Import CSV files into Xero, without reformatting
Xero accepts CSVs. It just doesn't accept your CSV.
The column names have to match Xero's template. The dates have to match your Xero organisation's region. The contact names have to match your Xero contacts exactly. The tax codes have to match your Xero tax rates exactly. Miss any of those, and the import either fails or, worse, silently imports wrong data.
EntryRocket accepts whatever CSV your system actually produces. Your reader handles the translation.
2-3 days
business days to build your reader
Your CSV
as it is: any column order, any date format
Minutes
per file, usually
The problem with Xero's native CSV import
Xero's CSV importer is strict, in a way that's reasonable for Xero but painful for the rest of us. It expects:
- ✕ Exact column names (ContactName, InvoiceNumber, InvoiceDate, and so on)
- ✕ Dates in your region's format, with a silent-misread risk when day values are 12 or below
- ✕ Contact names that already exist in Xero, character-for-character
- ✕ Tax rate names that match your Xero configuration exactly
- ✕ Files of about 500 invoices or fewer: in our testing Xero's import failed around 600 invoices, and a bank statement import is best kept to 1,000 rows
Most source systems don't produce CSVs in that shape. You end up with a reformatting spreadsheet you maintain forever, or you give up and key data in by hand.
If you want the full picture of what Xero expects, our Xero CSV import guide covers the format in detail, including the seven most common errors and how to avoid them.
Sticking with Xero's native import for now? Run your file through our free Xero CSV validator first - it checks the column names, dates, amounts, and row count in your browser and flags exactly what Xero will reject or silently get wrong, before you upload.
What EntryRocket does with CSVs
Your reader is built around the CSV your system actually produces. Any column order, any header names, any date format, any tax label convention. The reader maps all of that to what Xero needs, and imports the result.
You email the file in. Xero usually has the records within minutes.
Most of these CSVs come from a booking, ordering or sales platform that exports the same file every day, week or month. Here is how your platform's own CSV gets into Xero without anyone reformatting it.
Three steps, then it's automatic
Send us a sample
Send us a sample of the CSV you're currently wrestling with.
We build your reader
We build your reader in 2-3 business days, matched to your file's exact structure.
You email files in
From then on, you email files in. Your reader handles the rest.
Depending on your workflow, your reader can create:
- ✓ Invoices (including multi-line invoices from one row per line item)
- ✓ Bills
- ✓ An OFX file from your bank statement, ready to import into Xero with Import a Statement
- ✓ Contacts
- ✓ Manual journals
- Bank statements in a bank's own CSV layout that doesn't match Xero's template
- POS and till exports with product-level detail, mapped to revenue accounts
- Marketplace payout reports where fees, refunds, and taxes need splitting
- Legacy system exports with custom column names and date formats
- Multi-currency CSVs where Xero needs currency codes and your file uses symbols
Do I have to rename columns before sending the CSV?
No. Your reader is built around your file's existing column names. You send it in the same shape your system produces.
What if Xero's native CSV import just works for me?
Then keep using it. EntryRocket is for the situations where Xero's CSV import is costing you recurring time: multi-source files, large files, or formats that don't fit Xero's template.
Will it handle dates in any format?
Yes. Your reader is configured for the date format your file uses, including ISO dates, named months, and region-specific formats.
What about Xero's import size limits?
Those limits apply to Xero's native CSV importer. In our testing Xero's invoice import failed around 600 invoices. A reader takes the whole file as it comes.
Stop reformatting CSVs for Xero
Send us a sample of the CSV you're currently handling by hand. We'll show you how your reader will handle it.