How To Set Up the Xero Integration On Deel

This article explains how clients can set up, customize, and troubleshoot the Xero integration on Deel.

To install integrations on Deel you must have the correct Org Admin permissions.

In this article

Prerequisites

Setting up the Xero integration

Video Tutorial

Xero tracker categories

Xero multi-currency support

Custom Expense categories

Plugins

Frequently Asked Questions

Prerequisites

• Org Admin permissions in Deel
• An active Xero account with permission to authorise third-party apps
• (Recommended) Multi-currency enabled in your Xero organisation (see the dedicated section below)
• If you cannot see the Xero tile in Deel’s App Store, check with your Deel admin that the Xero integration is enabled for your environment.

How to set up the Xero integration

Jump to video tutorial

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open the App Store
   In the left sidebar, select Apps & Automation, then select App Store.
   If the Welcome to your Deel Apps & Integrations dialog appears, select I’ll do that later.
   

2. Locate the Xero tile
   On the Apps overview page, locate the Accounting section and select the Xero tile. If the tile is missing, see the troubleshooting note at the end of this section.
   

3. Open the Xero dashboard
   The Xero integration dashboard opens. Confirm that the page shows the Xero heading and the Dashboard tab.
   

4. Authenticate with Xero
   • On the Xero dashboard, click Connect Xero. If your credentials have expired, click Reconnect Xero instead.
   • Enter your Xero credentials and authorise access for Deel.
   • If you see “Your authentication is invalid”, click Reconnect Xero and log in again.

5. Select the entity to integrate
   After authentication, choose the Xero entity that corresponds to your Deel organisation and click Next.

6. Map a Xero account for your bills
   Pick the Xero account that should be used for each bill (or map per adjustment type) and click Next.

7. Customise the integration
   • Toggle Automatically sync all new contracts if you want future contracts linked by default.
   • Confirm whether multi-currency is enabled in Xero (recommended).
   • Decide whether invoices should sync in the invoice currency or the payment currency.
   • Click Complete Setup.

8. Verify the connection
   You will see a success banner and the integration status will show Connected. Confirm that Deel begins syncing invoices from the selected start date. We recommend creating a test invoice in Deel to confirm it syncs to Xero.

Troubleshooting – Xero tile not visible

If you cannot find the Xero tile in the App Store:

• Confirm you have Org Admin permissions.
• Check that the Xero integration is enabled for your Deel environment (some demo or sandbox tenants do not expose all integrations).
• If the Welcome to your Deel Apps & Integrations dialog is blocking the app tiles, select I’ll do that later and then continue to the Accounting section.
• If the tile is still missing, contact Deel Support or your Customer Success Manager.

Video Tutorial

Coming soon – watch this space for a full walkthrough.

Xero tracker categories

Xero tracker categories help customers categorise spending with greater granularity (beyond chart-of-accounts mapping).

• A maximum of two tracker categories can be configured per Xero organisation.
• Categories are created/edited directly in Xero Advanced → Tracking categories and pulled into Deel.
• Configuration happens after the integration is connected.

Setting up tracker categories in Deel

1. In the left sidebar, open Apps & Automation → App Store and select the Xero tile.
2. On the Xero dashboard, open Tracking categories from Quick actions.
3. In the Xero tracker categories card, select default options for each category (defaults apply to every contractor unless overridden).
4. To override on a contractor level, select the contractor and update their tracker category individually.

All future invoices from that contractor will now sync using the contractor-level mapping.

Xero multi-currency support

Deel strongly recommends enabling multi-currency in Xero before you start syncing invoices – doing so prevents currency-code errors and allows Deel to push invoices in either the invoice or payment currency.

Enable multi-currency in Xero

1. Log in to Xero.
2. Go to Settings → Currencies.
3. Click Add currency and choose each currency you will use.
4. Click Confirm.
5. Return to the Xero integration through Apps & Automation → App Store → Xero and refresh the integration page.

Common issues & fixes

If the Xero app itself is missing from Deel, see the troubleshooting steps in the setup section.

Custom Expense Categories

Custom expense categories let you route individual invoice lines to different Xero accounts or tracking classes.

1. Open Apps & Automation → App Store → Xero. On the Xero dashboard, select the available option to configure Custom expense category assignments.
2. Select the Custom expense category (created in Deel).
3. Choose the Xero Account / Tracking class you want that category to post to.
4. Click Create.

Plugins

Documents Sync plugin

On the Xero dashboard, use Plugin settings to toggle Sync invoice PDF or Sync invoice attachments files to push invoice documents into Xero.

Payment Sync plugin

On the Xero dashboard, use Plugin settings to map payment methods to payment accounts in Xero.

• Map a default payment account for all bank-transfer or unmapped payments.
• Map saved payment methods individually (one default per currency).

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can past invoices be synchronised?

Yes. Choose the date from which to sync retroactively when turning the integration on.

Will invoices automatically be synchronised?

Yes. Deel automatically syncs all invoices from the date of integration onward.

How can Xero be disconnected?

Open Apps & Automation in the left sidebar, select App Store, and open the Xero tile. On the Xero Dashboard, select Delete integration, then select Yes, disconnect in the confirmation modal. If Your authentication is invalid appears, Delete integration is available directly in that alert.

What if the person who set the integration up leaves?

Add multiple email addresses to receive integration notifications so there is no single point of failure.

Are notifications sent if there is an issue with the integration?

Yes. In the Xero integration, use Plugin settings to add recipients who will be emailed if sync errors occur.