📋 Requirements
Before you begin, make sure:
Your Buildern account is connected to Xero
Accounting integration has been configured
Required vendors, cost codes, tax rates, and accounts are synced between Buildern and Xero
Supported Field Synchronization
The following information is synchronized between Buildern and Xero.
Buildern | Xero |
Bill | Bill |
Expense | Spend Money |
Pay To | From |
Date | Date |
Due Date | Due Date |
Bill ID or Reference | Reference |
Attachments (the first 10 files only) | Related Files |
Amounts Are | Amounts Are |
Cost Lines Description | Description |
Cost Code | Item or Account (based on the chosen integration setting) |
Quantity | Qty |
Unit Cost | Unit Price |
Account | Account |
Tax | Tax Rate |
Project | Tracking category option |
Bill Payment | Payment |
Understanding Cost Code Synchronization
The way cost codes sync depends on how your Xero integration is configured.
If Cost Codes are synced with Xero Accounts, the Account field on Buildern bill and expense cost lines is automatically assigned based on the selected Cost Code. In this setup, the Account field is locked and cannot be edited manually. When the transaction is synced to Xero, only the Account field is transferred, while the Item field remains blank.
If Cost Codes are synced with Xero Products and Services, you can manually choose the Account for each cost line. When the transaction is synced, Buildern sends both the Item and Account information to Xero, and the corresponding Product or Service is assigned automatically.
Configure Automatic Bill Synchronization
Buildern can automatically send newly created bills and expenses to Xero.
To enable automatic synchronization:
Open Company Settings.
Navigate to Accounting Integration.
Locate the Project Default Settings section.
Enable the Bills checkbox.
Once enabled, newly created bills and expenses will automatically be marked for synchronization with Xero.
ℹ️ Note - Existing bills and expenses are not updated automatically. To sync previously created transactions, you must edit the transaction and enable the Send to Xero option manually.
Create and Sync a Bill or Expense
To create and synchronize a new bill or expense:
Navigate to Bills.
Click Create.
3. Enter the required information, including:
Name
Related Purchase Order (if applicable)
Vendor or Subcontractor
Date and Due Date
Cost Lines
Attachments
4. Review the transaction details.
👉 Learn more about How to Add a New Bill in Buildern
5. Scroll to the synchronization section and verify that Send to Xero is enabled.
6. Click Save.
Buildern will create the corresponding transaction in Xero automatically.
ℹ️ Note - Bills created in Buildern are synced to Xero as Bills, while Expenses are synced as Spend Money transactions.
Verify Synchronization Status
The Bills list includes a Sync column that displays the synchronization status for each transaction.
When a bill or expense has been successfully synchronized:
A Xero icon appears in the Sync column.
Clicking the icon opens the transaction directly in Xero.
Sync an Existing Bill or Expense
You can also synchronize transactions that were created previously.
To sync an existing bill or expense:
Navigate to Bills.
Locate the transaction.
Click the ⋯ (three-dot menu).
Select Edit.
5. Make any necessary changes.
6. Scroll to the synchronization section.
7. Enable Send to Xero.
8. Click Save.
Buildern will attempt to create or update the corresponding transaction in Xero.
Resolve Synchronization Errors
In some cases, synchronization may fail if information referenced in the bill has not yet been synchronized with Xero.
Common causes include:
New Cost Codes
Vendors or Subcontractors
Tax Rates
For example, if a newly created Cost Code has not been synced with Xero, Buildern will display an error message when you attempt to sync the bill.
When available, click Fix Issues to review the missing data.
Synchronize the required records, save your changes, and retry the synchronization. Once all dependencies have been synced, the bill can be successfully sent to Xero.
👉Learn more about How Sync Cost Codes to Xero
View Synced Bills in Xero
To confirm that the synchronization was successful:
Open Xero.
Navigate to Purchases > Bills to view Bills.
Navigate to the appropriate bank account transactions to view Spend Money records created from Buildern Expenses
Transaction Updates and Ongoing Synchronization
After a bill or expense has been synchronized, most updates continue to sync automatically between Buildern and Xero.
The following changes are synchronized:
Status Changes
Tax Configuration
Cost Line Updates
Project Updates
Date Updates
Payment Synchronization
ℹ️ Note - Any updates made to synchronized bills, including status changes, tax settings, cost line details, project assignments, dates, due dates, and payments, are automatically synced between Buildern and Xero to keep records consistent across both platforms.
Deleted Transactions - If a synchronized bill or expense is deleted in Xero, Buildern automatically disconnects the synchronization link for that transaction.
You can now manage bills and expenses in Buildern while keeping your accounting records synchronized with Xero automatically. This helps reduce duplicate data entry, improve accuracy, and ensure both systems stay aligned.
Keep your project information accurate and accessible every step of the way.
Happy building!