Connecting to Xero allows you to sync your time tracking data directly with your Xero accounting software, making billing easier and reducing manual data entry. Once connected, your Xero contacts will automatically sync and appear as Contacts in MinuteDock, and you can push invoices directly to Xero.
Requirements
Before you can connect to Xero, you'll need:
The Manage MinuteDock Account & Users Permission in MinuteDock (account creators have this by default)
Admin access in your Xero organisation to authorise the connection
ℹ️ Note: Only Users with the Manage MinuteDock Account & Users Permission can set up integrations. If you don't have this permission, contact your MinuteDock account owner.
Setting up the connection
Follow these steps to connect MinuteDock with your Xero account:
Navigate to your Account settings
Click Account in the navigation menu at the top rightAccess Integrations
Click Integrations from the Account screenSelect Xero
Find Xero in the list of available integrations and click ConnectAuthorise in Xero
You'll be redirected to Xero where you'll need to:Log in to your Xero account (if not already logged in)
Select the Xero organisation you want to connect
Review the permissions MinuteDock is requesting
Click Allow access to authorise the connection
Return to MinuteDock
Xero will redirect you back to MinuteDock automatically once authorisation is complete
✅ Success! Your MinuteDock and Xero accounts are now connected. MinuteDock will immediately begin syncing your Xero contacts as Contacts.
⚡ Important: The initial sync may take a few minutes depending on how many contacts you have in Xero. You'll see your Xero contacts appear in your MinuteDock Contacts list once the sync is complete.
Video guide - connect to a Xero account
What Happens Next?
After connecting to Xero:
✅ Your existing Xero contacts sync to MinuteDock as
Contacts✅ You can track time for your Xero contacts in MinuteDock
✅ New contacts added to Xero will sync automatically every 24 hours
✅ You can create and send invoices directly from MinuteDock to Xero
Now that you're connected, here's what to do next:
Set up billing rates to ensure accurate reporting & invoicing
Create your first Invoice and Send it to Xero directly from MinuteDock
Read about How Contacts are Synced with Xero to get the most from your connection
Troubleshooting Xero sync
MinuteDock auto-syncs Contacts and Contact details from Xero roughly every 24 hours. If a recent change in Xero hasn't appeared in MinuteDock yet, the steps below cover the most common causes.
Force a manual sync
Click the Xero button in the top-right navigation bar of MinuteDock to go to your Xero Integration settings screen.
Click Sync With Xero.
This pulls the latest Contact list and Contact details from Xero immediately, instead of waiting for the next scheduled sync.
A new Xero Contact isn't appearing in MinuteDock
The most common cause is Xero Contact groups. MinuteDock only syncs Contacts from the Xero Contact groups you've ticked under Sync Settings in your Integration Settings, and Xero's default Customers group only includes Contacts that have had an invoice raised against them in Xero. A brand-new Contact won't be in that group until you invoice them.
Two fixes:
Add the Contact to a Contact group MinuteDock is set to sync, or
Create a custom Xero Contact group (for example
MinuteDock Imports), tick it in MinuteDock's Sync Settings, and add the Contact to that group
See Manage Xero Integration Settings for the full Sync Settings walkthrough.
A Contact's details look out of date in MinuteDock
For Xero-integrated accounts, Xero is the source of truth for Contact details. Edits made to a Contact in MinuteDock can be overwritten on the next sync. Make Contact detail changes in Xero, then force a sync from the steps above if you need them in MinuteDock straight away.
The connection has stopped syncing entirely
Go to Account → Integrations and check the status of your Xero connection. If it shows as expired or disconnected, re-authorise from there. You'll need Admin access in both MinuteDock and Xero to reconnect. See above for the connection steps.
If the connection is active but a sync still isn't going through, email team@minutedock.com with the Contact name (or whatever's missing) and we'll take a look.