Xero Integration Documentation
This guide helps BookWell users easily connect their account with Xero. You will learn how to set up the integration, understand how data is synced, and automatically push your processed invoices from BookWell directly into the "Bills" module in Xero, significantly improving your financial workflow efficiency.
Getting Started
This section will guide you through connecting BookWell to Xero and the initial data sync.
How to Connect to Xero
Log in to your BookWell account.
In the top navigation bar, find and click on "Settings".
From the left-hand menu, select "Integration".
Find the Xero option and click the "Connect with Xero" button.
You will be redirected to the official Xero login page. Please enter your Xero username and password to authorize the connection.
First-time Data Sync
After you successfully authorize and connect to Xero for the first time, the system will automatically perform an initial data sync. This sync will retrieve the following three key types of information from your Xero account:
Accounts
Tax Rates
Contacts
This information is fundamental for creating bills later on. You can also update this information at any time by using the manual sync feature on the integration page to ensure your data is always current.
Data Flow Diagram
To give you a clear understanding of how data moves between the two systems, we only sync core accounting information that already exists in your Xero account. This ensures that the bills created in BookWell align with your accounting standards.
Data Flow Direction: Xero → BookWell
Below is a brief explanation of the data sync:
Xero Data | Flow Direction | BookWell Feature | Description |
Accounts | → | Invoice Processing | Used to assign the correct expense account to invoices. |
Tax Rates | → | Invoice Processing | Used to calculate the correct tax amount for invoices. |
Contacts | → | Invoice Processing | Used to associate invoices with the correct supplier. |
Using the Integration
The core function of the integration is to seamlessly sync your processed invoices from BookWell into Xero.
When you finish processing an invoice in BookWell, the system will automatically create a corresponding bill to be paid under the "Bills" module in your Xero account.
The information synced to Xero includes:
Structured bill data (supplier, dates, amounts, tax, etc.)
The original invoice file as an attachment (e.g., PDF or image)
This way, you don't need to manually enter bill details or upload attachments in Xero, which significantly improves your financial processing efficiency.
FAQ
When does the data sync happen?
When you first connect to Xero, the system automatically syncs your accounts, tax rates, and contacts once. 5 After that, you can perform a manual sync from the integration page whenever needed to get the latest data. 6
How do I disconnect from Xero?
You can disconnect at any time. Simply go to the "Settings" > "Integration" page and click the "Disconnect" button next to the Xero logo.
Troubleshooting
Why did my sync fail?
Common reasons for a sync failure may include:
Your login authorization for Xero has expired.
The Xero user who set up the connection does not have sufficient permissions to read the required data.
The Xero service is temporarily unavailable.
Solution: Please try reconnecting or check your user permission settings within Xero.
Will the sync create duplicate contacts?
No. Our sync mechanism is based on the existing data in your Xero account. Each sync matches and updates your contact list from Xero within BookWell, rather than creating new contacts. This effectively prevents any duplication issues.
