# How to Run Purchase Order Reports in QuickBooks Online?
Managing purchase orders efficiently is essential for maintaining accurate financial records and controlling business expenses. If you use QuickBooks Online, you have access to powerful reporting tools that help track vendor transactions, monitor open purchase orders, and improve purchasing decisions.

**Purchase order reports in QuickBooks Online** allow businesses to analyze pending orders, review supplier activity, and ensure that inventory and expenses are properly recorded. However, many users are unsure where to locate these reports or how to generate them.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through **how to run purchase order reports in QuickBooks Online**, explain the available report types, and share tips to customize them for better financial insights.

## What Are Purchase Order Reports in QuickBooks Online?

Purchase order reports are financial reports that display detailed information about purchase orders issued to vendors. These reports help businesses track outstanding orders, monitor purchasing activity, and verify that goods or services have been received.

In QuickBooks Online, purchase order reports are especially useful for:

* Monitoring open purchase orders
* Tracking vendor transactions
* Managing inventory purchases
* Reviewing company spending
* Maintaining accurate bookkeeping records

These reports provide a clear snapshot of what has been ordered but not yet billed or received, helping businesses stay organized and financially informed.

## QuickBooks Online Plans That Support Purchase Orders

Before running purchase order reports, it is important to know that this feature is not available in every QuickBooks Online plan.

Purchase orders are currently available in:

* QuickBooks Online Plus
* QuickBooks Online Advanced

If your business uses Simple Start or Essentials, you won’t see purchase order features in the system. In that case, you’ll need to upgrade your QuickBooks plan to access purchase order tracking and related reports.

Upgrading unlocks additional features that help businesses manage inventory, vendor transactions, and advanced reporting.

## Why Purchase Order Reports Are Important?

Many businesses rely heavily on vendor purchases. Without proper tracking, it can be difficult to know which orders are still open, which vendors are most active, and how much the company owes.

Purchase order reports help by:

* **Tracking Outstanding Orders:** These reports show all open purchase orders that have not yet been billed or completed.
* **Monitoring Vendor Activity:** Businesses can analyze which suppliers they work with most frequently.
* **Improving Budget Control:** Managers can review purchase commitments before expenses appear in financial statements.
* **Preventing Duplicate Orders:** By reviewing open purchase orders, businesses can avoid accidentally ordering the same products twice.
* **Maintaining Accurate Records:** These reports help maintain organized financial documentation for accounting and auditing purposes.


## Steps to Run Purchase Order Reports in QuickBooks Online

Running purchase order reports in QuickBooks Online is simple if you know where to look. Follow these steps to generate the report.

### Step 1: Open the Reports Menu

First, log in to your QuickBooks Online account.

Once inside the dashboard:

1. Locate the **Reports** option in the **left navigation menu**.
2. Click on **Reports** to open the reporting center.

The Reports page displays all available financial and operational reports in QuickBooks.

### Step 2: Navigate to Standard Reports

On the Reports page, you will find several categories of reports such as sales, expenses, and accounting.

From here:

1. Select **Standard Reports**
2. Browse the report categories to locate vendor-related reports.

This section contains prebuilt reports designed to help analyze different aspects of your business.

### Step 3: Go to the Expenses and Vendors Section

Purchase order reports fall under vendor-related reports.

Scroll through the categories until you see:

**Expenses and Vendors**

This section includes reports that help track vendor transactions, bills, payments, and purchase orders.

### Step 4: Select a Purchase Order Report

QuickBooks provides two main purchase order reports that you can run or customize:

#### A. Open Purchase Order List

This report shows a summarized list of all open purchase orders that have not yet been completed or billed.

It typically includes:

* Vendor names
* Purchase order numbers
* Order dates
* Amounts
* Status of each order

This report is helpful for quickly reviewing outstanding purchase commitments.

#### B. Open Purchase Order Detail

This report provides a more detailed breakdown of each purchase order.

It includes:

* Item details
* Quantity ordered
* Pricing information
* Vendor data
* Order dates

The detailed view is useful for businesses that need to track inventory purchases or review specific order information.

## How to Customize Purchase Order Reports?

One of the most powerful features of QuickBooks Online reporting is customization. After opening a purchase order report, you can modify it to match your business needs.

You can customize reports by:

* Changing the date range
* Filtering by vendor
* Sorting by purchase order number
* Displaying specific columns
* Grouping data by vendor or category

To customize the report:

1. Click the **Customize** button at the top of the report.
2. Adjust filters and display options.
3. Apply the changes to update the report.

This allows businesses to generate more meaningful insights tailored to their operations.

## Tips for Using Purchase Order Reports Effectively

To get the most value from purchase order reports, consider the following best practices.

* **Regularly Review Open Orders:** Check open purchase orders weekly to ensure orders are fulfilled on time.
* **Close Completed Orders:** Mark purchase orders as closed once they are fulfilled to maintain accurate reports.
* **Match Purchase Orders With Bills:** Always match purchase orders with vendor bills to maintain proper accounting records.
* **Use Filters for Better Analysis:** Filters can help isolate specific vendors or time periods for better decision-making.
* **Save Customized Reports:** If you frequently use a customized report, save it so you can quickly access it later.

## Common Issues When Running Purchase Order Reports

Sometimes users cannot find purchase order reports in QuickBooks Online. The most common reasons include:

* **Using the Wrong Subscription Plan:** Only Plus and Advanced plans support purchase orders.
* **Purchase Orders Are Disabled:** You may need to enable purchase orders in QuickBooks settings.
* **Incorrect Report Filters:** Some filters may hide relevant data if not configured properly.

Reviewing these areas usually resolves most reporting issues.

## Final Thoughts

**Purchase order reports in QuickBooks Online** are an essential tool for tracking vendor purchases and managing company expenses. By running reports like Open Purchase Order List and Open Purchase Order Detail, businesses gain a clear view of outstanding orders and supplier activity.

QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced users can easily generate these reports through the Reports menu, customize them to fit their needs, and use them to make better purchasing decisions.

By regularly reviewing purchase order reports, businesses can improve financial visibility, maintain accurate records, and streamline vendor management.

If you rely on vendor purchasing, learning how to run and customize these reports will help you stay organized and keep your accounting processes efficient.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Q. How to create and send purchase orders in QuickBooks Online?

To create and send a purchase order in QuickBooks Online, follow these steps:

1. Click the **+ New** button from the dashboard.
2. Select **Purchase Order** under the **Vendors** section.
3. Choose the vendor you want to **order from**.
4. Enter the product or service details, quantity, and price.
5. Add shipping information or notes if required.
6. Click **Save and Send** to email the purchase order directly to the vendor.

This helps businesses track pending purchases and manage inventory effectively.

### Q. How to run an open purchase orders report by project in QuickBooks Online?

To run an open purchase orders report by project:

1. Go to the **Reports** menu.
2. Search for **Open Purchase Orders** in the report list.
3. Open the report and click **Customize**.
4. Under **Rows/Columns**, add the **Project** field.
5. Apply filters if needed and click **Run Report**.

This report helps you track outstanding purchase orders associated with specific projects.

### Q. How to generate an open purchase orders report by customer in QuickBooks Online?

To generate an open purchase orders report by customer:

1. Navigate to **Reports** in QuickBooks Online.
2. Search for **Open Purchase Orders List**.
3. Click **Customize** to modify the report.
4. Add the **Customer** column to the report layout.
5. Run the report to see purchase orders grouped by customer.

This allows businesses to track which customers or jobs are linked to specific purchase orders.

### Q. What does a purchase order (PO) report show in QuickBooks?

A Purchase Order (PO) report in QuickBooks Online typically includes:

* Vendor name
* Purchase order number
* Date created
* Item or service details
* Quantity and price
* Total order amount
* Status (open or closed)

These reports help businesses monitor pending orders, track vendor purchases, and manage expenses.

### Q. How to export purchase orders from QuickBooks?

You can export purchase orders from QuickBooks Online by following these steps:

1. Go to the **Reports** section.
2. Open the **Purchase Orders** or **Open Purchase Orders report**.
3. Click the **Export** icon at the top of the report.
4. Select **Export to Excel or CSV format**.
5. Save the file to your computer.

Exporting purchase order reports makes it easier to analyze data, share reports, or maintain backup records.