---
title: "Vendors in a multi-entity company"
slug: "sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company"
description: "Find, link, create, and maintain Sage Intacct vendors in MakersHub. Check shared and private ownership, the Direct Entity location, and vendor visibility first."
tags: ["Supplier", "Multi-Entity", "User Guide", "Sage Intacct", "Entity", "Integration rules", "Troubleshooting", "Integration", "Vendor"]
updated: 2026-11-04T17:37:51Z
published: 2026-11-04T17:37:51Z
canonical: "support.makershub.ai/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.makershub.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Vendors in a multi-entity company

Use the correct Intacct vendor for your bill. Finding or linking a vendor is separate from creating or updating it.

If you have not connected and imported your Intacct records, start with [Connect Sage Intacct](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect). For connection changes, use [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity).

*Direct Entity* selects an Intacct location and its associated entity context, or Top level. It is separate from the vendor’s fixed Intacct ownership and the bill’s Entity coding. Use [Direct Entity explained](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-understand-direct-entity) to find it. This article’s shared/private distinctions apply where your Intacct company has Top level and entities; retain the established company context for a genuine single-entity setup.

### Find and link the existing vendor first

**Vendor List** contains your MakersHub vendor records. **Suppliers** is the imported Intacct list in **Integration Data**; the selector under **SageIntacct Connection** in the vendor form uses active records from that imported list.

Opening a linked vendor can populate and save its name, contact information, address, currency, and 1099 status from the imported **Suppliers** list. This does not happen every time or fetch the latest Intacct record. Review the details before editing; Intacct itself is unchanged.

1. **Identify the intended vendor.** In Intacct, confirm its vendor ID and whether it is shared or entity-owned. If the correct vendor is already linked in MakersHub and needs no detail changes, return to its bill. Use [Keep vendor details current](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-keep-vendor-details-current) below only for detail maintenance.
2. **Locate the imported record.** Check **Suppliers** in **Integration Data > Synced Data List**. If the expected record is missing or its details need updating, retrieve it in the applicable context: Top level for a shared vendor, or a location associated with the owning entity for a private vendor. Use [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity) if a context change is needed, then refresh **Suppliers** and confirm **Refresh data completed**.
3. **Open Vendor List.** In the MakersHub sidebar, select **Vendor List**, then open the existing vendor or start a blank form. If your list has an **Action** menu, choose **Action > Add a New Vendor**; otherwise use **Add Vendor**. Follow the appropriate route below.

The selector displays vendor names. Confirm the intended record’s vendor ID and owner in Intacct. If identical names are indistinguishable in the selector, contact [MakersHub support](https://support.makershub.ai/docs/contact-us) with the intended vendor ID and owner before linking.

**Protect unsaved edits before importing or changing an Intacct link.** Copy any edits you need to keep before using **Import from SageIntacct**, **Sync from SageIntacct**, **Add SageIntacct Link**, or **Update Link**, then review the displayed vendor details. Import and sync replace displayed details without a confirmation prompt.

**If the vendor exists in Intacct but needs a MakersHub vendor record:**

1. Confirm the intended imported record using the checks above.
2. Select it under **SageIntacct Connection** and select **Import from SageIntacct**.
3. Review the populated details and keep the imported vendor name unchanged.
4. Select **Add a New Vendor**, then confirm the link using the checks below. Importing alone does not establish the link.

**If the MakersHub vendor exists but has no Intacct link:**

1. Open it and select the intended imported vendor.
2. Select **Add SageIntacct Link** and review the loaded details.

**If the MakersHub vendor is linked to a different Intacct vendor:**

1. Confirm which Intacct record is intended.
2. Select that imported record, then select **Update Link**.

Changing the MakersHub link does not move either Intacct vendor to another entity.

Linking and relinking reload the vendor form. If linking imports Intacct details into the form, it also saves them in MakersHub. Review those details before further edits. Neither link action updates Intacct vendor details or ownership. Use [Keep vendor details current](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-keep-vendor-details-current) below for subsequent detail changes.

**Confirm the link after any route:**

1. Reopen the same MakersHub vendor.
2. Check that the intended vendor remains selected under **SageIntacct Connection** and the button reads **Sync from SageIntacct**.

If names cannot distinguish the intended record, contact support before proceeding. A **Vendor created successfully…** result when you intended to use an existing vendor requires inspection in Intacct before another sync.

A refresh imports what the connection can read in its current context. Previously imported vendors remain when a later refresh does not return them, including after changing Direct Entity. **An option still being listed does not prove that the current connection can update it.**

### Understand shared and entity-owned vendors

For an entity-private vendor, use a connection location associated with its owning entity for ordinary retrieval and maintenance. An earlier import can leave the vendor listed after the connection context changes; being listed does not establish current access or eligible use.

Use [Sage Intacct best practices](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-best-practices) for the recommended shared-record setup and the support route for a substantially different arrangement.

Intacct recommends creating vendors at Top level and sharing them across entities, with restrictions where needed. See [Intacct's vendor setup recommendation](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Multi-entity/Apps_and_reports_ME_guidelines/AP-ME-guidelines.htm).

Intacct establishes a vendor's ownership when the vendor is created: a Top-level vendor is shared, and a vendor created within an entity is private to that entity. **The existing Intacct vendor's ownership cannot be changed.**

You can still update vendor details and change a shared vendor's restrictions; these changes do not move the record. Use [Keep vendor details current](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-keep-vendor-details-current) below for supported MakersHub updates.

| **Vendor arrangement** | **What it means for this connection** |
| --- | --- |
| Created at Top level and unrestricted | Use the shared record where available to the connection; maintain it from Top level. |
| Created at Top level and restricted | Inspect its location/department restrictions in Intacct against the bill's intended use. A Top-level-only restriction differs from selected location/department restrictions. Ownership remains Top level. |
| Created within an entity | Identify that owning entity in Intacct and choose a connection location associated with it for updates. A matching name in another entity is not the same record. |

In Intacct, a shared vendor shown as **Not owned** within an entity is visible there without being editable there. [Intacct's ownership guidance](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Multi-entity/Data_sharing_and_restrictions/customers-vendors-in-ME-shared.htm) explains the distinction.

**In Intacct: missing Edit action**

If the **Edit** option is missing in Intacct, check vendor-edit permission and access to both the vendor's original owning level and every entity to which it is restricted. Top-level access alone is insufficient when the vendor is also restricted to an inaccessible entity. Use [Editing issues](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Accounts_Payable/Setup/Vendors/troubleshoot-vendors.htm#Editingissues) for this Intacct-screen diagnostic.

To change vendor restrictions, use [Restrict a vendor to an entity or a department](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Accounts_Payable/Setup/Vendors/restrict-vendors-in-multi-entity-companies.htm). When selecting an entity in those restrictions, also select its associated locations as Intacct directs.

**Intacct reference: vendor account numbers**

If your entities use different vendor-assigned account numbers, Intacct supports [account numbers per entity on one vendor](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Accounts_Payable/Setup/Vendors/Set_up/specify-entity-spec-acct-numb-payment-info.htm). Consider that setup before creating separate vendor records solely for those numbers.

### Create a new vendor in the intended context

Check Intacct and the imported choices before creating a vendor. **Add a New Vendor** can link an existing vendor; resolve ambiguous matching names before submitting to avoid linking the wrong record or creating a duplicate. **A matching imported name can link an existing vendor even when you select Entity.**

The vendor form shows **Entity** beside **Vendor Name** when multi-entity tracking is enabled and the imported **Locations** list has records. That workflow is established during setup in [Single-entity and multi-entity configuration](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-best-practices#mh-single-entity-and-multi-entity-configuration). Its location choices identify the entity in which a new vendor will be created. **Top Level** is offered for new vendor creation only with a Top-level connection. Without the control, use the connection context described below; contact support before changing tracking on an existing integration.

For a new Intacct vendor, choose its intended location/entity in the form. A new blank form starts with the saved Direct Entity location; an existing unlinked MakersHub vendor can retain its saved Entity choice. A Top-level connection can create either a shared vendor at **Top Level** or a private vendor in the selected entity. Selecting **Entity** while importing or linking an existing Intacct vendor does not change its owner.

**Warning:** Confirm the intended owner before creating the Intacct vendor; you cannot change that record's ownership afterward.

| **Your creation choice** | **Where a new Intacct vendor is created** |
| --- | --- |
| Choose a location in the vendor form’s **Entity** control | In that location’s associated entity. |
| Select **Top Level** when the connection is at Top level | At Top level. |
| Use a form without Entity | In the saved **Direct Entity** context: the selected location’s entity, or Top level when empty. A single-entity company without Top level keeps its established default. |

**For Top-level vendor creation, first set Direct Entity empty at Top Level.** A new-vendor form does not offer **Top Level** while Direct Entity has a location selected. Complete the context checks in step 1 below before submitting.

1. **Confirm the creation context.** For shared creation, the saved Direct Entity must be empty at **Top Level...**. For private creation, choose a location associated with the intended entity in the vendor form’s **Entity** control; if the control is absent, use a Direct Entity location associated with that entity. If the connection needs changing, use [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity), then return to this blank-form route.
2. **Open a blank form and review the details.** Use **Vendor List** to start the new vendor form. Check **Vendor Name** against the existing Intacct records before submitting. If **Entity** is shown, review its initial selection and confirm **Top Level** for shared creation or a location associated with the intended entity for private creation. Check the selection against Direct Entity using the table above. Complete the vendor details before submitting.
3. **Select Add a New Vendor and inspect the result.** **Vendor created successfully at Top Level** or **Vendor created successfully in …** identifies where creation succeeded. **Vendor linked successfully** means an existing vendor was linked instead; inspect that connection before continuing.

Linking locks the vendor form's **Entity** control. Other details remain editable through **Update Vendor Data**; follow the maintenance instructions below. An enabled Entity control on an unlinked form cannot move an existing Intacct vendor. Linking neither establishes nor changes Intacct ownership; bill Entity coding is separate.

If a vendor was created in the wrong entity or at the wrong level, use [Intacct's guidance for a vendor created in the wrong location](https://www.intacct.com/ia/docs/en_US/help_action/Accounts_Payable/Setup/Vendors/troubleshoot-vendors.htm). Contact [MakersHub support](https://support.makershub.ai/docs/contact-us) with the current Intacct vendor ID, its owner, and the intended owner before creating a replacement or changing its MakersHub link.

### Keep vendor details current

Choose whether to bring Intacct changes into MakersHub or send MakersHub changes to Intacct.

Before retrieving or sending changed details, use Top level for a shared vendor or a connection location associated with the owning entity for a private vendor. Use [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity) when a change is needed. **Copy unsaved edits before leaving the form**, and restore the intended working context after temporary maintenance. The linked vendor’s Entity does not switch the saved connection for an update.

**Check with support before deleting a linked vendor in Intacct.** A later sync can remove its imported entry as well as the corresponding MakersHub vendor record and link.

| **Action** | **What happens** |
| --- | --- |
| Refresh **Suppliers** in Integration Data | Reads vendors available to the connection into MakersHub's imported list. |
| **Import from SageIntacct** / **Sync from SageIntacct** | Populates the displayed vendor form from the selected imported data. These manual controls do not fetch the latest Intacct record or save the form. |
| **Add a New Vendor** / **Update Vendor Data** | Saves MakersHub details and attempts the Intacct operation. Read its result; a local save can remain even when Intacct refuses the update. |
| Circular-arrow icon beside **SageIntacct Connection** on a linked vendor | Sends the saved MakersHub vendor details to Intacct without requiring a new form edit. This is separate from **Sync from SageIntacct**. |

**Updating an inactive Intacct vendor reactivates it.** If it must remain inactive, make the change in Intacct instead of sending this update from MakersHub.

#### Bring Intacct changes into the vendor form

1. **Refresh Suppliers in the applicable context.** Use the owner-context guidance above. Read the refresh result before opening the linked vendor.
2. **Populate and review.** Confirm the selected Intacct vendor. Copy unsaved edits you need to keep, then select **Sync from SageIntacct**. Compare the populated values with the Intacct changes you intended to bring in; this control uses the imported list rather than fetching Intacct directly.
3. **Save deliberately.** If the Intacct vendor must remain inactive, do not select **Update Vendor Data**. Otherwise, use that button when the imported changes make it available and confirm **Vendor updated successfully**. This also sends an update to Intacct; it is not a local-only save.

If the displayed details already match, leave them unchanged.

#### Send MakersHub changes to Intacct

1. Prepare the owner’s context as described above.
2. Reopen the linked vendor and confirm the selected Intacct record.
3. Enter or reapply your changes, then select **Update Vendor Data**.
4. Read the result and check the intended details in Intacct. **Vendor updated successfully** confirms the reported update.

If an update is refused, the edited values can already be saved in MakersHub while Intacct retains its earlier values. Preserve the changes you intend to send and use [Resolve missing vendors and refused updates](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-resolve-missing-vendors-and-refused-updates) below.

When the form is unchanged and **Update Vendor Data** is absent:

1. Complete the owner/context and original-record checks above to establish whether another update is appropriate.
2. If those checks permit another update, select the circular-arrow icon beside **SageIntacct Connection** to send the already-saved details.
3. Inspect the same vendor in Intacct.

If feedback is missing or unclear, inspect the same vendor in Intacct and contact support before selecting the icon again.

To remove an existing vendor-field value, make the change in Intacct, then use [Bring Intacct changes into the vendor form](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-bring-sage-changes-into-the-vendor-form) above to refresh Suppliers, populate the form, and compare the result. Clearing the MakersHub field does not erase its existing Intacct value.

### Resolve missing vendors and refused updates

| **What you see** | **What to do next** |
| --- | --- |
| The expected vendor is missing from the connection selector | Refresh Suppliers and read its result. Check the Intacct vendor's status; the selector excludes inactive imported vendors. Compare its owning entity and permitted locations/departments with the saved Direct Entity, then check the Web Services user's entity access using [If a record is missing or unusable](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-working-with-entities#mh-if-a-record-is-missing-or-unusable). Return to [Find and link the existing vendor first](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-find-and-link-the-existing-vendor-first) after correcting access. If the vendor must remain inactive, do not create a replacement or send an update; contact support about the required link. |
| A vendor from a previous context is still listed | Identify its owner and applicable location/department restrictions in Intacct, then compare them with the saved Direct Entity and intended action. Refresh retains earlier imported records; its presence does not establish that the current connection can update it. Use [Understand shared and entity-owned vendors](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-understand-shared-and-entity-owned-vendors) above before an update. |
| **Suppliers haven't been refreshed yet. Refresh them, then try again.** | Refresh Suppliers in the applicable context and confirm the result. Reopen the same vendor, compare its saved details with Intacct, then use [Send MakersHub changes to Intacct](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-send-makershub-changes-to-sage) above. |
| An update is refused because the saved context does not match the vendor’s owner | Inspect the existing vendor in Intacct and preserve the MakersHub changes you intend to keep. Use [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity) to verify Top level for a shared-vendor update or a location associated with the owning entity for a private-vendor update. Then use [Send MakersHub changes to Intacct](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-send-makershub-changes-to-sage) above; it covers both an edited form and an unchanged form without **Update Vendor Data**. |
| An identical name prevents you from identifying the intended link, or a link points to an invalid/missing vendor | Contact support with the intended Intacct vendor ID, owner, Direct Entity, and exact message to confirm the record before changing the link or creating another vendor. |
| The create result says the vendor may already be synced, or says it synced but is not linked | Inspect Intacct and refresh Suppliers in the relevant context before retrying creation. If the active vendor is retrieved, reopen the **same already-saved MakersHub vendor**, select that imported vendor, and use **Add SageIntacct Link**; confirm the link using [Find and link the existing vendor first](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-find-and-link-the-existing-vendor-first) above. If the vendor remains missing or ambiguous, stop and contact support with the exact result, vendor name, intended owner, and Direct Entity before retrying creation. |
| **This vendor synced, but its details here didn't update. Try again.** | Inspect the vendor in Intacct and refresh Suppliers to establish the result before retrying; contact support if the MakersHub and Intacct details still disagree. |

For a permission failure, complete [After changing permissions](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-after-changing-permissions), including support verification if the test is unavailable. For sign-in, lockout, or hold messages, follow [Sign-in, lockouts, and connection holds](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-troubleshooting-and-common-questions#mh-sign-in-lockouts-and-connection-holds). Restore and verify the intended context, inspect the original vendor/link using the applicable row above, and retry only what those checks permit. For recorded failures, use [Sync errors](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-troubleshooting-and-common-questions#mh-sync-errors), then return here. If unresolved, contact [MakersHub support](https://support.makershub.ai/docs/contact-us) with the vendor, intended owner/context, and exact result, without passwords.

### Before returning to the bill

- **Reopen the vendor:** the intended Intacct vendor remains selected and the button reads **Sync from SageIntacct**. Resolve indistinguishable names before continuing.
- For **Update Vendor Data**, confirm **Vendor updated successfully** and inspect the original Intacct vendor. For the unchanged-form circular-arrow action, verify the intended saved details on that original Intacct vendor; an immediate success message is not assured. If the result remains unclear, contact support before retrying.
- After temporary maintenance, restore and verify the intended working context using [Choose the connection's Direct Entity](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-connect#mh-7-choose-the-connections-direct-entity), including the needed list checks.
- Check the bill's **Entity** and line overrides separately from the vendor's owner and the vendor form's Entity.

Syncing a bill does not update the linked vendor’s details; maintain them using [Keep vendor details current](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-vendors-in-a-multi-entity-company#mh-keep-vendor-details-current) above. Once the vendor and context are ready, continue with [Bills and payments](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-bills-and-payments) to review coding, approval, and payment.

For another question or symptom, use [Troubleshooting and common questions](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-troubleshooting-and-common-questions) to find the relevant checks.

Return to [Overview](/docs/sage-intacct-user-guide-overview).