Dext connects to Sage 50 UK through the Dext Connect App, a Windows application installed on the same computer or server as Sage 50. Once connected, Dext syncs your lists from Sage 50 and lets you publish costs, sales, and expense claims directly from Dext.
Important: Only Admin users and accountants/bookkeepers can set up and manage integrations. If you haven't installed the Dext Connect App yet, see What is the Dext Connect App? before continuing.
Before you start
You'll need the Dext Connect App installed and running before you can connect Dext to Sage 50 UK. If you haven't done this yet, see What is the Dext Connect App? for system requirements and installation steps.
You'll also need:
Sage 50 UK version 2022.3 or newer
Administrator access in Sage 50
Dext Connect whitelisted on any antivirus or firewall software
Installation location: Dext Connect must be installed on the same computer or server where the Sage 50 company file is stored, and must remain online whenever Dext needs to access Sage 50.
If Sage 50 runs on a virtual machine or remote desktop environment, work with your IT team to make sure Dext Connect can run there too.
Create a dedicated user in Sage 50
Before connecting, you need to create a dedicated user in Sage 50 for Dext Connect to use. Each company file you connect must have its own dedicated user.
Open Sage 50 and go to the company you want to connect.
Select Settings, then select Access Rights, then select New.
Enter a username and password for the new user and make a note of these - you'll need them when completing the integration.
Make sure the user has full access rights, then select OK.
If you can't add a new user, Access Rights may not be enabled. To enable it:
Select Settings, then select Company Preferences, then select Parameters.
In the Others area, select the Access Rights checkbox, then select OK.
For more details, see Sage's guides to Setting up Access Rights and creating users in Sage 50.
Connect Dext to Sage 50
To complete the integration, follow these steps in the Dext Connect App. Make sure Sage 50 is open before you start.
Open the Dext Connect App and sign in with your Dext credentials.
Find the account you want to connect under Not Integrated and select Integrate.
Select Sage 50 from the list of applications and select OK.
Select Select Company, browse to the Sage 50 company file you want to connect, and select Next.
Enter the username and password of the dedicated user you created in Sage 50, then select Integrate.
Confirm the tax settings on the next screen and select Finish.
Allow a few minutes for your lists to sync from Sage 50.
What syncs from Sage 50
Dext syncs the following lists from Sage 50 UK after connecting:
Suppliers
Categories
Customers
Projects
Departments
Bank accounts
Tax rates
Cost Codes don't sync. Dext doesn't sync or publish Cost Codes, so they won't appear in your Dext lists. You can set a default Cost Code for all published items in the Dext Connect App - see Integration settings below.
Bank Match isn't supported. Dext doesn't pull bank feed data from Sage 50, so Bank Match isn't available. You'll see Match Found as an indication only.
Share Mode isn't supported. If you use Sage 50's Share Mode, pause it before publishing and resume it once publishing is complete. Publishing with Share Mode active can cause errors.
Integration settings
There are two places to manage your Sage 50 UK integration settings: the Dext web app and the Dext Connect App.
Web app settings
To access these settings, go to Business settings, select Connections, then select Manage next to Sage 50 UK and select Settings.
The General tab has two settings:
Default 'publish to' destination for costs - sets the default publishing destination for cost items. Options are Purchase Invoice, Bank Payment, Cash Payment, and Visa Payment.
Warn me when creating a new supplier - when turned on, Dext notifies you before creating a new supplier in Sage 50 that doesn't already exist in your supplier list.
Dext Connect App settings
To access these settings, select View next to the account on the Dext Connect App main screen, then select Integration in the bottom-left navigation.
The following settings are available:
Is this company tax registered? - read-only. This reflects the VAT registration status pulled from Sage 50. If this shows No, go to Settings > Company Preferences > VAT in Sage 50 and enter the VAT registration number, then sync. Items may otherwise be published as zero-rated regardless of the tax amount in Dext.
Taxable items code - read-only. To change this, go to Settings > Supplier Defaults > Std Tax Code in Sage 50, then sync.
Non-taxable items code - read-only. To change this, go to Settings > Company Preferences > VAT in Sage 50, then sync.
Zero-tax rate items code - can be changed using the dropdown directly in Dext Connect.
Default Cost Code - sets the default Cost Code applied to all items published to Sage 50. This is the only way to apply a Cost Code, as they don't sync from Sage.
Publish multiple currencies? - turn this on to enable multi-currency publishing. Additional setup in Sage 50 is required. See How to publish to Sage 50 UK for the full requirements.
Next steps
Once connected, you're ready to start reviewing and publishing documents.
How to publish to Sage 50 UK - publishing destinations, field mapping, and multi-currency requirements
Sage 50 UK error messages - common errors and how to resolve them
What is the Dext Connect App? - moving the integration to a new computer or changing the user who manages it