Opening Autopilot on the eConnect platform
Selecting Exact Online as software package
Logging in to Exact Online for authorisation
Selecting administration for the connection
Autopilot is active after successful authorisation
Opening Digital Mailbox in Exact Online
Activating Digital Mailbox for the administration
Setting rights for the Digital Mailbox
Connect Exact Online with eConnect

Connect Exact Online via the Autopilot: automatically book purchase invoices in your administration.

Integration methodAutopilot + Digital MailboxDirectionReceive (purchase)Minimum subscriptionBasicContract requiredNo

Exact Online is one of the most widely used connections with eConnect. Via the Autopilot, purchase invoices are automatically processed and booked in your administration. The Digital Mailbox ensures purchase invoices are directly available in Exact Online.

Before you start

Make sure you have the following ready:

  • An active eConnect account with at least a Basic subscription
  • Administrator access to your Exact Online environment
  • Sufficient transaction credit on your eConnect account
Setting up the connection
Step 1: Activate the Autopilot
  1. Log in to platform.econnect.eu.
  2. Go to your organisation and open the Autopilot app.
  3. Select Exact Online as your software package.

  1. Click Connect. You are redirected to the Exact Online login page.
  2. Log in with your Exact Online account and authorise the connection.

  1. Select the administration you want to connect.

After authorisation, the Autopilot is immediately active.

Step 2: Configure the Digital Mailbox

The Digital Mailbox is the feature within Exact Online that automatically makes purchase invoices from external sources (such as eConnect) available. Activate the Digital Mailbox in your Exact Online environment:

  1. In Exact Online, go to Settings > Digital Mailbox.
  2. Activate the Digital Mailbox for the desired administration.

  1. Ensure the rights are configured correctly. You need sufficient rights to manage the Digital Mailbox.

Sending invoices

The Autopilot connection with Exact Online is focused on receiving and booking purchase invoices. Sending sales invoices via the Autopilot is not currently available for Exact Online.

Want to send sales invoices via Peppol? You can do this via the eConnect platform or via the Email Receiver with the XML auto-send option.

Receiving invoices

Purchase invoices received via eConnect are automatically placed in your Exact Online administration:

  1. The invoice arrives at eConnect (via Peppol, email or the Email Receiver).
  2. The Autopilot forwards the invoice to the Digital Mailbox of Exact Online.
  3. The invoice appears in your Exact Online administration, ready for processing.
Common error messages

When connecting via the eConnect app, a digital mailbox is automatically created in Exact Online. If that fails, you will see one of the following error messages.

Error messageCauseSolutionForbiddenInsufficient rights on the mailboxCheck that your Exact Online account has access to the Digital Mailbox. Ask an administrator to adjust your rights if needed.Already exists: Digital mailbox; Invalid: DivisionThe mailbox is linked to the wrong administrationCompare the division numbers from the error message with the division number in the Exact Online URL. Link the mailbox to the correct administration.Trial account limitYou are using an Exact Online trial account with limited rightsChange your licence to a full Exact Online licence.invalid_grant / No consent from user (API 401)

The OAuth authorisation in Exact Online has expired or been revoked. This happens when the connection has been inactive for a long time or the user changed their password. Solution: open the Autopilot settings in eConnect, remove the current connection and reconnect by logging in to Exact Online again.

Create the Digital Mailbox manually

If the mailbox was not created automatically, you can do this manually:

  1. In Exact Online, go to My Exact Online > My contact details > My digital mailboxes.
  2. Click Add.
  3. Enter the email address in the format: <kvk-number>@facturen.econnect.eu (replace <kvk-number> with the KVK number of your organisation).
  4. Make sure this email address is also included in your contact details.

Tip: It may take a few minutes before the mailbox is usable after creation. Wait a moment and try again if the connection does not work immediately.

Important notes
  • If you previously used another integration method, disconnect it first before activating the Autopilot.
  • The Autopilot works per administration. If you have multiple administrations, set up the Autopilot per administration separately.
  • After setup, there may be a short delay before the first invoices are visible.
MijnKantoor vs. full user

Not every Exact Online account is suitable for connecting with eConnect. A MijnKantoor user is intended for collaboration between customers and their accounting firm via the Exact Online for Accountancy platform. These users have a limited access model: they do not have API access and therefore cannot create connections with external systems such as the Autopilot.

For a successful connection with eConnect, you always need a full Exact Online user with a paid licence and full rights. If authentication fails or you receive a "Forbidden" error message, first check whether your account is a MijnKantoor account. If so, your organisation must purchase a full licence.

Minimum rights for Autopilot

The user who sets up the Autopilot connection needs specific rights in Exact Online. The minimum required rights per tab are listed below.

TabRequired rightsGeneralCreate and modify administration-related electronic messages, Manage digital mailboxes, Create/update/delete documentsFinancialEnter/edit/delete purchase entries, Enter/edit/delete sales entriesRelationsManage bank accounts for relations, Manage relationsMaster dataManage and view financial master data, Manage periods

You can find these rights in Exact Online via Master data > Users > Overview. It is recommended to create a separate user profile or role with exactly these rights and assign it to the user managing the Autopilot connection.

Package types in Exact Online

Exact Online is available in different package types, each with three variants (Essentials, Plus and Professional). The connection with eConnect works with all package types, but the available functionality in Exact Online differs per type.

Package typeVariantsDescriptionTradeEssentials / Plus / ProfessionalAccounting, inventory and order managementManufacturingEssentials / Plus / ProfessionalWork orders, MRP, bill of materialsOffice managementEssentials / Plus / ProfessionalDocument management, project and time moduleProjectsEssentials / Plus / ProfessionalProject invoicing, hours, subscriptions
API limits

Exact applies per-administration and per-app limits on API calls per day and booking lines per month. For larger administrations or heavier processing, that can affect the Autopilot connection. Consider a Premium package or a Volume Pack and confirm the current limits with Exact. The Autopilot connection uses JSON, not XML.

Advanced connection: setting up automatic bookings

The advanced connection with Exact Online enables automatic bookings via the Autopilot. You need a full Exact Online user (not MijnKantoor) with the minimum rights described above.

  1. Go to Autopilot in the menu and click New connection.
  2. Select the organisation you want to connect.
  3. Choose the Exact Online logo.
  4. Click Open to connect with Exact Online in a separate window.
  5. Log in to Exact Online with the user who has access to the administration (username, password and optionally a verification code).
  6. After successful authentication, you can close the Exact window. Authentication is complete, but the connection is not yet configured.
  7. Back in the platform: click the green button to configure the connection.
  8. In the Autopilot flow, select the Automatic booking option.
  9. Open the Administration section and select the desired administration from the dropdown.
  10. Open the Document types section and check that the desired document types are selected.
  11. Open the Booking scheme section and select the desired booking scheme.
  12. Click the green button to save the connection, complete the configuration and start automatic processing.

If authentication fails, check that the user is a full Exact Online user and that the minimum rights are correctly configured.

Cost centre, cost unit and project

Only the Exact Online Advanced connection, where Autopilot books the invoice per line, passes cost centre, cost unit and project. With the simple connection (booking the document only), these dimensions are not used. Whether this also applies to sales bookings is not yet established. The codes themselves are in Exact Online.

DimensionName on the invoice lineWhat Exact Online receivesCost centreCostCentercost centre codeCost unitCostUnitcost unit codeProjectProjectproject for the code

The property on the invoice line starts exactly with Dimension: (capital D). Then CostCenter, CostUnit or Project. The capitalisation of that name does not matter. dimension: and names such as Dimension:Kostenplaats are ignored without a message. Leading and trailing spaces are removed. An empty value is ignored. A line can have one, two or three dimensions.

The supplier puts the property on the invoice, or TechSupport sets it via an RBE rule. There is no separate on/off setting. If the dimension is on the line and the customer uses Advanced, Autopilot tries to pass it.

The code must match exactly, including capitals. kp100 does not find KP100. Found codes are placed on the booking line. The booking result names only found dimensions, for example Dimensions resolved for line '…': CostCenter 'KP100', Project 'P-2026-014'. A code that does not exist, or whose capitals differ, is skipped. The booking continues, without an error. Per missing dimension there is a note: [WARNING] CostCenter code 'KP100' not found in Exact Online for line '…'. The dimension will be skipped. In the PSB there is also a suggestion with id MissingDimensionMapping.

The booking result is on the invoice detail page in the PSB. The same notes are in the attachment Autopilot.txt on the booking in Exact Online. Suggestions are only in the PSB.

Autopilot remembers the code list from Exact Online for up to ten minutes. A cost centre that was just created may therefore only be found after ten minutes.

Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Autopilot and the Digital Mailbox?

The Autopilot is the connection that automatically processes and books invoices in your Exact Online administration. The Digital Mailbox is the feature within Exact Online that makes purchase invoices from eConnect available in your administration. Both work together for a fully automated process.

Can I use a MijnKantoor account for the connection?

No, MijnKantoor users do not have API access and cannot create connections with external systems. You need a full Exact Online user with a paid licence and the correct rights.

What if I get a "Forbidden" error message when connecting?

First check whether your account is a MijnKantoor account, as that has insufficient rights. Also verify that your user has the minimum rights for the Autopilot, including managing digital mailboxes and the required financial and relations management rights.

Why is my cost centre not included in Exact Online?

Check that the connection is Advanced (booking per line) and that the invoice line contains exactly Dimension:CostCenter, Dimension:CostUnit or Dimension:Project. The code must match Exact Online literally, including capitals. If the code is missing, the booking continues and a warning appears in the booking result and in Autopilot.txt. A newly created code can remain invisible for up to ten minutes.

Want to know more about automatic booking suggestions? Read how the Autopilot works.

Connect your administration