Connect Shiftly to Xero
The whole path from connecting your Xero organisation to posting your first timesheets, in order, with a link to the full guide for each step.
Connecting Xero lets Shiftly send your approved hours, pay and leave to Xero, so you don't key them in twice. It takes a few steps: connect, match your pay settings, link your staff, then post. This page puts them in order and says why each matters.
Who this is for
Owners and managers using the Shiftly web platform who run payroll in Xero.
Before you start
- You need a Xero organisation with Xero Payroll, and permission in Xero to connect apps to it.
- In Shiftly, you need access to business settings to open Integrations.
Connect and set up Xero
Connect your Xero organisation
Open Integrations from the account menu (your initials, top right) or from Business settings. On the Xero card, select Get started, then Connect to Xero. Sign in to Xero and approve access for Shiftly. If you have more than one Xero organisation, choose the one for this business. This is what lets the two systems talk to each other, and Shiftly then opens the Xero setup.
Set your earning rates
The first setup step after Connection, Set earning rates, matches Shiftly's pay categories (ordinary hours, penalties, overtime) to the earnings rates in your Xero organisation, and picks your payroll calendar, wages account and super accounts. It's also where you choose Send timesheets as approved or leave timesheets to arrive as drafts. Every timesheet you post uses these settings, so they need to be right before you post anything.
Import your employees
Import employees brings your Xero employees across and links them to Shiftly. Only linked employees' timesheets can be posted. For someone already in Shiftly, you can also select Sync to Xero on their row on the People page.
See Import staff from Xero and Keep staff in sync with Xero.
Connect your jobs and import leave
If you track work by job, Connect jobs matches your jobs to Xero tracking items. See Match jobs to Xero tracking categories. Import leave brings in your Xero leave types and rules, so leave requests and balances line up with Xero. Shiftly skips any step there's nothing to do in.
Select Complete configuration on the last step. You can also select Save & exit part-way and pick up again later from Integrations.
Post your first timesheets
Once Xero is set up, a Xero payrun tab appears on Time → Timesheets. Approve your timesheets, then post them from there.
See Send approved timesheets to payroll, or Run a pay cycle for the whole routine.
Know what moves between the two
Shiftly sends approved timesheets and approved leave to Xero. Employee details and leave types can come the other way. See What syncs with Xero for the full list.
If it isn't working
See Xero isn't syncing for the messages Shiftly shows and how to fix each one, including reconnecting Xero.