Exact Online and Airbase integration

What moves between them

The main flow runs from Airbase into Exact Online. When a purchase request is approved in Airbase, ml-connector reads the PO details and posts them into Exact Online as a purchase order, mapping the Airbase vendor to an Exact supplier account and the PO line amounts to GL accounts in Exact. Vendor master data flows in both directions to keep Airbase vendor names aligned with Exact supplier accounts. Exact webhooks notify ml-connector when POs are created, so manual polling can be kept minimal. Bill records from Airbase are also available for reference but are typically entered into Exact by the AP team.

How ml-connector handles it

ml-connector stores the static Airbase API key encrypted and uses it on every request. For Exact Online, it manages the OAuth 2.0 flow: it stores the refresh token encrypted, uses it to obtain access tokens, and handles the 10-minute token expiry by refreshing before each call. Since Exact divides all data by division, ml-connector accepts the division ID per customer and includes it in every API path. It subscribes to Exact webhook events for purchase orders to detect new or changed POs without polling. When a PO is approved in Airbase, ml-connector fetches the full PO details and supplier information, validates that the supplier maps to an Exact account and that GL line amounts reference valid Exact accounts, then creates the purchase order record in Exact. Airbase webhooks notify ml-connector of PO state changes, reducing polling overhead. If Exact returns a token-expired error, ml-connector refreshes the token and retries. If Airbase rate limits a request, ml-connector backs off and retries with exponential jitter.

A real-world example

A mid-sized professional services firm uses Exact Online for accounting and purchasing across three divisions across Europe, and Airbase for spend management and corporate cards. Before the integration, the purchasing manager manually reviewed approved POs from Airbase, entered them into Exact Online by hand, and reconciled vendor names and GL allocations between the two systems each week. With Airbase and Exact Online connected, each approved PO automatically creates a purchase order in Exact Online with the correct supplier and GL line items, and vendor master data stays aligned. The purchasing manager now reviews only exceptions, and month-end reconciliation is faster because the purchase order record is complete from the moment of approval.

What you can do

• •Post approved purchase orders from Airbase into Exact Online with automatic supplier and GL account mapping.
• •Keep vendor master data aligned between Airbase and Exact Online so supplier names and GL codes match.
• •Handle Exact Online's 10-minute OAuth token expiry and per-division API structure on every request.
• •Subscribe to Exact Online webhook events for purchase orders to detect changes without polling.
• •Validate all GL accounts and suppliers in both systems before writing, with a full audit trail on every record.

Questions

What purchase order data moves between Airbase and Exact Online?

When a purchase request is approved in Airbase, ml-connector reads the PO header, line items, vendor, and GL allocations, then creates a purchase order in Exact Online with the same details mapped to Exact suppliers and GL accounts. Bill records in Airbase are available for reference but are typically entered into Exact by the AP team, not synced automatically.

How does ml-connector handle Exact Online's OAuth tokens and division structure?

Exact Online access tokens expire every 10 minutes and refresh tokens rotate on each use and expire after 30 days of inactivity. ml-connector stores the refresh token encrypted, obtains new access tokens before each API call, and retries if a token has expired. Since Exact divides all data by division, ml-connector accepts the division ID per customer and includes it in every API request path.

How does the integration keep vendor names in sync between the two systems?

ml-connector fetches vendor and supplier data from both Airbase and Exact Online, matches them by name and external ID, and flags mismatches for review. Vendor edits in Airbase are typically made by the vendor manager, while Exact supplier records are managed by the finance team. ml-connector ensures both teams see the same set of vendors when approving POs and reconciling invoices.