How to Create Custom Fields in Xero: Tailoring Your Accounting Experience

Creating custom fields in Xero can seem daunting for many small business owners and accountants.

But with this guide, you'll learn an easy step-by-step process for adding highly customized fields to Xero to streamline workflows, enhance reporting, and tailor the accounting experience to your business needs.

You'll discover how to configure custom field details, assign them to different transaction types, set field values, and integrate the fields into your existing Xero setup for augmented data captures and insightful financial reporting.

Introduction to Custom Fields in Xero

Custom fields in Xero allow users to tailor their accounting experience by adding extra data fields to standard transactions. This enables tracking additional information that is important to your business workflows without needing to use separate spreadsheets or databases.

Here are some of the key things to know about Xero's custom fields capability:

What are custom fields? Custom fields are user-defined fields that can be added to various transactions and data entities in Xero. For example, you could add a "Project Code" field to sales invoices to track billing back to specific projects.
Why use them? Custom fields allow you to capture specialized data needed for your business that standard Xero fields don't cover. This avoids the need for separate tracking spreadsheets and keeps all data within Xero.
What can you customize? Custom fields can be added to contacts, accounts, items, bank transactions, bills, credit notes, invoices, quotes, and more. Different object types allow different field types.
How are they used? Once defined, custom fields appear seamlessly in the Xero interface alongside standard fields for the given transaction type. Users simply fill them in when creating/editing the transactions.
Who can access them? Custom fields are accessible to all users with appropriate permissions in the Xero organization. They facilitate easy data sharing across your business.

In summary, make use of Xero's flexible custom fields if you find yourself needing to track additional data that the standard fields don't cover. They can help tailor Xero to your unique accounting needs all within a single system.

How can you Customise the client list to see which clients need your attention in Xero?

Xero provides a helpful feature to customize your client list and view key information about each client's status. This allows you to quickly see which clients need attention or follow-up.

To customize your client list in Xero:

In Xero HQ, select Clients from the main menu.
Click Customise columns. If you've already customized your view, this button will show as Custom column view.
Check the box next to Unreconciled items. This will display the number of unreconciled transactions for each client.
Click Apply to save your customized view.

Now when you view your client list, there will be an Unreconciled items column showing the number of unreconciled transactions per client. This provides an easy way to see which clients need your attention to review and reconcile open transactions.

Clients with a higher number in the Unreconciled items column likely need follow-up from you to clear out any outstanding reconciliations or transactions. This simple customization allows you to quickly identify clients that should be prioritized for review.

How do I create a custom DOCX template in Xero?

To create a custom DOCX template in Xero, follow these steps:

Click on the organization name in the top right corner of Xero, then select Settings.
In the Settings menu, click on Invoice settings.
Under the Branding themes section, click the New Branding Theme arrow and select Custom .docx.
Enter a name for your custom template and click OK.
Xero will now open a Word document for you to customize your template.

Here are some tips for customizing your DOCX template in Xero:

Use the Xero merge tags (e.g. {{ContactName}}) to automatically insert information from Xero into the invoice.
Add your logo and color scheme to brand the invoices.
Customize the layout with your preferred fonts, colors, and formatting.
Add or remove invoice sections as needed.
Preview the invoice in Xero to see how it will look.
Save the Word document to update the template.

Creating a custom .docx template allows you to fully customize and brand invoices in Xero to match your business needs. This can help present a more professional image to clients.

How do I change practices in Xero?

To set up or change your practice settings in Xero, follow these steps:

Log in to your Xero account and click on Settings in the top menu bar.
Select Practice Settings from the left sidebar.
Here you can configure the following practice settings:
- Default Values: Set default values for certain fields and dropdown lists like accounts, tracking categories, payment terms etc. This saves time when entering transactions.
- Tax Rates: Specify the default tax rates to apply to different types of transactions.
- Cost Tracking: Choose whether to track costs by customer, project, or service item.
- Bills: Set defaults related to bills like the days until bills are due.
Make changes to any settings as desired, then click Save at the bottom of the page.

The practice settings allow you to customize parts of Xero to suit your accounting workflows and preferences. Setting useful defaults streamlines data entry and ensures consistency across your organization.

Be sure to review the practice settings periodically and adjust them as your business needs change over time. Let your team know about any changes so everyone is on the same page.

How do I add columns in Xero?

Adding columns in Xero reports allows you to customize the data shown to suit your business needs. Here are the steps to add columns:

In the Accounting menu, select Reports.
Find and open the report you want to edit. This could be a standard report like the Profit & Loss or Balance Sheet, or a custom report you've created.
At the bottom of the report, click "Edit layout". This will open the customization options.
Click the columns icon, which looks like two vertical lines with a plus symbol in between. This will open the column selection panel.
Click the column heading you want to add from the panel on the right side of the screen. This lists all available columns.
Once selected, you can choose display settings for that column using the options on the right. For example, you can sort the data and format numbers.
Click "Apply" once you've finished selecting and adjusting the new column.

Adding columns allows you to include additional data points in Xero reports. This helps tailor the information to your organization's specific accounting and financial needs. With some customization, you can build report templates that provide the exact insights required to inform business decisions.

Enhancing Your Accounting Experience with Xero Custom Fields

Custom fields in Xero allow users to tailor the software to their business's specific needs. By creating additional fields, users can capture unique data to improve organization, reporting, and automation.

Streamline Data Entry with Custom Fields

Custom fields facilitate faster, more accurate data entry by letting you define fields upfront for key details like:

Project or department codes - Assign expenses and invoices to internal groups
Product attributes - Capture SKUs, sizes, colors etc.
Location - Track revenue and expenses by geographic area

With prompts for this information already set up, data entry becomes smoother and less prone to errors or omissions.

Customize Reports with Custom Fields

The custom fields you create can be used as filters, groups and pivots when building reports. For example, pull profit and loss statements for:

A specific project
A particular product line
Defined location or department

By customizing reports around your business needs, you can glean sharper insights from the exact data points you care about.

Automate Workflows Using Custom Fields

Custom fields unlock more advanced workflows based on your tailored criteria. You can set up automation like:

Email notifications when invoices with certain project codes are paid
Routing expenses from a defined department to specific approvers
Applying customized discounts for customer types

By removing manual processes, you speed up accounting and eliminate human error.

Tailor Your Accounting Dashboard

The Xero dashboard gives you an at-a-glance financial overview. With custom fields, choose what key metrics you want front and center based on:

Top customers by revenue or profitability
Sales by product line or project
Expenses by department

Get a dashboard providing the most actionable insights into your organization.

With Xero's flexible custom fields, you can tailor your accounting experience to your business requirements for easier data entry, reporting, automation and insights.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Custom Fields in Xero

Custom fields allow you to track additional details in Xero beyond the default fields. This can help provide more context and customize the experience for your business needs. Here is a step-by-step guide to adding and using custom fields in Xero:

Configure Custom Field Details

To start, you'll want to configure the details of your new custom field:

Navigate to Settings > General Settings > Custom Fields
Click "Add Custom Field"
Give your field a name and description so it's easy to identify
Choose the field format (text, number, date, etc.)
Set as mandatory or optional as needed
Save the custom field

Repeat this process to create multiple custom fields tailored to your business.

Assign Custom Fields to Transaction Types

Next, assign the custom fields to the transaction types where you want them to appear:

From the Custom Fields page, click "Assign Field"
Select the transaction type like Invoices, Bills, Contacts
Choose the custom field(s) to assign
Save the assignment

Do this for each transaction type that should display your new custom fields.

Set Values for Custom Fields

Now when you create or edit a transaction like an invoice or contact, you can populate values for the custom fields:

Navigate to the transaction details (e.g. editing a contact)
Scroll down to the Additional Info section
Fill in values for the custom fields as needed
Save the record

Get in the habit of checking custom fields when creating transactions or records to build a consistent data set.

Integrate Custom Fields with the Chart of Accounts

For numeric custom fields, you can map values to accounts in your chart of accounts:

From the custom field configuration, toggle "Link to account"
Select the appropriate account it should map values to
When the custom field is filled out, the linked account will track associated spending

This allows detailed financial tracking based on custom criteria.

With these steps, you can fully configure custom fields tailored to your Xero accounting experience. Reach out if any questions!

Leveraging Custom Fields for Enhanced Reporting in Xero

Custom fields in Xero provide a powerful way to capture additional data about transactions, contacts, and other records. When used strategically, custom fields enable users to filter and group information to generate customized reports. This allows for more targeted data analysis aligned to your business needs.

Design Custom Report Templates with Fields

You can create custom report templates in Xero that leverage custom fields as reporting criteria. For example:

Build a sales revenue report filtered by a "Region" custom field to analyze performance by geographical area.
Group expenses by a custom "Department" field to view spending across business units.

When designing custom reports, assess what extra data would be valuable and create appropriate custom fields to enable that segmented analysis.

Customize Your Accounting Dashboard with Field Data

The Xero accounting dashboard allows you to showcase key metrics in graphs, tables, and other components. To highlight trends related to custom fields:

Add a pie chart breaking down accounts receivable by custom "Customer Type" field.
Display a KPI for total revenue from the "Product Line" custom field.

This provides dashboard views tailored to your business based on the custom fields you use most.

Export Data with Custom Field Criteria

Xero allows exporting various accounting data like invoices, bills, contacts etc. By applying custom field filters to the export, you can extract subsets of data for further analysis.

For example, export all contacts with the "Lead Source" custom field marked as "Trade Show" into a CSV. Then analyze using Excel to optimize that lead channel.

Utilize Custom Fields for Fixed Assets Management

For tracking fixed assets, using custom fields helps capture important supplemental data. This facilitates more detailed reporting.

Some examples of useful fixed asset custom fields:

Location
Serial Number
Warranty Expiration Date
Lease Details

You can then filter fixed asset reports by those custom fields to gain targeted insights.

In summary, strategic use of custom fields coupled with customized reporting allows Xero users to extract more value from the product. You get accounting visibility tailored to how you run your organization.

Best Practices for Implementing Custom Fields in Xero

Custom fields allow you to capture additional data in Xero beyond the standard fields. When used properly, they can be invaluable for streamlining workflows and gaining business insights. However, custom fields should be implemented thoughtfully based on your specific needs.

Identify Key Use Cases for Custom Fields

Before creating any custom fields, clearly define your key use cases and priority business requirements. Adding too many custom fields prematurely can overcomplicate the accounting process. Consider which specific gaps exist that standard fields don't address. Focus first on mission-critical use cases to provide the most value.

Ensure Custom Fields Are Universal

Strive to make custom fields reusable across different areas of Xero rather than siloed in one section. Universal custom fields allow you to run reports and gain insights across multiple data sets. However, be careful not to make fields too vague or generic either - they still need to serve defined purposes.

Regularly Review Custom Field Usage

Periodically review usage metrics for existing custom fields in Xero HQ. Look for redundant fields that can be consolidated or removed entirely if no longer needed. This helps declutter your accounting process over time as needs change. Custom fields should evolve alongside your business.

Leverage Xero HQ for Custom Field Insights

In the Xero HQ analytics dashboard, the custom field usage report provides valuable visibility. Track which custom fields are being actively used versus inactive ones to guide optimization decisions. The insights can reveal opportunities to improve field naming, structure data more efficiently, or simplify workflows.

Understanding the Limitations and Constraints of Custom Fields

Custom fields can provide useful flexibility in Xero, but they do come with some inherent limitations to be aware of:

Know the Fixed Upper Limit of Custom Fields

Xero allows a maximum of 30 custom fields per organization. Once this limit is reached, no additional custom fields can be created without first deleting existing ones. Carefully plan custom fields to cover necessary use cases within this constraint.

For example, an organization tracking fixed assets may utilize:

10 custom fields for asset details like serial numbers
15 custom fields for asset locations
5 spare custom fields

With 30 total custom fields, there is little room for additional customization before hitting the cap.

Recognize the Lack of Editing Abilities for Fields

Custom fields cannot be directly edited once created. The field name, type, and other parameters are permanently set.

To modify a custom field, it must be deleted and recreated. This can disrupt historical data if the old field contained values. Plan custom fields carefully from the start.

For example, a custom text field meant for phone numbers would require deletion and recreation to convert to a numeric type. Any existing phone number data could be lost in this process.

Address Unset Values in Custom Field Exports

Unlike standard fields, custom fields do not have default values. When exported, blank custom fields appear as "unset" rather than 0, false, etc.

This can distort calculations and aggregations performed on exported custom field data. Handle unset values appropriately to avoid unexpected outputs.

For example, a sum of invoice totals could be inflated if unset custom values are counted as 0 rather than excluded from the calculation.

Exploring the Xero Ecosystem for Custom Field Extensions

Introduce the Xero App Store and the Xero Partner Program as resources for finding extensions and additional features that can enhance the use of custom fields.

Discover Custom Field Apps in the Xero App Store

The Xero App Store offers various third-party applications that can extend the functionality of Xero in many ways. Here are some tips for finding custom field apps that allow you to tailor your accounting experience:

Use the search bar to look for relevant keywords like "custom fields", "custom reporting", or "fixed assets". This will filter the app listings.
Check the categories like "Reporting" and "Inventory" which often have apps that augment custom fields.
Read the app descriptions and details to understand the custom field capabilities offered. Look for specific mentions of custom fields, custom templates, fixed assets tracking, etc.
Check reviews and ratings to gauge an app's ease of use and effectiveness at enhancing custom fields.
Some top apps to consider include Float, VicCloud Inventory & Manufacturing, and Cashflow Manager.

Integrating an app from the Xero App Store can provide more flexible and powerful custom field management without needing to code. They offer pre-built templates, integrations, and features like fixed asset registers, advanced reporting, and custom fields tailored to specific industries.

Join the Xero Partner Program for Advanced Customization

If you need deeper control and customization for managing custom fields in Xero, consider joining the Xero Partner Program. Key benefits include:

Access to the Xero API and Xero developer docs to build custom field features into your own apps. This allows limitless customization options.
Ability to publish private or public apps in the Xero App Store for use by your firm or clients.
Revenue share opportunities by selling paid custom apps that leverage custom fields.
Support from the Xero ecosystem in designing, building, and distributing apps with custom functionality.

Partners can create tailored solutions not available in off-the-shelf apps. This includes customized reporting templates, industry-specific tracking with custom fields, connectors to other platforms, and automated workflows powered by custom field data.

The Xero HQ team provides hands-on help for partners to leverage custom fields in impactful ways. Joining the program is the best way to unlock the full suite of customization tools for a truly bespoke Xero experience.

Conclusion: Maximizing Your Xero Accounting Software with Custom Fields

Custom fields are a powerful way to tailor your Xero experience to your organization's specific needs. By creating custom fields, you can track additional data that is unique to your business operations and processes. This allows you to generate reports and analytics that provide more meaningful insights.

Here are some key benefits of using custom fields in Xero:

Capture niche data points - Track metrics like project codes, cost centers, equipment IDs, etc. that the standard Xero setup doesn't include.
Streamline workflows - Automate data entry by pulling data from integrated systems into custom fields. Reduce manual data entry.
Enhanced reporting - Run reports on your custom fields to spot trends and insights you'd otherwise miss. Make more informed, data-driven decisions.
Tailor account usage - Adapt Xero's general ledger, contacts, accounts, and more to match your chart of accounts, customers, vendors, etc.

We recommend identifying 1-2 top use cases where custom fields would add the most value in your financial workflows. Start small by adding a few key fields, monitoring their usage, and expanding over time. As you customize your Xero experience with custom fields, you'll uncover more ways to maximize the software for your accounting needs. Be sure to tap into the Xero partner community to learn best practices as you go.