually categorizing every transaction?
That’s exhausting — and unnecessary.
Bank Rules let you automatically categorize transactions based on things like the vendor name, amount, or type of transaction.
Set it once, and QBO will do the work for you going forward.
Pro Tip: Start by creating rules for your most common expenses (like software subscriptions, utilities, or recurring vendors).
It'll speed up your monthly bookkeeping big time.
2. Recurring Transactions: Set It and Forget It
If you invoice the same clients every month, or you have regular bills you need to track, Recurring Transactions are your new best friend.
You can set up:
Recurring invoices
Recurring expenses
Recurring journal entries
Why it matters: This keeps your cash flow steady and helps ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
3. Project Tracking: Know Your Profits (or Losses) by Project
If you offer project-based services (like consulting, design, construction, etc.), you need to be using Projects in QuickBooks Online.
Projects let you track:
Income and expenses by specific project
Labor costs
Overall profitability
Instead of guessing which clients or projects are actually profitable, you’ll have real numbers — helping you make smarter decisions faster.
4. Tags: Customized Tracking Without Messing Up Your Chart of Accounts
Ever wish you could track a special set of data — like marketing campaigns, office locations, or event expenses — without creating 50 new accounts?
Tags are the answer.
You can create your own custom labels and apply them to transactions, then run reports based on those tags.
Example: Track how much you’re spending on “Fall Marketing Campaign 2024” without touching your standard bookkeeping categories.
5. Mobile App Features: Not Just for Checking Balances
The QuickBooks Online Mobile App isn’t just a mini version of the desktop dashboard.
It actually has some powerful on-the-go features, like:
Snap and attach receipts directly to transactions (goodbye, shoebox full of paper!)
Send invoices right from your phone
Mileage tracking for business travel
If you're not using the app to its fullest, you're leaving convenience (and tax deductions) on the table.
Final Thought: Work Smarter, Not Harder
QuickBooks Online can do so much more than just help you survive tax season — it can actually make running your business easier all year round.
Taking advantage of these built-in features saves you time, reduces errors, and gives you better data to grow your business.