> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dualentry.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # How to Set Up and Manage Books > Create Books in DualEntry, include historical records from another Book, track sync runs, and deactivate or reactivate Books you no longer post to. This guide covers creating a Book, bringing existing records into it, and retiring a Book you no longer post to. For how Books, the Primary Book, and Book assignment work, see [Multi-Book Accounting](./index). ## Before you start To follow these steps, you need the following: * **Multi-Book on your organization**: Multi-Book may not be enabled for your organization yet. If **Books** doesn't appear under **Configuration → Accounting Setup**, contact your DualEntry account team. * **Permissions**: your role can view Books. Creating a Book needs permission to create Books, starting a sync needs permission to create or edit Books, and editing or deactivating a Book needs permission to edit Books. See [User Roles and Permissions](https://docs.dualentry.com/accountants/platform-configuration/user-roles-and-permissions.md). * **Room for another active Book**: an organization can have up to five active Books, including the Primary Book. ## Create a Book Create a Book for each additional ledger you report, such as a local statutory ledger. Decide on its code first, because you can't change the code after you create the Book. 1. Navigate to **Configuration → Accounting Setup → Books** and select **New book**. 2. Under **Details**, enter a **Name** and a **Code**. The code can be up to 20 characters and must be unique in your organization, including among inactive Books. DualEntry stores it in uppercase. 3. Optionally, enter a **Description**. 4. To bring existing records into the Book now, select **Include historical records** under **Historical records**, then choose the **Source book**. It defaults to the Primary Book. You can skip this and [include historical records later](#include-historical-records-in-a-book). 5. Select **Create**. DualEntry confirms with **Book created** and lists the Book on the **Overview** tab. Records you create from now on go to the new Book by the rules in [How records get their Books](./index#how-records-get-their-books). If you included historical records, the Book opens with the sync's progress. Once a second Book is active, journal entry forms show a **Books** field. ## Include historical records in a Book Include historical records to tag a Book with the records that already exist in another Book. Use it for a Book you created without them, or to pick up records added to the source Book since the last sync. 1. Navigate to **Configuration → Accounting Setup → Books** and select the Book. 2. In the **Historical records** section, select **Include existing transactions**. A Book that has never been synced shows "No existing or historical transaction sync has been run for this book." 3. Choose the **Source book**. It defaults to the Primary Book. 4. Select **Start sync**. DualEntry adds the Book to every record in the source Book that isn't already in it, including contracts, fixed assets, and the postings they generate. The sync only adds Books, so records already in the Book aren't duplicated and nothing is removed. It also tags records dated in locked periods. The sync works from a snapshot of the source Book taken when it starts. To pick up records added afterwards, run it again. The Primary Book has no **Historical records** section, because it already holds every record and can't receive a sync. A Book can run one sync at a time. ## Track, repeat, or retry a sync The **Historical records** section of a Book shows its latest sync and refreshes while the sync runs. You can keep working while a sync runs. * **Copy status** shows **Queued**, **In progress** with a percentage, **Completed**, or **Failed**. * **Source book** and **Started by** show where the records came from and who started the sync. * **Copy progress** shows how many transactions the sync has checked so far. To run another sync from the same source after one completes, open **More actions** and choose **Sync from** followed by the source Book's name and **again**, then select **Start sync**. If a sync fails, the section shows the error and a **Retry copy** button. To see earlier runs, open **More actions** and choose **View sync history**. Each run lists its status, time, **Started by**, **Source book**, **Target book**, **Transactions checked**, and any error. ## Edit, deactivate, or reactivate a Book After you create a Book, you can change its name and description, and you can deactivate it to stop new records from going to it. DualEntry doesn't delete Books, so deactivating is how you retire one. Both changes need permission to edit Books. ### Edit a Book's name or description You can change a Book's name and description, including the Primary Book's name. The code can't be changed. 1. Navigate to **Configuration → Accounting Setup → Books** and select the Book. 2. Select **Edit**, change the **Name** or **Description**, and save. The new name appears on the Books list, in the **Books** field on records, and in the report **Book** filter. ### Deactivate a Book 1. Navigate to **Configuration → Accounting Setup → Books**. 2. Open the Book's row menu and choose **Deactivate**. You can also select the Book, select **Edit**, and set **Status** to **Inactive**. After you deactivate a Book: * New records no longer go to it, and you can't select it on a record. * Records already tagged to it keep it, and their **Books** field shows the Book with **(inactive)** after its name. * It no longer appears in the **Book** filter on reports. * It moves to the **Inactive** tab and no longer counts toward the limit of five active Books. You can't deactivate the Primary Book. ### Reactivate a Book To reactivate a Book, open the **Inactive** tab, open the Book's row menu, and choose **Activate**. Reactivating counts toward the limit of five active Books. Records created while the Book was inactive aren't added to it when you reactivate it; [include historical records](#include-historical-records-in-a-book) to fill the gap. ## Troubleshooting The table below lists the messages you might see while managing Books and what to do about each. | Message or symptom | Cause and fix | | - | - | | `An organization can have at most 5 active books.` | Five Books are already active. Deactivate one before you create or reactivate another. | | Saving a new Book fails because its code is already in use. | Another Book in your organization, active or inactive, already uses that code. Choose a different code. | | `The primary book cannot be deactivated.` | The Primary Book always stays active. Rename it instead if its name no longer fits. | | **Include existing transactions** is unavailable, with "No eligible source books are available. Add or activate another book before starting a sync." | There's no other active Book to copy from. Activate the Book you want to use as the source. | | `An active assignment copy already exists for the target book.` | A sync into this Book is already queued or running. Wait for it to finish, then start the next one. | | `The source book has no assignments to copy.` | The source Book has no records. Choose a different source Book. | | **Books** doesn't appear under **Configuration → Accounting Setup**. | Your organization doesn't have Multi-Book, or your role can't view Books. | ## Related pages * [Multi-Book Accounting](./index): how Books, the Primary Book, and Book assignment work * [How to Assign Books to Records](https://docs.dualentry.com/accountants/platform-configuration/multi-book/assign-books-to-records.md): choose Books on journal entries and other records * [Books Reference](https://docs.dualentry.com/accountants/platform-configuration/multi-book/books-reference.md): Book fields, limits, and the API This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.