Xero Automated Spend Syncing with Xero Integration

Integration is based on Xero’s OAuth 2.0 authorization standard. No credentials are stored or handled by AppVentory. Authentication occurs through Xero’s native login interface, where explicit read-only access is granted to AppVentory.

AppVentory does not access Xero passwords at any stage.

Upon authorization:

• Xero issues an access token and refresh token
• Tokens are securely stored in AppVentory
• Xero Tenant ID is stored as the organization identifier

The connection is read-only. No ability exists to create, modify, or delete data in Xero.

Use Cases

The integration supports:

• Organizations using Xero for expense tracking and financial operations
• Advisors managing multiple client Xero organizations
• Businesses requiring automated SaaS spend visibility and onboarding automation

Key Features

1. Multi-Organization Support: Up to 50 Xero organizations can be connected to a single AppVentory account without profile switching.

2. Auto-Mapping: Organizations are matched automatically using naming conventions to reduce setup effort.

3. Bulk Client Import: Multiple organizations can be imported simultaneously, with automatic mapping for recognized records and manual review for unmatched entries.

4. Scheduled and Manual Sync: 

   • Automatic sync runs weekly (every Monday)
   • Manual sync can be triggered at any time
5. Source of Data Labels: Each transaction includes a source identifier indicating the originating Xero organization.

Authentication Flow

Xero integration is initiated from:

• Spend Overview
• Dashboard
• Integration Listing
• Manage Integrations (client-level)
• Advisory and Service Client views
• Add Client workflows
• Report generation flows

Process:

1. Redirection to Xero login page
2. Authentication using Xero credentials
3. Explicit consent for read-only access
4. Return to AppVentory with an authorized connection

Connecting Xero to AppVentory

This section is divided into two workflows: one for businesses and one for advisors, as suggested by the demo. The steps have been rearranged and corrected to reflect a logical flow. 

Business Account Workflow

1. Log into your existing Xero account. 
2. Navigate to the AppVentory application and click on the Xero integration.
3. On the AppVentory integration page, click "Connect Now".
4. In the Xero login screen, sign in with your Xero credentials.
5. Review the access request and click "Allow Access" to grant AppVentory permission.
6. The page will be redirected back to AppVentory. In the "Select Organization" screen, choose the desired organaization(s) to connect from the dropdown list. 
7. Click "Next"
8. On the spend history page, select the desired date range to fetch past transaction data, the click "Next".
9. Click "Complete Setup".
10. A confirmation message will appear
11. The integration status will now show as Active on the Integration page, and the organization(s) will be listed.

Advisor Account Workflow

1. Log into the existing Xero account 
2. Navigate to the AppVentory application and click on the Xero integration.
3. On the AppVentory integrations page, click "Connect Now".
4. In the Xero login screen, sign in with your Xero credentials.
5. Review all access request and click Allow Access to grant AppVentory permission
6. It will be redirected back to AppVentory. In the "Select Organization" screen, choose the organization(s) from the dropdown list. 
7. Select the corresponding "Client Name" or "My Business" from the dropdown to map the orgnaization. If the names match, the system will auto-map it. 
8. Click "Next"
9. On the spend history page, select the desired date range to fetch past transaction data, and then click Next.
10. Click "Complete Setup".
11. A confirmation message will appear.
12. The integration status will now show as Active on the Integrations page, the organization(s) will be listed under the appropriate tabs (My Organization or Client Organization)
13. On the "Unmapped Organizations" tab, a list of all unmapped Xero organizations is displayed. 
14. To map an organization to the own business, select the desired organization and choose "My Business" from the dropdown menu. Then, click "Confirm".
15. The newly mapped organization is now listed under the "My Organization" tab
16. To map an organization to a client, select the desired organization and choose a specific client from the dropdown menu under "My Clients". Then, click "Confirm".
17. The newly mapped organization is now listed under the "Client Organizations" tab associated with the client selected.

What is Synced from Xero

AppVentory imports only spend-related accounting data:

1. Accounts Payable (ACCPAY)

• Only fully paid invoices imported
• Partially paid and unpaid invoices excluded
• Represents vendor bills and settled obligations

2. Bank Transactions (SPEND)

• Only AUTHORISED transactions imported
• Represents completed spend from bank accounts

Excluded Data Types

The following are not imported:

• Accounts receivable invoices
• Credit notes
• Customer and vendor master data
• Payroll records
• Estimates and purchase orders
• Standalone payment records
• General ledger data outside selected accounts

Account Scope

Only selected Chart of Accounts categories are processed:

Excluded Accounts

• Revenue
• Liability
• Equity
• Full General Ledger outside selected scope

Tax Handling

• Tax is used only for gross cost calculation
• If line item is marked “Exclusive,” tax is added to derive true cost
• Tax values are not stored or displayed independently

Transaction Extraction

Key Rules

• Invoice date = FullyPaidOnDate (not creation date)
• Only fully paid invoices included
• Only in-scope line items included in final amount calculation
  
  

Managing Xero Integration

• View Details: Click the icon next to the active Xero integration to view more details, including Sync History and a list of integrated organizations
• Deactivate/ Reactivate Organizations: To deactivate an organization, select it and click Deactivate. The status will change to "Deactivate". To reactivate it, select the organization and click Reactivate. 
• Resync Data: To manually resync, select the organization(s) to update and click Resync.

Sync Behavior

• Weekly automated synchronization (Monday)
• Manual sync supported at any time
• Duplicate prevention based on Transaction ID
  
  

Spend Overview Feature 

The Xero Integration populates the Spend Overview page by importing and sorting transactions into three tabs: Mapped Spend, Unmapped Spend, and Archived Spend. This system directly impacts the integration's functionality and a user's ability to manage their data. 

• The integration automatically send transactions to the Mapped Spend or Unmapped Spend tabs based on established rules. This allows for automated categorization and reduces manual effort. 
• By moving transactions from deleted apps to the Archived Spend tab, the system ensures that historical records are preserved while also keeping active spend calculation clean and accurate. This prevents deleted apps from skewing financial reports. 

In essence, the Spend Overview tabs are a direct visual and functional represetation of the Xero Integration's data processing, enabling users to maintain a well-organized and accurate record of their financial spend. 

Click here for more information

Post-Sync Processing

Transactions are automatically published to Spend Overview and classified into:

• Mapped Spend: Transactions linked to applications via mapping rules

• Unmapped Spend: Transactions not matched to any application

• Archived Spend: Transactions excluded from active spend analysis (typically non-software-related spend or removed mappings)

Custom Mapping Rules

Custom Mapping Rules enable assignment of transactions to applications using:

• Vendor / contact name
• Transaction description
• Rule-based matching logic

Mapping outputs support:

• SaaS cost attribution per application
• Usage and cost analytics
• Overlapping subscription detection
• Portfolio-wide spend consolidation
  
  

Spend Overview System

The Spend Overview is the primary output of Xero integration data processing.

Functions:

• Displays imported transactions
• Segments spend into mapped, unmapped, and archived views
• Maintains clean separation of active vs excluded spend
• Prevents deleted or irrelevant applications from distorting reporting
  
  

Data and Insights

Once the Xero integration is complete, synchronized data is available for review with AppVentory. This section of the demo highlights how the imported information populates different areas of the platform.

Reviewing Sync History

After setup, a confirmation pop-up indicates the sync is in progress. To view the sync status and history:

• Go to the Integrations page and locate the Xero integration
• Click the "Review" button 
• This opens the integration's detailed view.
• Click on the "Sync History" tab to see a log of past data synchronizations.

Viewing Synced Spend Data

Synchronized data from Xero organizations automatically populates the "Spend Overview" page. 

• Navigate to the "Spend Overview" page in AppVentory
• Imported transactions appear in the main list
• Source of Data Labels: Each transaction is labeled with its source (e.g., "TA ORG"). This allows for easy identification of which organization an expense belongs to, particularly for advisors managing multiple clients. 

Accounting Data Scope

When connecting an accounting integration such as Xero, AppVentory does not sync all financial data. The platform is designed specifically to identify and analyse software spend.

• Expense Accounts: Typically used for recurring software and SaaS-related spending
• Asset (Prepaid Accounts): Used for annual or upfront software payments

• Revenue, Liability, and Equity accounts
• Full General Ledger (GL) data

This means AppVentory does not replicate the entire accounting system. It selectively reads relevant financial data required to identify and analyse application spend.

This focused approach ensures:

• Accurate SaaS spend tracking
• Reduced data processing noise
• Clear and relevant insights for cost optimization

 

Multi-Organization Management

• Multiple Xero organizations displayed in a single dashboard
• Organization-level source tagging applied to all transactions
• Support for advisor and multi-client environments
  
  

Data Access and Security

• OAuth 2.0 authentication (Xero standard)
• No credential storage
• Token-based secure access (access + refresh tokens)
• Tenant ID stored for organization identification
• Read-only permission model
• Integration can be revoked at any time
  
  

System Limitations

• Soft limit of 50 Xero organizations per account (subscription dependent)
• Filtering by organization is a planned enhancement
• Integration scope limited strictly to spend-side accounting data
  
  

System Principle

• AppVentory does not replicate accounting systems.
• Xero remains the system of record.
• Data flows in one direction only: Xero > AppVentory

 

 

If you need further assistance, please contact our dedicated customer support team at support@appventory.com, who will assist you with anything else you need. We take pride in providing exceptional service experiences, and our commitment to client satisfaction is at the heart of everything we do.