Import PDF files into Xero, with line-item detail
Xero is good at attaching PDFs to records. It is not good at reading them.
Capture tools pull header-level data from PDFs: vendor, total, date, invoice number. They do not read every line item.
EntryRocket reads the full content of your PDFs and imports the data into Xero as structured records: invoices and bills with every line item intact. Bank statements come back as an OFX file you import into Xero yourself. Not OCR. Not "best guess". The exact data in your file. The original PDF is attached to the bill or invoice it creates, and when one PDF holds several bills, each bill gets only its own pages.
2-3 days
business days to build your reader
Full detail
line items, not just headers
Minutes
per file, usually
No OCR. No guessing. The exact data.
PDF extraction has a reputation for being unreliable, because most PDF tools on the market rely on OCR. OCR guesses at characters from a visual layer, which means misread digits, transposed amounts, and confidence scores instead of certainty. That's why those tools build a human review step into the workflow.
EntryRocket doesn't use OCR. Your reader parses the PDF's underlying text and structure directly, the same way the software that produced the PDF stored the data originally. There's no guessing involved. The output matches what is in the file.
That's the difference between "we extracted roughly what the document says" and "we extracted exactly what the document says".
Where native Xero tools stop
Xero's PDF story has two layers, plus a third kind of tool:
1. Attach a PDF to a record
Useful for the audit trail. Doesn't extract any data. EntryRocket attaches the PDF for you when it creates the record.
2. Header-level data capture
Extracts vendor, total, date, and invoice number. Line items are not the focus.
3. Receipt-scanning (OCR) tools
These suit scans and photos, and usually build a review step into the workflow.
Each of those has a place. EntryRocket is built for a different one: recurring PDFs with known structure, where you want the full content imported without retyping.
What EntryRocket does with PDFs
Your reader is built around the exact PDF layout you receive. It reads every line, maps each one to the right Xero account, and creates the corresponding records. The PDF you sent is attached to the Xero record, so the original is one click away.
Three steps, then it's automatic
Send us a sample PDF
Send us a sample PDF you're currently processing by hand.
We build your reader
We build your reader in 2-3 business days, trained on your file's specific layout.
You email PDFs in
From then on, you email PDFs in. Xero usually has the structured data within minutes.
Depending on the PDF and your workflow, your reader can create:
- ✓ An OFX file from a PDF bank statement, ready to import into Xero
- ✓ Bills from supplier PDF invoices
- ✓ Invoices from sales PDFs
- ✓ Batch deposits from payment processor PDFs
- ✓ Contacts for new vendors or customers
- Bank statements from banks without a Xero direct feed
- Credit card statements with line-level detail
- Payment processor payout statements from PayPal, Stripe, Square, or regional processors
- Supplier invoices that arrive as PDFs and need line items in Xero
- Platform statements from marketplaces and booking platforms
For payment processors specifically, see also PayPal to Xero and Stripe to Xero.
Does EntryRocket do OCR?
No, and that's the point. EntryRocket reads the text layer of computer-generated PDFs directly, so it reads the exact data in your file. OCR tools guess at characters from a visual layer and need manual review to catch their mistakes. A reader works from the text itself.
What counts as a computer-generated PDF?
A PDF produced by software: bank statements, payment processor reports, e-commerce exports, ERP outputs, accounting exports. If you can select and copy text from the PDF, it's computer-generated and EntryRocket can read it. If your files are scans of paper receipts or photographs, a receipt-scanning (OCR) tool is the right fit.
Why not use a receipt-scanning tool?
Receipt-scanning tools are a good fit for scans and photos of receipts. If your PDFs are computer-generated statements or invoices that arrive in the same layout each time, a reader imports every line item without a scanning step.
What PDF layouts do you support?
Your reader is built for your specific layout. That's why setup takes 2-3 business days: the reader is tailored to the file you actually receive.
What if the PDF layout changes?
If the layout changes, tell us and we update the reader as part of ongoing support.
Can you convert a PDF bank statement to OFX for Xero?
Yes. Xero does not let apps add bank statement lines, so for bank statements we convert instead of importing. You email the PDF statement to your reader's address and we reply with an OFX file. You then import that OFX file in Xero with Import a Statement, with no reformatting.
Stop rekeying PDFs into Xero
Send us a sample PDF and we'll tell you whether a reader is a fit, and what it would do with your file.