You're in. Here's what happens next.
You signed up for the SideQuest beta. The next 48 hours are about getting your first PO processed end to end. Twenty minutes of setup, then SideQuest is doing the work.
The first 48 hours, step by step
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1
You'll get an onboarding email within an hour
Subject line: "SideQuest · Setup link inside." Comes from [email protected]. If you don't see it in 60 minutes, check your spam folder and then reply to your beta signup with "didn't get it."
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2
Click the setup link in the email
It opens the Quick-Start guide tailored to your QuickBooks region. Roughly five minutes of clicking through. No code.
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3
Connect Gmail and QuickBooks Online
You authorize SideQuest via OAuth. Read-only access to email by default. QuickBooks gets full read/write so we can draft the Sales Orders. You can scope it tighter in the QB app permissions panel if you want.
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4
Process your first real PO
Take the next incoming PO email. Add the "purchase-orders" label. SideQuest picks it up within 30 seconds, parses it, matches every line, flags any pricing issues, and drafts the Sales Order. You'll see the draft in QuickBooks ready for approval.
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5
Review and approve
Skim the draft. Approve or override. Once approved, SideQuest auto-replies to the customer with the confirmation number and ship date.
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6
Decide if you want auto-mode
By default SideQuest drafts and waits for human approval. Once you trust it on three or four POs from the same customer, flip on auto-mode for that customer. SideQuest commits the Sales Order without asking and only flags edge cases.
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7
Upload your cross-reference list (optional, recommended)
A CSV with two columns: customer part number, your QB SKU. SideQuest remembers these forever. The first week of operation is the highest-value time to do this — every weird PO format your customers use is fresh in your head.
What we need from you on Day 1
Have these handy when you click the setup link:
- Your QuickBooks Online admin login
- The Gmail account where POs arrive (admin or service account)
- One sample PO from your top customer (paste into the test runner so you see the result before going live)
- Optionally: a CSV of your top 100 customer part-number ↔ QB SKU cross-references
The email Paul sends you (so you know what to expect)
This is the exact onboarding email you'll receive after signup. Copy-paste-ready, you can save it as a template if you're an operator forwarding this to teammates.
Subject: SideQuest · Setup link inside Hi [first name], Welcome aboard. You're one of the first 50 beta distributors so the Pro tier is free for you for 90 days. No card needed during that window. Three things, in this order: 1. Click here to start setup: [unique setup link] This opens the Quick-Start guide and walks you through Gmail + QB connection. Five minutes. 2. Have this handy: - Your QuickBooks Online admin login - The Gmail account where POs arrive - One sample PO from your top customer (for the test run) 3. Once you're connected, tag a real PO email with the "purchase-orders" label. SideQuest will pick it up within 30 seconds and draft the Sales Order in QuickBooks. You approve. Done. Two things you should know: - SideQuest runs on YOUR QuickBooks and YOUR Gmail account. We never see or store your data. If you cancel, you flip two switches and we're disconnected the same minute. - The first week is the time to upload your cross-reference list (CSV of customer part numbers ↔ your QB SKUs). This is what makes SideQuest stop asking you "is this the same part?" Once it's in, SideQuest remembers forever. If you get stuck, reply to this email. I read every one. The SideQuest team Founder, SideQuest Automation sidequestautomation.com