Purchase Order Sync Setup (Autotask to Xero)

This guide walks through how to configure your Procurement settings to sync Autotask Purchase Orders (POs) into Xero as either Draft Bills or Xero Purchase Orders.

Autotask to Xero -> Configuration -> Purchase Order

1. Purchase Order Options

Import Type

Select whether Autotask POs should land in Xero as a Purchase Order or a Draft Invoice (Bill).

Initial Status in Xero

Choose the default Xero status for newly synced records:

Draft, Submitted, Authorised, or Billed (Billed is only available for the "Purchase Order" type).

Default Terms

Set the default payment terms for your suppliers.

Note: You can override these terms on a per-supplier basis within your advanced Xero card settings.

2. Key Sync Behaviors (Please Read)

When Should we Sync Autotask Purchase Orders?

This setting defines the one-time trigger status in Autotask that tells Cloud Depot to download and sync the PO.

⚠️ Crucial Logic One-Time Sync Only: > This is a single-event trigger, not an active or continuous sync. Once a PO hits your chosen status (e.g. Approved or Fully Received), Cloud Depot syncs it to Xero exactly as it looks at that exact second.

If you later change the status back, update inventory quantities, or edit items on that PO inside Autotask, Cloud Depot will not look at it again or resync those changes to Xero. Any subsequent updates must be manually adjusted in Xero.

How many days back should invoices be synced from?

This setting establishes your initial history window when you first connect the integration.

⚠️ Crucial Logic: Moving Forward Chronologically: This setting only looks backward during your very first sync to establish a starting point. Once that initial sync occurs, the integration moves forward sequentially.

Changing this number later will not force Cloud Depot to go back and scan older history. For example, if you set this to 14 days and the sync processes, changing it to 30 days afterward will have no effect—the sync will continue to only process new POs created from your last successful sync forward.

3. Reference and Memo Field Mapping

Apply memo field to the Xero reference

Uses the text from the Autotask PO Memo field directly into the Xero Reference field.

Search memo for a ticket number and apply to reference in Xero

Scans the Autotask memo text. If a valid ticket number is found, it extracts it and places it in the Xero reference field. If none is found, it leaves the field blank.

Use Vendor Invoice Number as Xero reference (Bills Only)

Overrides the default Xero reference layout and forces it to use the Vendor Invoice Number captured during the Autotask receiving stage.

Highly recommended for Accounts Payable workflows so your team can match physical supplier bills to Xero Draft Bills.

Use Autotask Id number as Xero PO Number (POs Only)

Forces Xero to use the internal Autotask ID as the official Xero PO Number, rather than letting Xero auto-generate its own sequence.

4. Advanced Options

Vendor Invoice Number Format (Bills Only)

If you enabled Use Vendor Invoice Number as Xero reference, you can use placeholders to customize exactly how that text maps across. Available dynamic fields include:

{vendor_invoice_number}
{invoice_reference}
{purchase_order_id}
{external_po_number}
{purchase_order_number}

Purchase Order Description Format

Customize the line-item descriptions that appear inside the body of the Xero Bill or PO using these placeholders:

{product_name} / {product_sku} / {product_description}
{product_vendorproductnumber} / {product_manufacturerproductnumber}
{charge_description}

Override Xero Invoice Due Date

Forces the synced invoice to use the specific due date rules configured on the Xero Supplier Contact Card, overriding the global default terms set in Section 1.