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Features - the whole loop

Five product stages. One loop.
You see every change before you make it.

ChartOfAccounts.ai never writes to QuickBooks. Every cleanup is a plan you review and apply yourself, not a black box. Built by accountants, to the standard your accountant expects. Below: what each step does, how it works, and the special cases it handles.

01
Your chart

One pass over your chart. We read, never write.

Upload a CSV or Excel export of your QuickBooks chart, or start from a template or demo company. The direct QuickBooks connection is coming soon, once Intuit approves our app. We read the chart structure and context before we suggest any change.

01Your chart
You give us
A CSV or Excel export, a template, or a demo company
->
You get
Your chart and profile, only ever read
ImportCSV or Excel
Chart export
from QuickBooks Online
C
ChartOfAccounts.ai
Analysis engine
Chart of accounts
184 accounts
✓
Detail types
as exported
✓
Sub-accounts
kept nested
✓
Imported. Your QuickBooks stays exactly as it was.
What it does

Pulls the whole context, not just account names.

The app needs chart structure, detail types, transaction context, and company profile signals to judge whether the chart is useful for reporting.

  • +Chart of accounts and detail types
  • +Transaction context when available
  • +Company profile and industry tags
How it works

A file export, read and never written back.

The import is a review surface, nothing more. The app never writes to QuickBooks — you inspect what it found, export the result, and apply changes yourself.

  • +No writes to QuickBooks
  • +Demo data before any upload
  • +You apply changes yourself
Special cases

Multiple companies, closed periods, and cautious teams.

The workflow is built for people who need to understand the file before they trust a recommendation, especially in client-facing accounting work.

  • +Per-company review context
  • +Closed-books check in the apply guide
  • +Your books stay unchanged
0
Writes to QuickBooks — ever
Demo
Template data available first
3
Ways to bring a chart in
Trace
Import context stays reviewable
What most tools miss
The first step is where trust is won or lost. ChartOfAccounts.ai shows the work before you change anything.
02
Analyze

A Health Score you can actually explain.

We score the chart against structure, naming, coverage, and GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) fit. Each finding cites the rows and rule that triggered it.

02Analyze
You give us
Nothing - we read the imported or demo chart
->
You get
A Health Score, ranked findings, and account-level rationale
Health analysisscanning · 184 accounts
Health score
Good
Demo books, scored by the real rubric before cleanup.
Structure
72
Naming
57
Coverage
66
Industry fit
40
✦Compared against structure, naming, coverage, and industry-fit checks.
What it does

Turns chart issues into a prioritized review queue.

Instead of a vague score, the app breaks the result into checks that can be inspected and discussed.

  • +32 atomic chart checks
  • +Severity-tagged findings
  • +Affected accounts shown in context
How it works

Small checks, clear rationale.

Each recommendation is tied to a concrete issue: ambiguous naming, duplicate accounts, orphaned structure, reporting gaps, or weak category fit.

  • +Structure and hierarchy checks
  • +Naming and duplicate detection
  • +Industry-template comparison
Special cases

Niche industries and unusual reporting models.

When a file does not fit a simple template, the review stays honest: structural findings stay separate from industry-specific suggestions.

  • +Fallback to general chart checks
  • +Recommendations remain inspectable
  • +Confidence stays visible
32
Checks in the chart rubric
4
Review categories
Rows
Findings cite affected accounts
Rules
Every flag has a reason
What most tools miss
A score without transparency is just a vibe. The finding list is designed so a partner can ask why and get a concrete answer.
03
Optimize

AI proposes the fix. You see exactly what changes.

For every finding, the app shows the before, the proposed after, and the reason. You edit the draft and apply only the changes you want in QuickBooks yourself.

03Optimize
You give us
Findings to review
->
You get
Field-level diffs and a staged cleanup plan
Finding · #11 of 23proposal · demo data
Suggested restructure
Two accounts hold the same balance type. Merge subcontractor labor into one canonical line.
Before
-5100Subcontractors$48,200
-51101099 Labor$36,000
↓
After
+5100Subcontractor labor$84,200
CustomizeExportMerged · 2 accounts into 1
What it does

A diff for your books, before anything changes.

Renames, merges, reclassifications, and hierarchy changes are staged as concrete account-level recommendations.

  • +Before/after diff for every finding
  • +Account, type, parent, and name context
  • +Plain-English rationale
How it works

Review scope before you apply.

Some fixes belong to one account. Others belong to a group. The workflow keeps that scope visible, so every change you make is deliberate.

  • +Edit any account in the draft
  • +Bulk review with line-level context
  • +Irreversible steps flagged in the apply guide
Special cases

Messy files need reversible decisions.

Cleanup can touch reporting, tax prep, and owner expectations. Each change keeps the optimizer's reason in Before & After, so the review does not disappear after the run.

  • +The reason for each change, under Why
  • +Snapshot context for rollback
  • +Original chart untouched in QuickBooks
Diff
Every proposed change
Edit
Change any account in the draft
Skip
Apply only the changes you want
Trail
Keep the rationale attached
What most tools miss
"AI cleanup" without a diff is just automation with a nicer label. The diff is the product because accounting teams need reviewable changes.
04
Customize

Tune it to your firm - not the other way around.

Edit names, numbers, types, detail types, and parents, and add or delete accounts, so the optimized chart still sounds like the firm that owns the client relationship.

04Customize
You give us
Renames, edits, and accounts to add or delete
->
You get
A chart that follows your house style
Customize · draftautosaved · demo data
Account name
5100 ·
✦Your edit replaces the optimizer's name in the draft
Account type
Cost of Goods Sold
Detail type
Cost of labor - COS
Type change
Has balance — QBO may block this type change
Add, edit or delete any account
Add a sub-account, or move it under another parent
✦Draft saved. QuickBooks stays unchanged.
What it does

Encodes your accounting conventions.

Most firms have naming and grouping habits that are not in a textbook. Customize lets you put those habits into the draft before you export it.

  • +Rename accounts before you export
  • +Leave out any change you do not want
  • +Use templates as a starting point
How it works

Every edit is saved and scored.

Each edit saves to the draft as you make it, and the draft's Health Score is worked out again on every save.

  • +A draft that saves as you edit
  • +Health Score rechecked on every save
  • +Pick which draft you are editing
Special cases

Client-specific exceptions are normal.

The best chart is not always the most generic chart. The workflow leaves room for exceptions while still keeping the cleanup readable.

  • +Industry templates plus your own edits
  • +Edit one account without redoing the rest
  • +The optimizer's reasons stay in Before & After
Skip
Leave any account untouched
5fields
Name, number, type, detail type, parent
Templates
Start from industry structure
Score
Rechecked on every save
What most tools miss
Generic cleanup is easy to generate and hard to defend. The useful chart is the one that fits the firm's actual review habits.
05
Visualize

See your chart as the statements it produces.

The chart is not a list. It is the spine of the P&L, balance sheet, and cash-flow statement. The app shows the reporting impact before you apply anything in QuickBooks.

05Visualize
You give us
The draft chart, with your edits
->
You get
A clean chart and the statements it produces
Demo Consulting · Q4 2025live · from CoA
For year ending Dec 31, 2025
Revenue
Consulting income - fixed fee$842,000
Consulting income - T&M318,420
Total revenue$1,160,420
Cost of services
Subcontractor labor - 109984,200
Direct project costs42,180
Total cost of services$126,380
Gross profit$1,034,040
Operating expenses(412,800)
Net income$621,240
Lines just restructured · all three statements update together
What it does

Three statements, one chart structure.

The draft chart, with your edits, flows into statement previews so you can see how it reads in the reports clients actually use.

  • +Income statement preview
  • +Balance sheet preview
  • +Cash-flow preview
How it works

Highlights what moved.

The visualization layer keeps cleanup connected to reporting outcomes, making review easier than scanning a flat list of accounts.

  • +Restructured accounts highlighted
  • +Before/after context preserved
  • +Step-by-step QuickBooks apply guide
Special cases

Partner review, client review, internal notes.

Different audiences need different levels of detail. The same cleanup plan can support internal review and client-facing explanation.

  • +Statement PDF to print or share
  • +Account-level support detail
  • +Apply guide you can download and share
3
Statement previews
CoA
Chart drives every report
Guide
Apply it in QuickBooks, step by step
Export
The chart as CSV or Excel
What most tools miss
A chart of accounts is invisible to the people who pay for accounting. The deliverable is the report, so the cleanup has to show up there.
How it compares

Spreadsheets are flexible.
Review loops are safer.

Most teams choose between doing chart cleanup manually or handing it to a service. ChartOfAccounts.ai is built for the middle path: automation with accounting review.

CapabilityChartOfAccounts.aiSpreadsheetsService team
Read, never write
Yes
Yes - it never writes
Partial
Yes - local files
Partial
Depends on the service model
Can the workflow inspect your books without ever writing to them?
Chart health scoring
Yes
32-check rubric
Partial
Manual checklist
Partial
Firm-specific process
Does the first pass prioritize issues instead of handing you a blank sheet?
Inline diff before you apply
Yes
Field-level before/after
Partial
You build the diff
Partial
Often summarized after review
Can you see exactly what will change?
Account-level override
Yes
Edit any account in the draft
Yes
Manual control
Partial
Handled through back-and-forth
Can you change one account without redoing the rest?
Rollback context
Yes
Snapshots and rationale
Partial
Version history if maintained
Partial
Usually depends on documentation
Can the team understand what changed later?
Statement previews
Yes
P&L, balance sheet, cash flow
Partial
Manual report rebuild
Yes
Delivered as a report package
Does the chart cleanup show up in the reports?
Starting cost
Yes
Free trial, then Starter $8/mo or Professional $29/mo
Partial
Free software plus your hours
Partial
Hourly or retainer
What is the realistic entry point?
What you walk away with

A chart of accounts that fits your business
and the reports it produces.

Every recommendation stays reviewable. Every restructure you keep shows up in the reports the team actually reads. The result is a chart cleanup process you can explain.

Clean
Chart structure
A chart that groups the way owners and accountants read the business.
Review
You decide
Check the changes with your accountant before you apply them in QuickBooks.
Trace
Change context
Every rename, merge, and reclass the optimizer makes keeps its reason attached.
Optimized chart
Renamed, regrouped, and ready for review with context attached.
Three statements
P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow rendered against the cleaned structure.
Apply guide
Step-by-step instructions for making the changes in QuickBooks yourself, with irreversible steps flagged.
Get early accessTemplate data first | No card required | Plans from $8/mo

Start with demo data. See the real loop.

Start the free trial, inspect the findings, and decide how to bring your own chart in after the workflow makes sense.

Get early accessWatch the walkthrough

Explainable

Every finding carries a reason and affected accounts.

Reviewable

Changes are staged before they touch the chart.

Reversible

Snapshot context keeps cleanup from becoming a one-way door.