Skip to main content

How to connect to Xero and sync accounting data

Written by Tom Hallam

The fastest way to understand your carbon footprint is to look at where your business spends its money. By securely connecting your accounting software, CarbonTrail can automatically pull in your expenditure data and map it to over 200 different emissions categories, saving you weeks of manual data entry.

Here is how to easily connect your Xero account to CarbonTrail.

A Note on Data Security: Your financial data is highly sensitive. When you connect Xero, CarbonTrail requests read-only access to pull the necessary data. Once your footprint is measured, you can choose to disconnect Xero at any time.

Step-by-Step Guide

After you have accepted your email invite and completed your initial setup (answering qualifying questions, entering company details, and selecting your business activities), you will land on the Measurement Roadmap. From here, follow these steps:

  1. Click the Add accounting data button on your Measurement Roadmap.

  2. Select Connect Xero.

  3. You will be temporarily redirected to Xero and asked to confirm the connection. Click Allow access.

  4. Once redirected back to CarbonTrail, choose the correct company from the list to bring into the platform.

    • Note: If you have multiple companies associated with your Xero login, you must select just one. You can only link one Xero account to one CarbonTrail account at a time.

  5. Click to kick off the Xero import.

What Happens Next?

Once the import is initiated, CarbonTrail will begin pulling in your expenses, analyzing them, and categorizing them into proper emissions categories.

This process typically takes around 5 to 15 minutes (or slightly longer if you have a very large file or high transaction volume). Now is a great time to step away and grab a coffee! Once the import is complete, you will be ready to start reviewing your suppliers.

Need help?

If you hit a snag while trying to connect your Xero account or have any questions about how your data is handled, please reach out to the CarbonTrail team by clicking the chat icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. We are happy to help!

Did this answer your question?