How do I sync users using an integration?

User Sync maps employees from your payroll software to Clean Smarts users. Linking them lets approved time activity carry the correct employee ID when it syncs back to payroll (for example, as QuickBooks time activity or Paycom punches).

Applies to: Managers with Users (Edit). User Sync only appears when your company payroll integration is one of:

• QuickBooks Online
• QuickBooks Desktop (Web Connector)
• Paycom (current or legacy)
• Clean Smarts embedded payroll (when enabled for your company)

Other payroll apps listed under Company Settings do not support employee-to-user sync yet.

Before You Start

• Connect payroll first. Open Company Settings → Payroll, select your integration, enter any required credentials (Paycom SID/token, QBO connect, or Desktop Web Connector file/password), then save. See How do I open Company Settings?.
• Only employees are listed. User Sync shows Clean Smarts users who are employees—not customers or contractors. Switch those tabs on Manage Users if you need to manage those profiles separately.
• This is not spreadsheet import. Import Users from an Excel template (when enabled) is a different path. User Sync talks to your live payroll integration.
• Linking is required for time export. Approved hours will not match the right employee in payroll until the Clean Smarts user has the correct Payroll System ID.

Open User Sync

1. Open Manage Users from your profile menu in the bottom-left corner, or press Ctrl/Cmd + K and search for Manage Users.
2. In the toolbar (right side), click the User Sync status control (it shows unsynced Clean Smarts / unsynced payroll counts).
3. In the popover, review:
   • Unsynced Clean Smarts Users
   • Unsynced Payroll System Users
   • Matched Users
4. Click Sync Users to open the User Sync dialog.

If you do not see User Sync, your payroll integration is not one of the supported options above, or your role is missing Users (Edit).

Pull Employees From Your Payroll Software

QuickBooks Online or Paycom

1. In the User Sync dialog, click Sync with QuickBooks Online or Sync with Paycom (the label matches your integration).
2. Clean Smarts refreshes employees from the payroll system.

Behavior by provider:

QuickBooks Desktop (Web Connector)

QuickBooks Desktop does not allow Clean Smarts to pull employees on demand. Use Web Connector instead of the in-dialog Sync with… button:

1. In QuickBooks Desktop, open File → Update Web Services (Web Connector).
2. Select the Clean Smarts application and run Update Selected.
3. That update sends employee and customer lists to Clean Smarts and stages them for matching.
4. Return to Clean Smarts and open User Sync again so the staged employees appear under Unsynced Payroll System Users.

Link an Existing Clean Smarts User

Use this when the person already has a Clean Smarts profile and you only need to attach the payroll employee ID.

1. Under Unsynced Clean Smarts Users, click the user card so it shows Selected for linking.
2. Under Unsynced Payroll System Users, find the matching employee.
3. Click Link on that employee row.

The pair moves to Matched Users. Clean Smarts stores the payroll employee ID on the user as Payroll System ID.

There is no drag-and-drop in the current web portal—select the Clean Smarts user, then Link.

Import a New User From Payroll

Use this when the employee exists in payroll but has no Clean Smarts profile yet.

1. Under Unsynced Payroll System Users, find the employee.
2. Click Import.

Clean Smarts creates a new user profile and fills in name and email when the payroll system provides them. The new user is linked automatically. Open the profile afterward to set role, location access, notifications, and Time & Pay settings—see How can I add a new user?.

Note: Import is supported for QuickBooks Online, Paycom, and embedded payroll. For QuickBooks Desktop, create the user in Clean Smarts, then either Link them to the staged Web Connector employee or paste the QuickBooks List ID into Payroll System ID on the user's Payroll tab.

Unlink a Matched User

1. In Matched Users, hover the paired row.
2. Click the unlink icon (link-off) on the right.

The payroll employee ID is cleared from the Clean Smarts user. Both sides return to the unsynced lists so you can rematch them.

Filter and Review Status

• Use the Filter box at the top of the dialog to narrow either column or matched pairs by name.
• On Manage Users, the toolbar User Sync badge turns amber when there are unsynced items, and green when everything is matched.
• You can show Payroll System ID as a column on the users list, or open a user → Payroll tab → Payroll System ID (for non-embedded payroll integrations).

Tips and Troubleshooting

I don't see User Sync on Manage Users. Confirm Company Settings → Payroll is set to a supported integration and saved. Confirm your role includes Users (Edit).

Sync with QuickBooks Online fails or times out. Reconnect QBO under Company Settings → Payroll (QBO connections expire after long inactivity—commonly ~100 days). Save company settings after reconnecting.

Paycom Sync fails. Confirm the Paycom SID and token under Company Settings → Payroll, then save and try Sync again.

QuickBooks Desktop employees never appear. Run Update Selected in Web Connector so employee lists are sent to Clean Smarts. The in-app Sync button cannot pull Desktop employees.

I selected a user but Link is disabled. You must select a Clean Smarts user on the left first; then Link enables on the payroll employee row.

Where did drag-and-drop go? The current portal uses click-to-select + Link instead of dragging cards between panels.

A customer or contractor is missing from User Sync. Only employee profiles appear. Customers and contractors are managed on their own Manage Users tabs and are not part of payroll employee sync.

I linked the wrong employee. Unlink the pair in Matched Users, then Link the correct employee—or edit Payroll System ID on the user's Payroll tab.

Approved time is not showing up in payroll. Confirm both the user and the location (when required by the integration) are linked. See How do I sync customer accounts using an integration?.

Sync created a bunch of new users (Paycom legacy). Legacy Paycom Sync can auto-import. Archive or fix any unintended profiles, then prefer Link for people who already exist in Clean Smarts.