Resources · Make integration

Xero Make integrationAutomate Xero with Make.

Your accounting can run while you work on something else. The Xero Make integration wires your books into Make, the no-code tool where you build automations called scenarios. Xero opens 95 modules there: invoices, contacts, payments, files.

Try the Xero integration on MakeSee the 95 modules

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What you can automate

What can the Xero Make integration automate?

It connects your Xero account to Make and lets a scenario read and write your books for you. A scenario is the automation you build in Make, a chain of modules, and a module is one brick of that chain: a trigger, an action or a search. With 95 Xero modules on the shelf, the copying between your books and the rest of your tools stops being your job.

Three jobs come back on almost every build. Billing without the follow-up: Watch Invoices picks up the invoice, Search for Contacts finds the client record behind it, Send an Invoice via Email puts the document in their inbox.

Client intake: Create a Contact writes the customer into the books as soon as the deal is signed elsewhere, Create a Contact Group and Add a Contact to a Contact Group sort them, Create a History Note leaves a trace of what ran.

Closing the books: List Attachments and Download an Attachment pull the receipts out, Create a Manual Journal posts the adjustment, Get a Bank Summary hands you the balances to check against.

Two things Make will not do here. The app works with a Xero account and not with Xero HQ, so a practice running on HQ stays outside. And since September 2024, Xero caps the volume on its read endpoints: on a large organization, Search for Contacts, Search for Invoices, Search for Manual Journals and Search Payments slow down or stop answering. Filter tight and split the work.

Xero has an n8n node too. If the choice is still open, the n8n vs Make comparison lays out the criteria, and the Xero n8n integration page shows the same app on the other side. Never built a scenario before? Make training starts from nothing.

Connect

How do you connect Xero to Make?

  1. 01

    Add a Xero module

    Open a scenario, drop in any Xero module and click Create a connection. That connection is your Xero account linked to Make once, and every other Xero module in the scenario reuses it. If the module carries an instant tag, click Create a webhook first.

  2. 02

    Name it and pick the permissions

    The Connection name field is optional, though a clear name pays off the day a second Xero account shows up. Click Show advanced settings to choose the Scopes, the permissions the connection gets. Every module lists the ones it requires.

  3. 03

    Save and confirm the access

    Click Save. Xero opens its own window: sign in if it asks, then confirm the access. Back in Make, the module wakes up and starts listing what it can read in your account.

First scenario

Your first scenario: every invoice emailed on its own

GoalWhen an invoice is added or updated in Xero, Make sends it to the client by email.

  1. 01

    Create the scenario

    From the Scenarios page, start a new scenario and click the + to place the first module. Search for Xero by name, then pick Watch Invoices in the list.

  2. 02

    Link your account

    Click Create a connection, save it, then confirm the access on the Xero side. The module can read your invoices from now on, and the rest of the scenario reuses the same connection.

  3. 03

    Add the action

    Click the + on the right of the trigger and add Send an Invoice via Email. Map the invoice coming out of the first module: a bundle is one item travelling from one module to the next.

  4. 04

    Test with Run once

    Click Run once. Make executes the scenario a single time and shows what each module received. Read the invoice that came through before you let anything go out on its own.

  5. 05

    Schedule it and switch it on

    Set the clock on the first module. A new scenario checks every 15 minutes by default, which is the floor on the Free plan. Each module run on each bundle counts as one operation, the unit Make counts on your plan.

Triggers

What sets a Xero scenario off

12 modules start a scenario when something happens in Xero. A scheduled trigger is checked by Make on the scenario's schedule; an instant one is called by Xero as soon as it happens.

Xero1Watch Bank Transactions

Watch Bank Transactions

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a bank transaction is added or updated.”

Every bank transaction added or changed in Xero reaches your scenario here, one bundle per transaction.

How it fires
scheduled, which means Make asks Xero what is new each time the scenario runs, every 15 minutes by default.
When to use it
a shop owner who wants each card payment mirrored in a spreadsheet without retyping it.
Watch out
an updated transaction arrives the same way a brand new one does, so check what changed before writing anywhere else.
Xero2Watch Bank Transfers

Watch Bank Transfers

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a new bank transfer is created.”

Money moved from one of your accounts to another shows up through this trigger, as the transfer is created.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make queries Xero at the rhythm of the scenario and collects the transfers it has not seen yet.
When to use it
a treasury log kept outside the books, so the finance lead follows the movements between accounts without opening Xero.
Watch out
it reports transfers only, not the transactions behind them; pair it with Watch Bank Transactions when both matter.
Xero3Watch Contacts

Watch Contacts

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a contact is created or updated.”

Contacts created or edited in Xero flow out of this module, customers and suppliers alike.

How it fires
scheduled, so each pass of the scenario gathers the contacts touched since the previous one.
When to use it
a sales team whose CRM is the master list and who wants changes made in the books to travel back.
Watch out
a creation and an update look identical on the way out, so a scenario writing elsewhere should look for an existing record first.
Xero4Watch Credit Notes

Watch Credit Notes

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a credit note is added or updated.”

A credit note added or updated in Xero starts the scenario and carries its data to the next module.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make looks at your account on the clock you set on the first module, never between two passes.
When to use it
a wholesaler who wants every refund flagged in the team channel before the accounts are closed.
Watch out
credit notes and invoices are separate objects, watching one gives you nothing about the other.
Xero5Watch Employee Leaves

Watch Employee Leaves

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when employee leave is approved.”

Approved leave becomes a bundle your scenario can act on, one per approval.

How it fires
scheduled, so the leave surfaces at the next pass of the scenario rather than at the second it is approved.
When to use it
an office manager who keeps the shared holiday calendar right without copying anything by hand.
Watch out
only approved leave comes through, a request still waiting on a manager stays invisible to Make.
Xero6Watch Events

Watch Events

Instant trigger

In Make“Triggers when a new event is created.”

This one listens for a new event in your Xero account and pushes it straight into the scenario.

How it fires
instant, so Xero calls Make through a webhook as soon as it happens; a webhook is the address Make gives an app so the app can knock on its door. Make attaches it for you, nothing to set up.
When to use it
anything where waiting for the next scheduled pass is too long.
Watch out
an instant module wants its webhook before its connection, so click Create a webhook first.
Xero7Watch Invoices

Watch Invoices

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when an invoice is added or updated.”

Most Xero scenarios start here. It takes each invoice added or updated in the books and passes it on, with the document data attached for whatever module comes next.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make polls Xero on the schedule of the scenario, down to every 15 minutes on the Free plan.
When to use it
a service company that wants the client emailed and the accountant told as soon as a bill exists.
Watch out
a small edit on an old invoice counts as an update. Filter tight.
Xero8Watch Items

Watch Items

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a new item is created.”

New entries in your Xero catalogue leave through this trigger, one bundle each.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make asks for the items created since the last run every time the scenario wakes up.
When to use it
an online shop where products are declared in the books first and have to be mirrored in the storefront.
Watch out
creations only here, an item whose price moves later will not come back through this module.
Xero9Watch Manual Journals

Watch Manual Journals

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a manual journal is created or updated.”

Manual journals created or corrected in Xero reach the scenario with their content attached.

How it fires
scheduled, so the check happens at each run of the scenario and at no other moment.
When to use it
a controller who wants every manual posting copied into an audit sheet as it is written.
Watch out
journals pile up at closing, and Xero holds back the volume its read endpoints return to large organizations, so keep the scenario narrow.
Xero10Watch Payments

Watch Payments

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a payment is created or updated.”

A payment recorded or edited in Xero is reported here as soon as the scenario next looks.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make pulls the new and changed payments at the interval set on the first module.
When to use it
marking an order as settled in another tool once the money has been booked.
Watch out
a payment sits against an invoice or a credit note, so fetch that document when the scenario needs context.
Xero11Watch Purchase Orders

Watch Purchase Orders

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when an order is added or updated.”

Purchase orders added or updated in Xero start the scenario from this module.

How it fires
scheduled, so Make revisits your account on the clock you chose and takes whatever moved.
When to use it
a builder who wants the supplier and the site manager to get the order the moment it is raised.
Watch out
an order that changes status arrives as a plain update, count on that rather than on a separate signal.
Xero12Watch Quotes

Watch Quotes

Scheduled trigger

In Make“Triggers when a quote is created.”

Each quote created in Xero leaves through this trigger, ready for whatever module comes next.

How it fires
scheduled, so the quote lands at the next pass of the scenario, not at the second it is written.
When to use it
a consultancy that logs every quote in a pipeline sheet and never forgets the follow-up.
Watch out
creations only, a quote accepted or reworked later does not come back through here.
Modules

What Xero can do inside a scenario

Xero gives you 83 modules. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

Xero1

Add a Contact to a Contact Group

Action

In Make“Adds a contact to a specified contact group.”

Drops a contact you already have into one of your Xero groups, so your segments stay right without anyone opening the books.

When to use it
a customer moves to a paid plan and joins the group your reminders run on.
Watch out
the contact and the group both have to exist first, so look them up earlier in the scenario.
Xero2

Archive a Contact

Action

In Make“Archives a contact with a given ID.”

Puts a contact out of active use in Xero, from the id the scenario is already carrying.

When to use it
a supplier you stopped working with keeps cluttering the pick lists.
Watch out
nothing in the Xero module list brings it back, so be sure before you point this at a whole batch.
Xero3

Create a Bank Transaction

Action

In Make“Creates a new bank transaction.”

Writes a new bank transaction into your books from data the scenario already holds.

When to use it
a payment platform hands you an export and every line has to land in Xero.
Watch out
nothing here checks for a twin, so a scenario replayed on the same data posts the amount twice.
Xero4

Create a Bank Transfer

Action

In Make“Transfers a specified amount from one account to another.”

Records the movement of a given amount from one of your Xero accounts to another.

When to use it
the sweep from the current account to the tax reserve, once the scenario knows the amount.
Watch out
run it on a single bundle and watch it, a repeated scenario will happily create a second transfer for the same sum.
Xero5

Create a Batch Payment

Action

In Make“Creates a new batch payment.”

Registers one batch payment in Xero instead of a line per invoice, from the list the scenario prepared.

When to use it
supplier runs where a single transfer settles several bills at once.
Watch out
the invoices have to exist and be payable before the batch is built, so search for them first and read the result.
Xero6

Create a Contact

Action

In Make“Creates a new contact.”

Adds a customer or a supplier to Xero without anyone typing the same details twice.

When to use it
a deal is marked won in the CRM and the client has to exist in the books before the first invoice.
Watch out
Search for Contacts belongs upstream; this module creates, it never checks whether the person is already there.
Xero7

Create a Contact Group

Action

In Make“Creates a contact group.”

Opens a contact group in Xero, the container you fill afterwards with customers or suppliers.

When to use it
a new campaign or a new region needs its own segment and you would rather the scenario set it up.
Watch out
the group arrives empty, so pair it with Add a Contact to a Contact Group in the same run.
Xero8

Create a Credit Note

Action

In Make“Creates a new credit note.”

Issues a credit note in Xero from whatever the scenario is carrying at that point.

When to use it
a return comes back from the shop and the customer is owed money against a bill already sent.
Watch out
a credit note is its own document, creating one leaves the invoice behind it untouched.
Xero9

Create a Folder

Action

In Make“Creates a new folder.”

Opens a folder in the files area of Xero, ready for the documents the scenario will drop in.

When to use it
one folder per client or per audit, created the moment the project starts.
Watch out
nothing stops the same folder being created twice, so list the folders first when the name matters.
Xero10

Create a History Note

Action

In Make“Adds a note to a record.”

Leaves a note on a record in Xero, which is how a scenario keeps a trace of what it did.

When to use it
right after an automation updates an invoice, to write down which run touched it and why.
Watch out
notes are for the human reading the record later, they change nothing in the figures.
Xero11

Create a Manual Journal

Action

In Make“Creates a manual journal.”

Posts a manual journal into Xero straight from the scenario.

When to use it
the adjustment your accountant used to key in by hand every time the books were closed.
Watch out
a journal that lands wrong is visible in the accounts, so try it with Run once on a single bundle before anything runs unattended.
Xero12

Create an Account

Action

In Make“Creates a new account.”

Adds an account to your chart of accounts without leaving the scenario.

When to use it
a new activity needs its own line in the books before the first transaction is recorded.
Watch out
the chart of accounts is the backbone of everything else, so this one deserves a human step rather than a fully automatic run.
Xero13

Create an Asset Type

Action

In Make“Creates a new asset type.”

Declares a new asset type in Xero, the category your fixed assets are filed under.

When to use it
the company starts buying a kind of equipment it never owned before.
Watch out
asset types are set up rarely; a scenario creating one on every pass is a sign a search step is missing.
Xero14

Create an Employee

Action

In Make“Creates a new employee.”

Registers an employee in Xero from what the HR side already knows.

When to use it
an arrival is confirmed and payroll would otherwise retype the same form.
Watch out
no duplicate check happens here, so someone coming back to the company can end up with a second record.
Xero15

Create an Invoice

Action

In Make“Creates a new invoice.”

Raises an invoice in Xero from the data the scenario is carrying.

When to use it
an order is confirmed in your shop and the bill should exist in the books before anyone thinks about it.
Watch out
the contact has to be in Xero first, so find it or create it in the step before this one.
Xero16

Create an Item

Action

In Make“Creates a new item.”

Adds a product or a service to the Xero catalogue so it can be picked on documents later.

When to use it
the product team publishes a new reference and the books should know about it too.
Watch out
Search for Items belongs before this module, a catalogue full of near duplicates is painful to clean.
Xero17

Create a Payment

Action

In Make“Use this method to apply payments to approved AR and AP invoices or refund AR or AP credit notes.”

Applies a payment to an approved invoice in Xero, or refunds a credit note, on the customer side or the supplier side.

When to use it
your payment provider confirms the money and the invoice should stop looking unpaid.
Watch out
the document has to be approved first, a draft invoice will not take the payment.
Xero18

Create a Purchase Order

Action

In Make“Creates a new purchase order.”

Writes a purchase order into Xero from a request that started somewhere else.

When to use it
a stock threshold is crossed in your inventory tool and the order to the supplier has to follow.
Watch out
it creates the document and stops there, getting it to the supplier is another module in your scenario.
Xero19

Create a Quote

Action

In Make“Creates a quote.”

Turns what the scenario is holding into a quote inside Xero.

When to use it
a form on your site asks for a price and sales wants the document ready before the call back.
Watch out
a quote is not an invoice, nothing is owed until someone turns it into one.
Xero20

Create a Timesheet

Action

In Make“Creates a new timesheet.”

Files a timesheet in Xero from hours collected earlier in the scenario.

When to use it
a field team logs its hours in a form and payroll needs them in the books.
Watch out
check the period before posting, the Xero module list has a delete for timesheets but no update, so a mistake means removing it and filing again.
Xero21

Create a Tracking Category

Action

In Make“Creates a new tracking category.”

Sets up a tracking category in Xero, the axis you use to slice your figures by team, site or project.

When to use it
a new branch opens and everything booked from then on should be taggable.
Watch out
categories are structure rather than data, create them once and let the rest of the scenario use them.
Xero22

Delete a Contact Group

Action

In Make“Deletes all contacts from a contact group.”

Empties a contact group in Xero by taking every contact out of it in one go.

When to use it
a segment built for one campaign has to be cleared before the next list is loaded.
Watch out
read the group name twice, your scenario has no way of putting those contacts back afterwards.
Xero23

Delete a File

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing file.”

Removes a file from the Xero files area, from the reference the scenario is holding.

When to use it
a document was uploaded by mistake, or a temporary export has no business staying in the books.
Watch out
the deletion is final, so test the search feeding this module with Run once before wiring the two together.
Xero24

Delete a Folder

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing folder.”

Takes a folder out of the files area of Xero.

When to use it
a project ends and the folder it used should stop showing up in the list.
Watch out
put List Folders before it and check you are pointing at the right one, nothing in the module list recreates what has gone.
Xero25

Delete a Purchase Order

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing purchase order.”

Removes an existing purchase order from Xero.

When to use it
an order was raised against the wrong supplier and the books should not keep it.
Watch out
an order someone already acted on is better corrected by hand, a deletion leaves the next person with no trail.
Xero26

Delete a Timesheet

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing timesheet.”

Gets rid of a timesheet that should never have reached Xero.

When to use it
hours were filed against the wrong person and the line has to go before payroll runs.
Watch out
let a search find the timesheet first, deleting on an id guessed from another tool is how the wrong week disappears.
Xero27

Delete a Tracking Category

Action

In Make“Deletes an existing tracking category.”

Removes a tracking category from Xero when the axis has stopped being useful.

When to use it
two categories were created for the same thing and one of them has to go.
Watch out
your reporting leans on these categories, so keep this module out of any scenario running unattended.
Xero28

Download an Attachment

Action

In Make“Downloads an attachment.”

Pulls an attachment out of Xero and hands the file to the next module, ready to be stored or sent.

When to use it
a supplier bill has to reach your document storage without anyone downloading it by hand.
Watch out
the Free plan of Make stops at 5 MB per file and 512 MB of transfer, a heavy scan goes straight past that.
Xero29

Download an Invoice

Action

In Make“Downloads an invoice.”

Fetches an invoice from Xero as a file the scenario can pass along.

When to use it
a client wants the document in a shared folder as well as in their inbox.
Watch out
one invoice per run, so feed it from a search when you need a batch and keep an eye on the operations it costs.
Xero30

Get a Bank Transaction

Action

In Make“Returns information about a transaction with a specified ID.”

Reads one bank transaction when the scenario already knows its id, and brings the detail along.

When to use it
a trigger handed you a reference and you need the figures behind it before deciding anything.
Watch out
it works on an id and not on a description, so finding a transaction from something a human typed calls for a search.
Xero31

Get a Contact

Action

In Make“Retrieves contact information by ID.”

Fetches a single contact by id, so the rest of the scenario works on what Xero holds rather than on what it was handed.

When to use it
before sending anything to a customer, to confirm the record is the one you think it is.
Watch out
no id, no result; when all you have is a name or an email, Search for Contacts is the right module.
Xero32

Get a Contact Group

Action

In Make“Returns information about a contact group.”

Returns one contact group of your Xero account with what it holds.

When to use it
a scenario that treats a segment differently and needs to confirm the group before acting on it.
Watch out
reading the group is not the same as walking through its members, plan the rest of the flow accordingly.
Xero33

Get a Credit Note

Action

In Make“Returns information about a credit note with a specified ID.”

Brings one credit note back from Xero, from its id.

When to use it
a payment refers to a credit note and you want the document before writing a line anywhere.
Watch out
the id has to come from Xero itself, one copied out of another tool will not match anything.
Xero34

Get a File

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing file.”

Retrieves a file stored in Xero so the next module can move it, read it or send it on.

When to use it
a receipt attached in the books has to reach the folder your team actually opens.
Watch out
file size counts against your Make plan, the free one caps a single file at 5 MB.
Xero35

Get a Folder

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing folder.”

Reads one folder of the Xero files area and gives the scenario what it needs to work inside it.

When to use it
checking that a client folder exists before the scenario tries to file anything in it.
Watch out
when the folder may not exist yet, put List Folders ahead of this module and create it if nothing comes back.
Xero36

Get a Manual Journal

Action

In Make“Returns information about a manual journal.”

Returns one manual journal with its content.

When to use it
an audit sheet that needs the detail of a posting, pulled the moment someone asks for it.
Watch out
one journal per run, so a whole period means a search upstream, and Xero holds back on volume for large organizations.
Xero37

Get an Account

Action

In Make“Returns information about an account with a specified ID.”

Reads one account of your chart of accounts from its id.

When to use it
confirming the account a transaction is about to hit, rather than trusting a code stored in another tool.
Watch out
Search for Accounts is the one that takes a name or a code, this module wants the id and nothing else.
Xero38

Get an Asset

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing asset.”

Pulls a fixed asset out of Xero with what the books know about it.

When to use it
an inventory check where each reference has to be matched against the register.
Watch out
the asset has to be registered already, a reference invented by the scenario brings nothing back.
Xero39

Get an Asset Type

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing asset type.”

Reads one asset type, the category a fixed asset belongs to.

When to use it
before creating an asset, to be sure the type it points at is the right one.
Watch out
types barely change, so calling this on every bundle burns operations for nothing; read it once and reuse the result.
Xero40

Get an Invoice

Action

In Make“Returns information about an invoice with a given ID.”

Brings one invoice back with its detail, from the id the scenario already has.

When to use it
a payment lands with an invoice reference and you want the document before telling anyone anything.
Watch out
ids travel badly between tools, so when yours comes from a spreadsheet, search for the invoice instead.
Xero41

Get an Invoice URL

Action

In Make“Retrieves Xero online invoice URL.”

Get an Invoice URL hands back the online address of one invoice, the page a customer opens in a browser instead of hunting through an attachment.

When to use it
your reminder goes out from a mailbox app and should carry the link rather than a file.
Watch out
the invoice has to exist in Xero first, so place this module after the one that creates it.
Xero42

Get an Item

Action

In Make“Searches for an item by item ID or item code.”

You have a product code and nothing else. Get an Item turns it into the matching catalog entry from Xero, one item in, one item back.

When to use it
an order lands with a reference and the scenario needs the real item before it builds an invoice.
Watch out
the lookup runs on an exact ID or code, so a name someone typed by hand finds nothing.
Xero43

Get a Payment

Action

In Make“Retrieves information about a payment with a specified ID.”

Give Get a Payment the ID of a payment and Xero returns what it holds on it, as a single bundle, the item that travels on to the next module.

When to use it
money lands and the scenario has to read the amount before it updates anything else.
Watch out
that ID has to come from an earlier module in the run, otherwise the scenario has nothing to look up.
Xero44

Get a Purchase Order

Action

In Make“Returns information about a purchase order with a specified ID.”

One purchase order, called up by its ID, with the detail Xero holds on it. Get a Purchase Order only reads, nothing in the order moves.

When to use it
a supplier replies with an order number and the scenario compares what was ordered against what arrived.
Watch out
when the comparison ends in a change, Update a Purchase Order is the module that writes it.
Xero45

Get a Sales Invoice PDF

Action

In Make“Retrieves a sales invoice PDF.”

The invoice comes back as a real file with Get a Sales Invoice PDF, ready to travel on to storage, a mailbox or a client portal.

When to use it
every invoice you issue has to land in the customer folder the same day it is raised.
Watch out
the module produces the file and stops there, the module after it decides where the document ends up.
Xero46

Get a Setting Object

Action

In Make“Retrieves a setting object.”

Some values sit in the settings of your Xero organization rather than on a record. Get a Setting Object is how a scenario reads one of them.

When to use it
the same scenario serves two companies and has to read each configuration instead of carrying it hard coded.
Watch out
what comes back depends on the setting you ask for, so press Run once and read the output before wiring it into the next module.
Xero47

Get a Timesheet

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing timesheet.”

Get a Timesheet opens a timesheet already recorded in Xero and brings its detail into the run. The hours are the ones Xero holds at that moment, nothing is recalculated on the way.

When to use it
an approval message carries a timesheet reference and the scenario needs the hours before anyone signs off.
Xero48

Get a Tracking Category

Action

In Make“Retrieves an existing tracking category.”

Before a module writes a category into Xero, something has to read the right one. Get a Tracking Category fetches a category that is already set up.

When to use it
the scenario splits costs across departments and has to use the category exactly as Xero spells it.
Watch out
a category that does not exist yet will not show up here, Create a Tracking Category is the module that adds one.
Xero49

Make an API Call

Action

In Make“Performs an arbitrary authorized API call.”

Make an API Call is the escape hatch of the app: it reaches any endpoint of the Xero API through the connection you already created, so a gap in the 95 modules is not a dead end.

When to use it
what the scenario needs exists in Xero but no module on this page covers it.
Watch out
nothing is prepared for you here, and whatever the call writes into your books is on you.
Xero50

Remove a Contact from a Contact Group

Action

In Make“Removes a contact from a contact group.”

Take one contact out of one group and leave the contact itself alone: Remove a Contact from a Contact Group does that and nothing more.

When to use it
a customer switches to invoice billing and should stop showing up in the direct debit group.
Watch out
leaving a group is not leaving Xero, the contact record stays exactly where it was.
Xero51

Send an Invoice via Email

Action

In Make“The email will be sent to the primary email address of the contact on the invoice. The invoice must be of Type ACCREC and a valid Status for sending (SUMBITTED,AUTHORISED or PAID).”

Send an Invoice via Email hands the sending back to Xero, so the invoice leaves from your accounting instead of a mail module you wire in yourself.

When to use it
the scenario has just built the invoice for a new order and you want it in the customer inbox in the same run.
Watch out
Xero only mails a sales invoice (ACCREC) that has reached a status allowed for sending, and always to the main address of the contact on that invoice.
Xero52

Update a Contact

Action

In Make“Updates a contact by ID.”

Update a Contact writes a change onto a contact record Xero already holds, pointed at by its ID.

When to use it
a customer edits their billing address in your store and accounting should not be the last to hear about it.
Watch out
the module trusts the ID it gets, and a wrong one quietly edits the wrong customer.
Xero53

Update a File

Action

In Make“Updates an existing file.”

A document already stored in Xero can be changed without sending it up again. Update a File does that from inside the scenario.

When to use it
an automatic upload filed something with the wrong details and the scenario corrects it on the spot.
Watch out
the right file has to be identified first, which is what List Files and Get a File are there for.
Xero54

Update a Folder

Action

In Make“Updates an existing folder.”

Update a Folder changes a folder that already exists in Xero instead of creating another one beside it. The documents filed inside keep their place, only the folder itself changes.

When to use it
your naming rule for client folders changes and the scenario walks through them one by one.
Xero55

Update an Account

Action

In Make“Updates a new account.”

Update an Account rewrites the details of one account in Xero, straight from the scenario.

When to use it
an account name no longer matches what the team calls it and a whole list needs the same correction.
Watch out
try it on a single account with Run once, check the result in Xero, then let the scenario run through the rest.
Xero56

Update an Asset

Action

In Make“Updates an existing asset.”

An asset recorded in Xero changes hands, moves site or gets a new value, and Update an Asset carries that into the register from data the scenario already has.

When to use it
the vehicle fleet gets reshuffled and the records should follow without anyone retyping them.
Watch out
the asset has to exist already, and Search Assets is what finds the one you mean.
Xero57

Update an Asset Type

Action

In Make“Updates an existing asset type.”

Update an Asset Type works one level above the equipment. It edits the type itself, and the assets filed under it keep their own records.

When to use it
a review changes the way you classify equipment and the types have to be renamed.
Watch out
this is the type, not the item, Update an Asset is the module for a single asset.
Xero58

Update an Employee

Action

In Make“Updates an employee by ID.”

Update an Employee applies a change to an employee record Xero already has, using the employee ID.

When to use it
someone changes role in your HR tool and Xero should know the same day, not whenever someone next remembers to copy it over.
Watch out
the Xero ID has to be stored next to the employee in that other tool, otherwise the scenario cannot tell who to update.
Xero59

Update an Invoice

Action

In Make“Updates an invoice by ID.”

Update an Invoice reaches an invoice already in Xero and applies what the scenario carries, by ID.

When to use it
a customer adds a line before the invoice goes out and the amount has to follow.
Watch out
once an invoice has reached the customer, a credit note is usually the honest answer rather than a silent edit.
Xero60

Update an Item

Action

In Make“Updates an item by ID.”

Update an Item refreshes one product or service in the Xero catalog, the entry your invoices pull their price from.

When to use it
a supplier raises prices and the catalog should carry the new ones before the next invoice goes out.
Watch out
an action module works on one item per run, so a full price list is walked through entry by entry.
Xero61

Update a Purchase Order

Action

In Make“Updates an existing purchase order.”

Update a Purchase Order changes an order already sitting in Xero so the document says what the supplier actually confirmed.

When to use it
the confirmation comes back with a different quantity and the order cannot stay on the old one.
Watch out
if the scenario needs to know what the order said before, read it with Get a Purchase Order first.
Xero62

Update a Tracking Category

Action

In Make“Updates an existing tracking category.”

A tracking category already in use can be edited from the scenario with Update a Tracking Category.

When to use it
a department is renamed and every figure filed under that category should carry the new wording.
Watch out
changing the wording does not re-sort anything that was already recorded under the old one.
Xero63

Upload a File

Action

In Make“Uploads a file to a selected object.”

Upload a File pins a document onto the Xero record you point at, so the proof sits next to the entry instead of in a mailbox.

When to use it
a supplier invoice arrives as an attachment and belongs on the matching record in Xero.
Watch out
on the Free plan of Make a file crossing a scenario stays under 5 MB, which a scanned document can reach.
Xero64

Upload a File (Files API)

Action

In Make“Uploads a file using Files API.”

Same destination, other road: Upload a File (Files API) pushes the document into Xero through its Files API.

When to use it
a batch of scanned receipts has to reach Xero and the Files API route is the one your setup calls for.
Watch out
two upload modules live in this catalog, and the question that separates them is whether the document must hang on a record.
Xero65

Create an Asset

Action

In Make“Сreates a new asset.”

Create an Asset registers a new asset in Xero from what the scenario already carries, a purchase line, a form answer, a row in a sheet.

When to use it
equipment bought this month enters the register the day the invoice is recorded, not at the next inventory.
Watch out
a second run creates a second asset, so check with Search Assets before adding anything.
Xero66

Get a Bank Summary

Search

In Make“Returns the balances and cash movements for each bank account.”

Get a Bank Summary brings back the balances and the cash movements of your bank accounts, the figures someone would otherwise open Xero to read.

When to use it
a cash position posted into the team channel before payments go out, without anyone logging into Xero.
Watch out
a search module can return several bundles, one per account here, and every module after it runs once for each.
Xero67

Get History of Changes

Search

In Make“Retrieves the changes made to a given object.”

Get History of Changes lists what happened to one record in Xero, the trail behind an invoice nobody remembers touching.

When to use it
a figure moved during the close and the scenario posts the history where the question was raised.
Watch out
each change comes out as its own item, so group them before a message module sends one note per line.
Xero68

List Asset Types

Search

In Make“Lists all existing asset types.”

List Asset Types returns the asset types configured in Xero, one item per type. It keeps a scenario working from the real classification instead of a copy someone pasted months ago.

When to use it
an internal form where the team files new equipment needs its list of types kept current.
Xero69

List Attachments

Search

In Make“Retrieves a list of attachments.”

List Attachments gives the scenario the documents filed against a record in Xero, one item per attachment.

When to use it
an audit asks for everything attached to a run of invoices and clicking through them is not an option.
Watch out
the list is what you get here, Download an Attachment is the module that brings back the file itself.
Xero70

List Files

Search

In Make“Lists all existing files.”

List Files walks through the files stored in Xero and passes them to the scenario one at a time.

When to use it
a copy of everything filed in Xero has to reach your backup storage as it is added.
Watch out
a search can also come back with nothing, so decide what the scenario does when the list is empty.
Xero71

List Folders

Search

In Make“Lists all existing folders.”

List Folders returns the folders that exist in Xero, which is how a scenario finds out where a document can go before it tries to file it. Folders come back, not what sits inside them.

When to use it
the scenario files supporting documents and has to confirm the client folder is there.
Xero72

List Tenants

Search

In Make“Lists all existing tenants.”

List Tenants shows which Xero accounts your connection actually reaches, which matters as soon as one connection covers more than one set of books.

When to use it
a bookkeeper runs one scenario for several clients and has to send each run to the right account.
Watch out
this app works with a Xero account and does not support Xero HQ.
Xero73

Search Assets

Search

In Make“Searches for assets or lists them all.”

Search Assets returns the assets that match what you ask for, or the whole register when you ask for nothing in particular.

When to use it
an equipment check, where the scenario drops the list into a sheet for the team to tick off.
Watch out
with no filter, every asset costs one operation, the unit Make counts on your plan, on each module that follows.
Xero74

Search for Accounts

Search

In Make“Finds an account by ID, name, or code.”

Search for Accounts finds an account by ID, by name or by code, usually one step before a module that needs that account.

When to use it
the scenario books an expense and has to land it on the account your bookkeeper actually uses.
Watch out
a name can match more than one account, a code is the safer thing to search on.
Xero75

Search for Contact Groups

Search

In Make“Searches for a contact group.”

Search for Contact Groups looks up the group you mean before another module puts someone in it or takes someone out.

When to use it
a scenario that sorts new customers into groups has to check the group exists before it writes.
Watch out
finding the group changes nothing by itself, the add and remove modules are the ones that act.
Xero76

Search for Contacts

Search

In Make“Searches for a contact by name or email.”

Search for Contacts finds people in Xero from a name or an email address, which is how a scenario checks whether a customer is already on file.

When to use it
an order arrives from a buyer you may already know and updating beats creating a twin record.
Watch out
since September 2024 Xero applies volume thresholds to the reads it serves, and a very large contact base can slow this module down or stop the scenario.
Xero77

Search for Invoices

Search

In Make“Searches for an invoice.”

Search for Invoices pulls the invoices that match your criteria out of Xero, one item per invoice.

When to use it
the chase on what is still unpaid, written once and left running.
Watch out
the volume thresholds Xero has applied to its reads since 2024 bite here on a long ledger, so search a narrow window rather than a whole year.
Xero78

Search for Items

Search

In Make“Returns a list of items.”

Search for Items returns the catalog entries Xero holds, so a scenario can work from the live list instead of a copy that ages.

When to use it
your online store and your accounting should show the same products, checked on a schedule.
Watch out
every matching item travels on to the modules that follow, so filter here rather than three modules later.
Xero79

Search for Manual Journals

Search

In Make“Searches for a manual journals.”

Search for Manual Journals brings back the journals that match your search, the entries an accountant posted by hand.

When to use it
a month end review where the scenario copies those entries into a sheet before anyone signs the close.
Watch out
Xero names this module in its volume threshold notice, so a heavy book can make it slow or leave the scenario stuck.
Xero80

Search for Tax Rates

Search

In Make“Finds a tax rate by name.”

Search for Tax Rates finds a rate by its name, the small step that stops an automated invoice from going out with the wrong tax on it.

When to use it
a scenario invoices in two countries and has to pick the matching rate every time.
Watch out
the search runs on the name, so the wording in your other tool has to match what Xero holds.
Xero81

Search Payments

Search

In Make“Searches for payments or lists them all.”

Search Payments pulls the payments recorded in your Xero account and passes them to the next module, the ones matching your search or all of them.

When to use it
drop it in before the reminder module, so a customer who already paid never gets chased.
Watch out
since September 2024 Xero applies volume limits to the modules that read data, and Search Payments is one of the modules it names, so a heavy account can slow the scenario down or stop it.
Xero82

Search Timesheets

Search

In Make“Searches for timesheets or lists them all.”

Payroll runs on hours that someone has to go and fetch. This module reads the timesheets sitting in Xero, the ones your search matches or every one of them, and hands each timesheet to the next step.

When to use it
at the end of a pay period, to gather the hours before a summary goes out to the payroll file.
Watch out
a run that matches nothing sends nothing on, so plan what should happen on an empty run.
Xero83

Search Tracking Categories

Search

In Make“Searches for tracking categories or lists them all.”

Need to know which tracking categories exist in a Xero account before a scenario uses one? This module reads them back, the full list or the ones your search matches.

When to use it
at the top of a scenario, to pick up the category by its real name instead of one typed by hand.
Watch out
calling this for every item adds up, since Make counts one operation per run, so read the list once at the start of the scenario and reuse what comes back.
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FAQ

Questions that come up next

01Is the Xero Make integration free?
Yes, on the Free plan of Make. Xero is a standard app, and every plan carries the 3,000+ standard apps, so the connection itself costs nothing extra. What the free plan limits is the running: 2 active scenarios, one run every 15 minutes at the fastest, 5 minutes of execution, files up to 5 MB and 512 MB of transfer. Paid plans bring the interval down to 1 minute, lift the cap on active scenarios and give 40 minutes of execution. Your Xero subscription is a separate matter, billed by Xero.
02What do you need to connect Xero to Make?
A Xero account, and a few clicks. The documentation asks for nothing else: add a Xero module to a scenario, click Create a connection, save, then confirm the access on the Xero side. Without an account yet, Xero opens one from its own signup page. Two details save time later. A module carrying an instant tag wants Create a webhook before the connection. And when a module needs permissions the connection does not hold, open Show advanced settings and add the scopes it lists as required.
03Does a Xero trigger react in real time?
Mostly no. Out of 12 Xero triggers, 11 are scheduled: Make asks Xero what changed each time the scenario runs, and a new scenario runs every 15 minutes by default, which is also the floor on the Free plan. Watch Events is the exception, an instant trigger, so Xero calls Make through a webhook as soon as the event happens and Make attaches that webhook by itself. An invoice picked up by Watch Invoices therefore arrives at the next pass, not at the second it is saved. A paid plan shortens the interval.
04What if a Xero module is missing or a limit gets in the way?
Reach for Make an API Call. It uses the same connection and can call any endpoint of the Xero API, so anything the 95 listed modules leave out stays inside the same scenario. Two limits are worth knowing before you build. Since September 2024, Xero enforces volume thresholds on its read endpoints, and a large organization leaning on Search for Contacts, Search for Invoices, Search for Manual Journals or Search Payments may see scenarios crawl or stop. The app also works with a Xero account, not with Xero HQ.
05Make or n8n for Xero?
It depends on who builds and who keeps it running. Make draws the scenario as a chain of modules and reads well for someone who does not write code, which is why 95 Xero modules cover most of the books with nothing to install. n8n suits a team already at ease with code and with hosting its own tools. The app exists on both sides, so the honest test is your team rather than the software. Build the first scenario here, and if maintaining it feels heavy, the comparison page goes through the criteria one by one.
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