Reference
What your assistant can do — and what it can't
Orvanta QBD gives an assistant a fixed set of tools. There is no general-purpose access to your file and no way for the assistant to invent a capability it was not given.
The tools
Four for reading, three that only exist if you enable writing
| Tool | Requires | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| list_tables | read access | Shows the assistant which areas of your company file it can work with. |
| describe_table | read access | Shows the available fields for one area, so the assistant asks for the right things. |
| query | read access | Looks up records — filtered, sorted and capped to a sensible number of rows. |
| run_report | read access | Runs a standard QuickBooks report, such as a P&L or an aging summary. |
| insert | write access | Creates a record. Only available when you have enabled write access. |
| update | write access | Updates an existing record, after showing you the change first. |
| delete | write access | Deletes or voids a record, after showing you what will happen. |
In read-only mode the last three tools are not registered at all — the assistant cannot see them, and a request for one is refused on the QuickBooks machine regardless.
Try these
Questions that work well
You do not need special phrasing — these are just examples of the shape of question it handles.
- “What is our total accounts receivable right now?”
- “Show me every unpaid bill due in the next two weeks.”
- “Which items had the highest sales last quarter?”
- “Run a profit and loss for last month and compare it to the month before.”
- “List invoices for Northwind Supply from this year, newest first.”
- “What is the balance on our operating account in the chart of accounts?”
Limits
What it will not do
- Change anything while in read-only mode — the tools are not there to call
- Commit a change in write mode without showing you the change first
- Reach a second company file; each installation is bound to one
- Work with QuickBooks Online, which is a different product entirely
- Return fields your version of QuickBooks does not have — they are hidden instead
Coverage
The areas of QuickBooks it can reach
Subject to your edition and year — Orvanta QBD offers what your company file supports.
Sales and receivables
- Customers and jobs
- Invoices
- Estimates
- Sales orders
- Sales receipts
- Credit memos
- Payments received
- Customer balances
Purchasing and payables
- Vendors
- Bills
- Purchase orders
- Bill payments by check or card
- Checks
- Vendor balances
Banking and the ledger
- Chart of accounts
- Journal entries
- Deposits
- General ledger detail
- Trial balance
Products and services
- Inventory items
- Non-inventory items
- Service items
- Assemblies and groups
- Fixed assets
- Discounts and other charges
Lists and settings
- Employees
- Classes
- Price levels
- Payment methods
- Terms
- Shipping methods
- Sales tax codes
- Currencies
Reports
- Profit and loss
- Balance sheet
- Trial balance
- General ledger
- A/R and A/P aging
- Sales by customer
- Sales by item
Get started
See it answer your own questions
Install the free read-only plan and try the examples above against your real company file.