# Xero

> Xero integration via Apideck's Accounting unified API — same methods work across every connector in Accounting, switch by changing `serviceId`. Use when the user wants to read, write, or reconcile invoices, bills, payments, ledger accounts, and journal entries in Xero. Routes through Apideck with serviceId "xero".

- Skill: `apideck-libraries/xero` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add apideck-libraries/xero`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/apideck-libraries/xero/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Finance & Business
- License: Apache-2.0
- Author: apideck-libraries (https://skillmd.com/u/apideck-libraries)
- Updated: 2026-09-10
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/apideck-libraries/xero

---


# Xero (via Apideck)

Access Xero through Apideck's **Accounting** unified API — one of 34 Accounting connectors that share the same method surface. Code you write here ports to Access Financials, Acumatica, banqUP and 30 other Accounting connectors by changing a single `serviceId` string. Apideck handles auth, pagination, rate limiting, and retries so you don't write per-tenant Xero plumbing.

## Quick facts

- **Apideck serviceId:** `xero`
- **Unified API:** Accounting
- **Auth type:** oauth2
- **Gotchas:** [page](https://developers.apideck.com/apis/accounting/xero/gotchas)
- **Xero docs:** https://developer.xero.com
- **Homepage:** https://www.xero.com/

## At a glance

- **Implementation difficulty:** moderate — Self-Service OAuth + App Partner Certification Required to Scale
- **Vendor partnership required:** yes ([Xero App Partner Program](https://developer.xero.com/documentation/xero-app-store/app-partner-guides/app-partner-steps/)) — Required for >25 connections. Xero App Partner Program — certification involves multiple technical checkpoints.
- **Apideck-managed credentials:** not available
- **Account type required:** Any active Xero subscription
- **Consumer access level:** Standard or Adviser level user (Admin recommended for full data access)
- **Sandbox:** available ([signup](https://developer.xero.com/)) — Free via Xero Developer Portal (demo company included).
- **Costs:** Free at Starter tier (up to 5 connections). Tiered, usage-based pricing applies at scale — Core, Plus, Advanced (~$895/mo, 10k connections), and Enterprise tiers, effective March 2, 2026 (replacing the previous 15% App Store revenue share). Premium endpoints (Journals, Xero Practice Manager) require the Advanced tier or above. Separate from Apideck pricing.
- **Rate limits:** 5,000 calls/day per organisation; 60 calls/minute per organisation; 5 concurrent calls/second.
- **Authentication:** OAuth 2.0 (Authorization Code).
- **Webhooks:** Native — invoice and bill events (created and updated).

**Important to know:**

- App Partner certification requires onboarding at least 10 active customer connections.
- Refresh tokens expire after 60 days if unused — consumer must re-authorise.
- Consumers can install a maximum of 2 uncertified apps — if at the limit they must remove another uncertified app first.
- Certification compliance requires hiding the Apideck callback — a custom Vault domain must be configured before certification.

> Facts synced from Apideck's connector metadata API — `GET /connector/connectors/xero` (`overview` field) is the live, authoritative version.

## When to use this skill

Activate this skill when the user explicitly wants to work with **Xero** — for example, "create an invoice in Xero" or "reconcile payments in Xero". This skill teaches the agent:

1. Which Apideck unified API covers Xero (Accounting)
2. The correct `serviceId` to pass on every call (`xero`)
3. Xero-specific auth and coverage caveats

For the full method surface (parameters, pagination, filtering), use your language SDK skill:

- [`apideck-node`](../../skills/apideck-node/), [`apideck-python`](../../skills/apideck-python/), [`apideck-dotnet`](../../skills/apideck-dotnet/), [`apideck-java`](../../skills/apideck-java/), [`apideck-go`](../../skills/apideck-go/), [`apideck-php`](../../skills/apideck-php/), or [`apideck-rest`](../../skills/apideck-rest/)

For the raw OpenAPI spec:

- **Accounting:** [https://specs.apideck.com/accounting.yml](https://specs.apideck.com/accounting.yml) · [API Explorer](https://developers.apideck.com/api-explorer?id=accounting)

## Minimal example (TypeScript)

```typescript
import { Apideck } from "@apideck/unify";

const apideck = new Apideck({
  apiKey: process.env.APIDECK_API_KEY,
  appId: process.env.APIDECK_APP_ID,
  consumerId: "your-consumer-id",
});

// List invoices in Xero
const { data } = await apideck.accounting.invoices.list({
  serviceId: "xero",
});
```

## Portable across 34 Accounting connectors

The Apideck **Accounting** unified API exposes the same methods for every connector in its catalog. Switching from Xero to another Accounting connector is a one-string change — no rewrite, no new SDK.

```typescript
// Today — Xero
await apideck.accounting.invoices.list({ serviceId: "xero" });

// Tomorrow — same code, different connector
await apideck.accounting.invoices.list({ serviceId: "access-financials" });
await apideck.accounting.invoices.list({ serviceId: "acumatica" });
```

This is the compounding advantage of using Apideck over integrating Xero directly: code against the unified Accounting API once, gain access to every connector in it. New connectors Apideck adds become available to your app without code changes.

## Xero via Apideck Accounting

Xero is a widely-used cloud accounting platform, strong in UK/AU/NZ markets. Apideck covers the core financial entities.

### Entity mapping

| Xero entity | Apideck Accounting resource |
|---|---|
| Invoice (ACCREC) | `invoices` |
| Bill (ACCPAY) | `bills` |
| Payment | `payments` |
| Manual Journal | `journal-entries` |
| Account (chart of accounts) | `ledger-accounts` |
| Contact (customer or supplier) | `customers` / `suppliers` |
| Item | `items` |
| TaxRate | `tax-rates` |
| P&L, Balance Sheet | `profit-and-loss`, `balance-sheet` |

### Coverage highlights

- ✅ Full CRUD on invoices, bills, payments, customers, suppliers
- ✅ Manual journals
- ✅ Financial reports (P&L, Balance Sheet, Aged Receivables/Payables)
- ✅ Multi-currency on invoices/bills
- ⚠️ Tracking categories / cost centers — surfaced as custom fields
- ❌ Payroll — separate Xero Payroll API; use Proxy

### Auth

- **Type:** OAuth 2.0, managed by Apideck Vault
- **Tenant selection:** Xero users can belong to multiple organizations. The user picks which org to authorize during the Vault flow; one Apideck connection = one Xero org.

### Example: create an invoice

```typescript
const { data } = await apideck.accounting.invoices.create({
  serviceId: "xero",
  invoice: {
    customer_id: "xero-contact-uuid",
    invoice_date: "2026-04-18",
    due_date: "2026-05-18",
    line_items: [
      { description: "Consulting", quantity: 10, unit_price: 150, account_id: "sales-revenue" },
    ],
    currency: "GBP",
  },
});
```

## Escape hatch: Proxy API

When an endpoint isn't covered by the Accounting unified API, use Apideck's Proxy to call Xero directly — Apideck injects auth headers and handles token refresh. Set `x-apideck-downstream-url` to the target endpoint on Xero's own API:

```bash
curl 'https://unify.apideck.com/proxy' \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${APIDECK_API_KEY}" \
  -H "x-apideck-app-id: ${APIDECK_APP_ID}" \
  -H "x-apideck-consumer-id: ${CONSUMER_ID}" \
  -H "x-apideck-service-id: xero" \
  -H "x-apideck-downstream-url: <target endpoint on Xero>" \
  -H "x-apideck-downstream-method: GET"
```

See [Xero's API docs](https://developer.xero.com) for available endpoints.

## Sibling connectors

Other **Accounting** connectors that share this unified API surface (same method signatures, just change `serviceId`):

[`access-financials`](../access-financials/) *(beta)*, [`acumatica`](../acumatica/) *(beta)*, [`banqup`](../banqup/) *(beta)*, [`campfire`](../campfire/) *(beta)*, [`clearbooks-uk`](../clearbooks-uk/) *(beta)*, [`digits`](../digits/) *(beta)*, [`dualentry`](../dualentry/), [`exact-online`](../exact-online/), and 25 more.

## See also

- [Accounting OpenAPI spec](https://specs.apideck.com/accounting.yml) · [API Explorer](https://developers.apideck.com/api-explorer?id=accounting)
- [`apideck-connector-coverage`](../../skills/apideck-connector-coverage/) — programmatic coverage checks
- [`apideck-best-practices`](../../skills/apideck-best-practices/) — architecture, Vault, pagination, error handling
- [`apideck-node`](../../skills/apideck-node/) — TypeScript / Node SDK patterns
- [Xero official docs](https://developer.xero.com)