Winbooks Classic

Overview Legend 🧭

Introduction

WinBooks is a Belgian accounting software for companies and their accountants, with modules for logistics and electronic invoicing. Winbooks Classic is a desktop application with no cloud API — Chift reaches it through a local agent installed on the server that hosts WinBooks.

Activate WinBooks

Partner keys

No partner keys and no approval: the connector is ready to use.

Activate WinBooks in your Chift account

One click in Connectors, then create connections straight away.

Connector settings

No connector-specific settings.

Test WinBooks


Environment	Sandbox through a WinBooks reseller
How to get it	Ask a WinBooks reseller for a sandbox account, or work with a beta user in your client base who lets you test on their account

Vendor fees

Software editor (you)

Paid test account, obtained through a WinBooks reseller.

End user

No fees.

Connect WinBooks

WinBooks setup guide for end users

The full step-by-step, with screenshots.

Local agent installation guide

Installing the local agent on the server that runs WinBooks.

Before they start, your end users need:

WinBooks version 7 or above
admin access to the server where WinBooks and its data are stored. The server must be reachable over the internet 24/7: requests fail while it is offline
their WinBooks username and password
the installation path of WinBooks: the folder holding the Winbooks.ini file, as a UNC path if it is on a network drive. The Windows user running the agent needs access to both WinBooks and the network drive
.NET Framework 4.8 on that server. The installer then adds the VFPOLEDB driver, to install for Everyone, without sample data

To connect, they:

choose the Analytic zone/plan number to use by default, or Not active
enter the Winbooks path: the folder holding Winbooks.ini, as a UNC path if it is on a network drive
download the local agent package and copy it to the server that runs WinBooks
enter the Company code: one or more WinBooks accounting folder codes. Several folders can be connected through one agent installation
submit the connection, then install the local agent on that server

Rate limits

No rate limit documented by WinBooks.

Limitations & specificities

Numbering

Financial entry numbers and invoice numbers can only contain digits, up to 8.
Operation numbers are capped at 8 characters.
Journal codes are limited to 6 characters, counted after spaces and special characters are removed.

Journal entries

WinBooks only accepts miscellaneous operations in EUR. On a miscellaneous operation, the partner’s account type must match its role: a receivable account with a client, a payable account with a supplier.

Invoices

WinBooks rejects an invoice whose untaxed amount is 0.

Analytics

Analytic plans are numbered from 1 to 8. Analytic account codes can only be up to 10 characters.When the Analytic zone/plan number is set to Not active, creating an analytic account fails and analytic accounts on miscellaneous operation lines are dropped without an error. A single connection can only write to one analytic plan.

Contacts (clients & suppliers)

WinBooks limits client and supplier references to 10 characters. The reference is taken from the external_reference field:

It is uppercased and special characters are replaced.
If it is longer than 10 characters, it is truncated.
If it is not provided, a reference is generated from the name field and truncated.

Send an external_reference of 10 characters or fewer to keep references unique.A postal code longer than 10 characters is rejected, and internal notes are cut to 40 characters.

Coverage

Troubleshooting

Specific errors for Winbooks Classic:

Error Code	Error description	Resolution
ERROR_INVALID_FIELD_FORMAT_ENTRY_NUMBER	The entry number can only contain numbers and has a maximal length of 8 characters in Winbooks.	Use only numeric characters and keep the entry number to 8 characters or fewer.
ERROR_INVALID_FIELD_FORMAT_INVOICE_NUMBER	The invoice number can only contain numbers and has a maximal length of 8 characters in Winbooks.	Use only numeric characters and keep the invoice number to 8 characters or fewer.
ERROR_ZERO_INVOICE	Winbooks doesn’t accept invoices where all lines have an amount of 0.	Ensure at least one invoice line has a non-zero amount.
ERROR_COMPANY_NOT_FOUND	The given company doesn’t exist on the Winbooks server.	Verify the company name and server configuration.
ERROR_INVALID_FIELD_FORMAT_ANALYTIC_PLAN	Analytic plans have a number between 1 and 8 in Winbooks.	Use an analytic plan number between 1 and 8.
ERROR_INVALID_FIELD_FORMAT_ANALYTIC_ACCOUNT	The code of the analytic account has a maximal length of 10 characters in Winbooks.	Shorten the analytic account code to 10 characters or fewer.
ERROR_INVALID_FIELD_FORMAT_OPERATION_NUMBER	The operation number has a maximal length of 8 characters in Winbooks.	Shorten the operation number to 8 characters or fewer.
ERROR_OPERATION_IN_FOREIGN_CURRENCY	Winbooks only accepts miscellaneous operations in EUR.	Use EUR as the currency for miscellaneous operations.
ERROR_INVALID_ACCOUNT_TYPE	Receivable accounts must be used with clients and payable accounts with suppliers when creating miscellaneous operations.	Use the correct account type for the corresponding partner type.

​Introduction

​Activate WinBooks

​Partner keys

Activate WinBooks in your Chift account

​Connector settings

​Test WinBooks

​Vendor fees