How to Connect Unleashed to Xero, and What Syncs Between Them

Before you start

• Make the Stock on Hand account balance in Xero match the Stock Value in Unleashed's Stock on Hand Enquiry. Your opening stock value doesn't export to Xero, so if they differ, post a manual stock journal in Xero against the Stock on Hand account you'll choose in the integration.
• You need Administrator access to Xero, a chart of accounts with Revenue, Direct Cost and Current Asset accounts, and purchase and sales taxes set up in Xero.
• Your Unleashed user role needs these Settings permissions: Integration Store, Xero Configuration, Xero Export and Xero Import.
• Each Unleashed account connects to one Xero organization. Changing it later means removing and reinstalling the integration, so check you're connecting the right one.
• Give every customer and supplier contact a unique email address. Contacts sync to Xero by email, and one email can't be both a customer and a supplier.

Step 1: Install the Xero integration

1. 1From the main menu, go to Integration > Integration Store > Xero.
2. 2In the Overview tab, click Install App.
3. 3On the Xero page that opens, log in to your Xero account.
4. 4You're sent back to Unleashed's Xero page to configure the integration.

Step 2: Link your Xero accounts

1. 1In the Configuration tab, go to Link your Xero accounts to Unleashed.
2. 2Choose the Sales account (a Revenue account in Xero). Sales Invoices and Credits export to it.
3. 3Choose the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) account (a Direct Cost account). Shipments, credit returns and adjustment journals export to it.
4. 4Choose the Stock on Hand (SOH) account (a Current Asset account). Purchase Orders and stock movement journals export to it.
5. 5If a new account you created in Xero doesn't appear, go to the Manage Your Data tab and select Import Accounts.

You can override these defaults. A product's Sales and COGS accounts win over the customer's and the integration's. A customer's Sales account wins over the integration's default. To set accounts on many products at once, export the Products import template, fill in the account fields and re-import it. Changing a default only affects future transactions.

Step 3: Set up your Xero taxes

1. 1In the Configuration tab, go to Setup your Xero taxes.
2. 2Click Auto Sync Tax Codes. Unleashed imports Xero's taxes and matches or creates taxes to fit.
3. 3Or click "Let me manually do this" and set the Accounting Tax on each tax in the Taxes page.
4. 4Set the default 0% taxes in the "Purchase Tax - No Tax (0%)" and "Sales Tax - No Tax (0%)" menus.

Step 4: Choose what exports to Xero

1. 1In the Configuration tab, go to What exports to Xero?.
2. 2Turn on each setting you want under Sales, Purchasing and Production. Where a Configure link appears, set the Export Status, for example Draft, Awaiting Approval or Awaiting Payment.
3. 3For Export Sales Journals, choose Individually (one journal per Shipment) or Batched Daily (one journal for the day, exported at 2 A.M. local time).
4. 4Click Save Configuration.

Step 5: Check that transactions are exporting

1. 1Go to Integration > Integration Store > Xero and select Export Data.
2. 2Pick a transaction tab, such as Sales Invoices or Purchase Orders, and set a date range.
3. 3Tick Only Show Problem Exports to see transactions that failed or haven't been tried.
4. 4Click Export on a row to send that transaction again.
5. 5Open the Connection Log and set Log Level to ERROR to read why an export failed. The log keeps 7 days of activity.

If something doesn't look right

• An account is missing from the drop-down: Xero only offers Revenue, Direct Cost and Current Asset accounts. Check the account type in Xero, then use Import Accounts.
• Exports fail on tax: a tax in Unleashed with both Sales and Purchases ticked can't be mapped to a Xero tax. Set each one to either Sales or Purchase.
• Rounding exports fail: don't delete or change Xero's Account 860, which Xero uses for rounding.
• A contact won't sync: two records share an email address, or a customer and supplier share one. Make each email unique.
• Re-exporting fails: a transaction with the same number already exists in Xero. The integration blocks duplicates on purpose.
• You edited a transaction in Xero and Unleashed didn't change: the sync is one way. Make changes in Unleashed.

If the stock values drift apart, see Why stock on hand in Unleashed doesn't match Xero.

Where Unleashed leaves the work to you

• Matching the opening stock value. Unleashed doesn't send it, so someone posts the journal in Xero by hand.
• Approving drafts. Journals and bills that export as Draft don't change Xero's balances until someone approves them.
• Reconciling. Unleashed suggests running Reconcile Transactions every one to two weeks so month-end isn't a hunt.
• Re-exporting. From the Export Data page, failed transactions go one at a time. The View Failed Exports page has an Export All button.
• Goods received not invoiced. The integration has no GRNI holding state: a receipted purchase order posts to Xero straight away.
• Attachments stay in Unleashed's File Library. They don't export to Xero.

Where Logistify fits

Logistify is a managed service. The Sales Order Service enters customer orders that arrive by email, PDF, Excel or EDI into Unleashed as sales orders, and creates sales quotes for quote requests. Invoicing, and everything this guide covers, stays with your team in Unleashed. Once invoices are out, the Accounts Receivable Service matches payments from your bank file to open invoices and records them in Xero. If you've turned on the Payment Received flag sync in the Xero integration's Advanced Features, Unleashed then marks those invoices as Payment Received. If you're still deciding whether you need Unleashed at all, see Unleashed or Xero's own inventory.