Opening Problem Statement
Meet Sarah, an operations manager at a busy logistics company. Every time a new delivery task is created in Onfleet, Sarah’s accounting team must manually open QuickBooks Online and generate an invoice for that task. This repetitive work consumes hours each week, often leading to delays and costly manual errors like missed or duplicate invoices. Sarah is desperate for a way to automate this process, eliminate human error, and speed up cash flow without hiring extra staff.
What This Automation Does
This workflow is designed specifically to connect Onfleet and QuickBooks Online, creating an invoice automatically every time a new Onfleet delivery task is created. Here’s what happens when it runs:
- Detects the creation of new tasks in Onfleet in real time using the Onfleet Trigger node.
- Creates a corresponding invoice in QuickBooks Online using the QuickBooks Online node.
- Automatically populates invoice fields such as balance and billing details if configured, reducing manual data entry.
- Eliminates delays caused by manual invoice generation, speeding up billing cycles.
- Prevents human errors like missing invoices or duplicate billing.
- Saves your team several hours of repetitive work each week.
Prerequisites ⚙️
- Active Onfleet account with task creation permissions.
- Connected and authorized QuickBooks Online account with invoice creation rights.
- An n8n account configured to run workflows.
- Basic understanding of n8n workflow setup and credential management.
- Internet access and appropriate firewall allowances for webhook triggering.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Create a New Workflow in n8n
Log in to your n8n dashboard. Click Workflows → New Workflow to start fresh.
You should see an empty canvas ready for nodes.
Step 2: Add the Onfleet Trigger Node
Click the + button, search for Onfleet Trigger, and add it to the canvas.
Under Trigger On, select taskCreated to ensure the workflow listens for new delivery tasks.
The node registers a webhook internally to monitor new task events.
Step 3: Connect Your Onfleet Account Credentials
In the Onfleet Trigger node, click Credentials → Add New, authenticate using your Onfleet API key or token.
This allows n8n to securely receive task creation events.
Step 4: Add the QuickBooks Online Node
Add the QuickBooks Online node by clicking +, searching for it, and placing it adjacent to the Onfleet Trigger.
Set Resource to invoice and action to create.
Step 5: Configure QuickBooks Invoice Fields
Adjust the additional fields such as Balance, TxnDate (transaction date), ShipAddr (shipping address), and BillEmail (billing email) based on your invoice requirements.
If you want to keep it simple, leave defaults; otherwise, customize dynamically using expressions mapped from Onfleet task data.
Step 6: Connect QuickBooks Credentials
Authorize your QuickBooks Online account in the node so it can create invoices on your behalf.
Step 7: Link the Nodes
Connect the main output from the Onfleet Trigger node to the input of the QuickBooks Online node.
This creates a live workflow link that triggers invoice creation automatically.
Step 8: Test the Workflow
Simulate creating a new task in your Onfleet dashboard or system.
Look for the workflow to trigger and create a new invoice inside QuickBooks Online accordingly.
If there are errors, check the execution logs directly in the workflow editor.
Customizations ✏️
- Add Dynamic Invoice Details: In the QuickBooks Online node, use n8n expressions to pull specific fields like customer email, task address, or delivery fee from Onfleet task payload to invoice fields.
- Include Payment Terms: Update the invoice creation parameters to add payment terms or due dates by modifying the
TxnDateand related attributes in the QuickBooks node. - Notify on Invoice Creation: Add an additional node such as Email or Slack to notify the accounting team each time an invoice is created.
- Filter Tasks by Criteria: Before QuickBooks node, add an IF node to only create invoices for tasks with certain tags or priority levels.
- Archive Old Tasks: Integrate Onfleet nodes to mark tasks as ‘invoiced’ or update their status post invoice creation for better task management.
Troubleshooting 🔧
- Problem: “No data received from Onfleet Trigger node.”
Cause: Incorrect webhook setup or credentials.
Solution: Recheck your Onfleet API token and ensure the webhook URL generated by n8n is correctly registered in Onfleet settings. - Problem: “QuickBooks Online node returns authentication errors.”
Cause: Expired or incorrect OAuth tokens.
Solution: Reauthorize your QuickBooks Online credentials inside n8n and ensure the account has invoice creation permissions. - Problem: “Invoices created with missing required fields.”
Cause: Incorrect mapping or empty fields.
Solution: Use n8n expressions to dynamically populate invoice fields with Onfleet task data. Verify required fields inside QuickBooks Online schema.
Pre-Production Checklist ✅
- Verify Onfleet API key permissions and connectivity in the trigger node.
- Ensure QuickBooks Online account has invoice creation enabled and credentials are valid.
- Test with sample Onfleet task creations to confirm new invoices appear in QuickBooks.
- Backup existing invoice templates and task data before full deployment.
- Document the workflow design for your team’s reference.
Deployment Guide
When ready, activate the workflow in n8n by toggling it from inactive to active.
Monitor the initial runs by checking execution history and logs inside the n8n workflow dashboard.
Set up alerts for errors by integrating additional notification nodes or external monitoring services.
Conclusion
By following this guide, you’ve created a seamless automation that saves Sarah’s logistics company from hours of manual invoice creation. This integration between Onfleet and QuickBooks Online not only speeds up your billing cycle but also reduces costly human errors.
Next, you could explore automating payment reminders or syncing customer details automatically from Onfleet to QuickBooks. This workflow opens the door to smarter, more efficient financial operations.