What Abtrac shares with Xero depends on your integration settings.
As a general guide, Abtrac sends invoices, credit notes, client and contact details, as well as timesheet and payroll information to Xero. It also receives bill details and invoice payment updates from Xero back into Abtrac.
Xero Sync options: Chart of details for the Abtrac + Xero link
How your interface preferences determine which records are shared with Xero.
Your integration settings in Abtrac control what data is shared with Xero.
Typically, information is pushed from Abtrac to Xero when an invoice is sent. However, you can also choose to send contact information directly from the Clients, Jobs, and Contacts screens in Abtrac. Each record is only shared once; after that, Abtrac checks for a match when sending new data. For example, the first invoice may create a contact record for Mr Smith in Xero, but subsequent invoices will only check that a matching Mr Smith exists—they won’t overwrite the existing contact. If Mr Smith’s details are later updated in Abtrac, those changes won’t automatically overwrite the contact in Xero.
From Xero to Abtrac, only invoice payment details and bills are shared.
Read more about setting up your Xero interface preferences here
Xero Accounting/Tax and Invoice details
Xero Account codes and tax codes list are synced from Accounting > Interface Settings > Manage GL Account Codes and Manage Tax Codes.
Invoice details including invoice numbers, line amounts and tax values are controlled by Abtrac from your Invoice details, and from defaults in the Invoice and Other office settings page.
| Abtrac field name | Description | Xero field name | Description | |
| Invoice No. | From the invoice details screen, this is the editable invoice number (not invoice ID). | > | Invoice number | Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Invoice Number |
| Available GL Account Codes | The list of available account codes is supplied from Xero when configuring your connection in Abtrac from Accounting > Interface Settings > Manage GL Account Codes | < | Account Code | Accounting > Advanced > Chart of Accounts |
| Available Tax Codes | The list of available tax codes is supplied from Xero when configuring your connection in Abtrac from Accounting > Interface Settings > Manage Tax Codes | < | Tax Codes | Accounting > Advanced > Tax Rates > Tax Rate display name (code) |
| GL Account Code on Invoice | Invoice > Invoice Line details | > | Account Code | Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Edit Row > Account |
| Tax Code | Invoice > Invoice Line details | > | Tax Rate (name) | This is the name of the sales tax from Accounting > Advanced > Tax Rates. Found on the invoice lines from Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Edit Row > Tax Rate |
| Tax Amount | Administration> Settings > Invoice and other Office settings the default tax amount for the Office that the invoice belongs to. | > | Tax Rate (amount) | This is the amount of the sales tax from Accounting > Advanced > Tax Rates. Found on the invoice lines from Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Edit Row > Tax Rate |
| Invoice Line Amount | Invoice > Invoice Line details > Line Amount (exclusive of tax) | > | Amount | Exclusive tax amount of the invoice line from Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Edit Row > Amount. In Xero this is always calculated from Qty x Price. In Abtrac, this may originate as a Text/Value line (no rate or units). |
| Delivery Status | Accounting > Interface Settings > Delivery Status is preset for all invoices uploaded to Xero from Abtrac. (Only committed invoices are available to sent to Xero) | > | Status | Business > Invoices > All Invoices > Status |
| Sent Status | Accounting > Interface Settings > Send Status is preset for all invoices uploaded to Xero from Abtrac. | > | Sent | Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Sent |
| Payment Status (Paid) | Either from Invoices > Invoice Payments or Debtor Management > Invoices and Payments. Xero will update the Abtrac Invoice status to Paid (or a partial payment) when the Invoice Number is shared between the two systems | < | Paid | Business > Invoices > All Invoices > Paid |
Xero Client/Contact details
It’s important to note that in Abtrac, the contact details on an invoice don’t always have to match the main client or job information.
For example:
- The client name might be John Smith
- The default invoice name for the client could be John and Jane Smith
- A specific job might have the invoice name set as Smith Brothers Company
This flexibility allows for customisation in how invoice recipients are named, but it also means you’ll need to set your Abtrac + Xero “Match Client” preferences carefully to control what information is shared.
Your selection under Accounting > Interface Settings > Match Client Rule determines which client or contact details are sent to Xero when an invoice is exported.
You can choose to share one of the following:
- Name
- Contact Number
- Name on Invoice
- Account Number with Job Code
All other invoice, timesheet, and employee data is shared directly from the relevant invoice and timesheet entries within Abtrac. Mapping rules for all items shared from Abtrac to Xero are outline in the tables below.
Xero Client/Contact/Project details, when Match Client Rule = Name
If your Xero match client rule = Name, then Abtrac will share contact information from the Client details and Client invoice defaults pages in Abtrac to the Contacts page in Xero.
When choosing to match only (and not add new contacts to Xero), Abtrac will match the Client Name in Abtrac to the Contact Name in Xero.
| Abtrac field name | Description | Xero field name | Description | |
| Client Name | Client name from the client details page | > | Contact Name | Contacts > Contact details > Contact name |
| Client Number | System Code from the Client details page. Not shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Abbreviation | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Project Code | Not Shared to Xero – except optionally through the Xero Invoice reference | X | Project tracking is included in the Xero Ultimate plan. Projects isn’t included in the Ignite, Grow, or Comprehensive plans. | |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 1 | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Billing Address 1 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 2 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 2 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 3 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 3 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 4 | ” as above “ | > | City | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > City |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 5 | ” as above “ | > | State | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > State |
| Client Invoice defaults Post Code | ” as above “ | > | Zip Code | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Zip code |
| Client Invoice defaults Recipient Name | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Invoice defaults Recipient Email | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Primary Person Email | Contacts > Contact details > Primary Person Email |
| Client Invoice defaults Client Website | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Invoice defaults Contact Number | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Phone Number | Contacts > Contact details > Business Information > Phone Number. Contact Numbers map directly to the Xero Number section of Phones, you will need to manually enter Country and Area numbers |
| Client Invoice defaults Client Tax Number | ” as above “ | > | Company Number (NZBN or ABN) | Contacts > Contact details > Business Information > |
Xero Client/Contact/Project details, when Match Client Rule = Contact Number
If your Xero client matching rule is set to Contact Number, then Abtrac will share contact information from the Client Details and Client Invoice Defaults pages in Abtrac with the Contacts page in Xero.
In this configuration, Abtrac matches clients to existing Xero contacts using the Client System Code from Abtrac, which maps to the Contact Code field in Xero.
This matching option assumes that contacts have been created in Xero via Abtrac or that the Abtrac System Code was recorded as the Contact Code through the API.
It’s recommended only when contact records are maintained by Abtrac to ensure accurate linking and avoid duplicates.
This Contact Code (also known as Contact Number via the Xero API) is not editable in the Xero UI — it’s a read-only field used to uniquely identify contacts across external systems.
Xero Client/Contact/Project details, when Match Client Rule = Name on Invoice
If your Xero match client rule = Name on Invoice, then Abtrac will share contact information from the Invoice details in Abtrac to the Contacts page in Xero.
When choosing to match only (and not add new contacts to Xero), Abtrac will match the Name on Invoice in Abtrac to the Contact Name in Xero.
| Abtrac field name | Description | Xero field name | Description | |
| Name on Invoice | Name on Invoice from the Invoice details page | > | Contact Name | Contacts > Contact details > Contact name |
| Client Number | System Code from the Client details page. Not shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Abbreviation | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Project Code | Not Shared to Xero – except optionally through the Xero Invoice reference | X | Project tracking is included in the Xero Ultimate plan. Projects isn’t included in the Ignite, Grow, or Comprehensive plans. | |
| Invoice Address Line 1 | Invoice billing details from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | Billing Address 1 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Invoice Address Line 2 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 2 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Invoice Address Line 3 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 3 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Invoice Address l Line 4 | ” as above “ | > | City | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > City |
| Invoice Address Line 5 | ” as above “ | > | State | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > State |
| Invoice Address Post Code | ” as above “ | > | Zip Code | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Zip code |
| Invoice Recipient Name | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Invoice Email Address | Invoice billing details from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | Primary Person Email | Contacts > Contact details > Primary Person Email |
| Client Invoice defaults Client Website | ” as above “ | X | ||
| Invoice Phone No | Invoice billing details from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | Phone Number | Contacts > Contact details > Business Information > Phone Number. Contact Numbers map directly to the Xero Number section of Phones, you will need to manually enter Country and Area numbers |
| Invoice Tax Number | Invoice billing details from Invoices > Invoice Details. | > | Tax Number. | Contacts > Contact details > Financial Details > GST. Tax number of contact – this is also known as the ABN (Australia), GST Number (New Zealand), VAT Number (UK) or Tax ID Number (US and global) in the Xero UI depending on which regionalized version of Xero you are using |
Xero Client/Contact/Project details, when Match Client Rule = Account Number with Job Code
If your Xero client matching rule is set to Account Number with Job Code, Abtrac will share contact information from the Client Details, Client Invoice Defaults, and Invoice Details pages with the Contacts page in Xero.
In this setup, Abtrac uses the Project Code—sourced from the Invoice Reference field—as the Xero Contact Account Number. While the Invoice Reference in Abtrac typically defaults to the Project Code, it can be edited for each invoice (similar to the Invoice Number), so consistency is important when relying on this for matching.
When matching only (i.e. not adding new contacts to Xero), Abtrac matches the Invoice Reference (usually the Job Code) to the Account Number in Xero, regardless of the Contact Name.
When adding new contacts from Abtrac to Xero using this method, the assumption is that there is one job code per unique client name. Xero also requires that contact names be unique across all active contacts, so care must be taken to ensure no duplicates exist.
| Abtrac field name | Description | Xero field name | Description | |
| Client Name | Client name from the client details page. | > | Contact Name | Contacts > Contact details > Contact name |
| Client Number | System Code from the Client details page. Not shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Abbreviation | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Project Code/Invoice Reference | This is the Project Code from Invoices > Invoice Details > Reference. The Abtrac Invoice Reference is usually equal to the Project Code, but like Invoice Number it can be edited for each individual Invoice. | > | Account Number | Contacts > Contact details > Account Number. Not shared to Xero Projects, in this case Reference/Project Code is linked to the Xero Account number. |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 1 | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Billing Address 1 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 2 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 2 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 3 | ” as above “ | > | Billing Address 3 | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Address |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 4 | ” as above “ | > | City | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > City |
| Client Invoice defaults Postal Line 5 | ” as above “ | > | State | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > State |
| Client Invoice defaults Post Code | ” as above “ | > | Zip Code | Contacts > Contact details > Addresses > Billing address > Zip code |
| Client Invoice defaults Recipient Name | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Invoice defaults Recipient Email | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Primary Person Email | Contacts > Contact details > Primary Person Email |
| Client Invoice defaults Client Website | Not Shared to Xero | X | ||
| Client Invoice defaults Contact Number | Client billing details from Clients > Client Invoice defaults information | > | Phone Number | Contacts > Contact details > Business Information > Phone Number. Contact Numbers map directly to the Xero Number section of Phones, you will need to manually enter Country and Area numbers |
| Client Invoice defaults Client Tax Number | ” as above “ | > | Company Number (NZBN or ABN) | Contacts > Contact details > Business Information > |
Xero Invoice Reference
Invoice reference mapping comes with multiple choices, your selection under Accounting > Interface Settings > Invoice Reference determines which reference details are sent to Xero when an invoice is exported.
Most Abtrac users like to include a project number reference to the Xero copy of their invoices. Project tracking is only included in the Xero Ultimate plan – and project details can’t be shared from Abtrac to Xero.
The Invoice Reference field in Xero has a character limit of 255 characters. If that value is exceeded in your Abtrac Reference selection, then the information sent to Xero will be truncated to the character limit.
Xero invoice references are hyperlinked to the corresponding invoice when viewed on a Xero statement.
If you’re sending invoices to clients from Abtrac and want to remove this link, follow the steps outlined here.
You can choose to share one of the following:
- Job Code
- Job Description
- Abtrac Reference
- Job Code + Job Description
- Job Code + Purchase Order number
- Progress Claim Number
- Job Code and Claim Number
- Invoice Heading Line
- Invoice Heading Line + Job Code
- Abtrac Reference + Invoice Heading Line
| Abtrac field name | Description | Xero field name | Description | |
| Job Code | Invoice project billing details from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | Reference | Business > Invoices > Edit Invoice > Reference |
| Job Description | Job description for the project assigned to the invoice from Invoices > Invoice Details, found in Job details > Job Description. | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Abtrac Reference | The Abtrac Invoice Reference is usually equal to the Project Code, but like Invoice Number it can be edited for each individual Invoice. From Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Job Code + Job Description | A combination of the Invoice Job and Description | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Job Code + Purchase Order number | Both from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Progress Claim Number | Claim numbers count from 1 and are set as required from the Project or Client Billing details. The Claim number shared to Xero comes from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Job Code and Claim Number | Both from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Invoice Heading Line | Invoice Heading line from Both from Invoices > Invoice Details. What is used as the default Invoice heading line is determined from Invoice and Other Office Settings | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Invoice Heading Line + Job Code | Both from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
| Abtrac Reference + Invoice Heading Line | Both from Invoices > Invoice Details | > | ” as above “ | ” as above “ |
Abtrac KB# 2205