How to share specific QuickBooks or Xero reports without adding a user
Share only the reports someone needs from QuickBooks Online or Xero, live and read-only, without adding them as a user or exporting spreadsheets every month.
Updated
A common request: "I want my sales manager to see the receivables ageing and sales by customer, but nothing else. Do I really have to add them as a user?"
Option 1: Add them as a user
- QuickBooks Online: a Reports only user (Plus and Advanced) is free, but can open the company's reports broadly rather than the two or three you choose. Report-level limits need custom roles on Advanced.
- Xero: users are free on every plan, but the Read only role can see almost every area of the organisation.
Either way, the person gets a login to your accounting system and more than they need.
Option 2: Export and email
Both platforms can export reports to PDF or Excel, and QuickBooks can email some reports on a schedule. This avoids a login, but:
- it is a snapshot, out of date as soon as it is sent;
- every follow-up question ("which customers make up that number?") means another export;
- the files are forwarded, saved and printed, and you lose track of where your numbers go.
Option 3: A live, read-only view of only those numbers
Vizii connects to QuickBooks Online or Xero and lets you invite people to specific views of your data, read-only:
- Connect your books through the official QuickBooks or Xero sign-in.
- Invite the person by email as a Viewer.
- Choose their views, for example Sales only (invoices), Purchases only (bills), or Assets and Liabilities, and optionally narrow them to particular customers, suppliers, accounts or classes.
- They open a live dashboard with totals, trends, top customers or suppliers, and the transaction list behind each number.
They can filter and drill down within their scope, so most follow-up questions answer themselves.
Which should you choose?
| Need | Best option |
|---|---|
| A one-off figure for a meeting | Export and email |
| An adviser who needs everything | A QuickBooks or Xero user |
| Ongoing access to a defined set of numbers | A scoped read-only view |
FAQ
Can I share just one customer's or supplier's numbers? Yes. A viewer can be scoped by contact, so a supplier manager sees only those suppliers.
Is it secure? Viewers sign in with a link sent to their verified email, they are read-only, and they never receive QuickBooks or Xero credentials. Vizii connects to your books through each platform's official sign-in, so your password is never shared.
Can I remove access later? Yes. Remove the viewer and their access ends immediately.
More guides
How to give an investor or board read-only access to QuickBooks or Xero
Give investors and board members a live, read-only view of your QuickBooks or Xero numbers, without sharing your accounting login or every report.
Read the guideHow to restrict a user to one class, location or tracking category in QuickBooks or Xero
Let a department head or branch manager see only their own department, location or project in QuickBooks Online or Xero, read-only and live.
Read the guideHow to give a manager access to only their department's numbers (QuickBooks and Xero)
Give department and branch managers a live view of their own budget, spend and sales in QuickBooks Online or Xero, without exposing the rest of the business.
Read the guideHow bookkeepers can give clients a live view of their numbers (QuickBooks and Xero)
Cut monthly report requests: give each client, and their bank or investors, a live read-only view of their QuickBooks Online or Xero numbers.
Read the guide