Moving from Lexware Office

What you need

Invobookz needs an API key from your Lexware account. With it, Invobookz can only read your data. Nothing changes in Lexware.

The move is free and does not count towards the documents in your plan.

According to Lexware, the Public API is only available in Lexware Office XL, and the key is created by the account administrator. With a smaller Lexware plan, the way is via CSV files (Settings → Import → CSV files).

Create the key in Lexware

Lexware Office is in German; the labels below are as Lexware shows them.

1. 1Sign in to Lexware Office.
2. 2Open Einstellungen → Erweiterungen → Public API (Settings → Extensions → Public API) — directly: app.lexware.de/addons/public-api.
3. 3Click API-Schlüssel erstellen (create API key).
4. 4Choose „Schlüssel mit individuellen Berechtigungen (für Experten)“ (key with individual permissions) and click Weiter (next).

A key with “all permissions” could also change data in Lexware. Invobookz does not need that — so you only choose what is read.

Tick every read permission

Tick every line with “abrufen” (retrieve) or “herunterladen” (download) — 14 ticks:

Do not tick: anything with “speichern” (save) or “Belegbilder hochladen” (upload receipt images). Those would let the key write to Lexware — Invobookz only reads.

Name it and confirm

Give the key a name you will recognise later, for example “API Invobookz”. Below it you see the 14 chosen permissions again — none of them may say “speichern”. Accept the terms of use and click API-Schlüssel erstellen (create API key).

Copy the key

Lexware shows the key only once. Click the copy icon on the right of the field and paste it into Invobookz before you click Fenster schließen (close window).

Do not send the key to anyone by email or chat, and do not take a screenshot of it — whoever has it can read your Lexware data. If it is lost, simply create a new one in Lexware.

Paste it into Invobookz and move

In Invobookz, open Settings → Import → Lexware Office.

1. 1Paste the key into the field API key from Lexware.
2. 2Click Dry run. Invobookz only reads the lists in Lexware and shows what would come in and what is already there. Nothing is saved.
3. 3Choose the service type for imported items. Lexware has no service types; the VAT of your future invoices depends on it. You can change it per item later.
4. 4Click Start the move. A bar shows the progress — with many documents it takes a while, because Lexware allows only two requests per second. If you close the page, the move waits for you with Continue next time.
5. 5Done: Invobookz deletes the key. Delete it in Lexware under Public API as well.

What comes across — and how

• Customers, suppliers, items. What you already have (same VAT number, same customer number and name, or same name) is recognised and left unchanged.
• Invoices, credit notes, quotes with the original PDF from Lexware; payment reminders as PDFs on the invoice. Cancelled invoices come in as “cancelled”.
• Expenses with the uploaded receipt (PDF or photo). The Lexware category goes into the note.
• Not imported: drafts, delivery notes, order confirmations, income receipts without an invoice — and recurring invoices. Set those up again in Invobookz and end them in Lexware, so no invoice goes out twice.

Imported documents are a record. They appear in the lists, on the customer and the supplier — but they go into no VAT or VIES return, no report, no reminder, and they do not count towards the documents in your plan. They were already filed from Lexware. That is why an imported invoice is not sent, chased or cancelled in Invobookz.

Importing twice does no harm: what is already there is recognised and not created again, and nothing in Invobookz is overwritten. The files use storage space.