> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.aiaccountant.com/help/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect to Tally

> One-time setup: install the connector, link Tally, choose your company, and run the first sync.

Connecting Tally is a one-time setup that takes about ten minutes. Once it is done, your books are live in AI Accountant, on the dashboard and on WhatsApp.

<Note>
  During integration, AI Accountant only reads your books. Masters, ledgers, and vouchers are never edited, added to, or deleted.
</Note>

## Before you begin

* Works with Tally Prime and Tally ERP 9.
* The connector runs on the computer where Tally runs. It needs Windows 10 or above, and works over remote desktop.
* If your Tally is hosted on the cloud, use the **Contact Us** link on the setup page instead of the steps below.
* If someone else runs Tally for this company, use the **Invite** option at the bottom of the connect page and send them this page.

## The status bar

The setup screen shows three indicators: **Connector**, **Tally**, and **Company**. All three start offline. Setup is complete when all three are green.

| Indicator | Turns green when                                      |
| --------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Connector | The connector is installed and signed in.             |
| Tally     | The connector can see Tally running on that computer. |
| Company   | You have selected the company to connect.             |

## Set up the connection

<Steps>
  <Step title="Download the connector">
    On the "Connect your accounting software" page, click **Connect** on the Tally card, then click **Download**. Install it on the computer where you run Tally.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign in to the connector">
    Open **AI Accountant Connector** from your Start Menu or Desktop and sign in with your AI Accountant email. The Connector indicator turns green.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect to Tally">
    Open Tally Prime and stay on the Gateway of Tally screen, then click **Recheck Connection**.

    If you see "We can't detect Tally Prime on this computer", either Tally is not open, or Tally's server port is off. To turn the port on: Gateway of Tally, press F12, then **Features**, then **Tally.NET**. Enable **TallyPrime Server** and set the port to 9000. Click **Recheck Connection** again.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your company">
    AI Accountant lists every company it finds in your Gateway of Tally. Find yours and click **Connect**.

    If your company is not listed, it is not open in Tally. Open it from the Gateway of Tally, return to this screen, and click refresh.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the first sync">
    Masters sync first: chart of accounts, vendors, customers. This takes a couple of minutes.

    You do not have to wait for everything. As soon as you see "Your workspace is ready", click **Enter AI Accountant**. Vouchers keep syncing in the background.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Keeping the connection alive

Tally stays in sync as long as the connector is running on that computer. If the computer is switched off or the connector is closed, syncing pauses until it is running again.

## What you can do once connected

* Bills forwarded on WhatsApp land in your review queue automatically.
* Questions asked to the bot are answered from your connected books.
* Invoices, bills, bank entries, and GST reconciliation all work against your live Tally data.