MCP server
Xero MCP server
Xero's official MCP server lets AI list and create contacts, invoices and payments, read bank transactions and pull reports such as profit and loss.
- Official server
- Payments and billing
Why it matters
What it does and why it matters
Xero is the accounting system for many small businesses and their accountants. Its official MCP server lets an assistant list accounts, contacts, invoices and bank transactions, create contacts, invoices and payments, and pull reports such as profit and loss and trial balance. Payroll employee data is available too.
For business owners, that means answers like "how did we do last quarter" or "who owes us money" without opening reports. For bookkeepers, it speeds up routine entries.
Entries in the books matter for tax and reporting, so we start with reports and lists, and add invoice and payment creation with a bookkeeper approving each entry. Use a connection limited to one organization and review changes in Xero's history.
Use cases
Best business use cases
Contact updates
Bank questions
Receivables
Tools
Available tools
Tool names as published by the maintainer at review time. Versions change, so check the repository for the current list.
Read and write: Read and write for accounting records (invoices, contacts, payments, journals) plus read-only reports.
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list-accountsLists the chart of accounts.
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list-contactsLists contacts.
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list-invoicesLists invoices.
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create-invoiceCreates an invoice.
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create-contactCreates a contact.
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list-bank-transactionsLists bank transactions.
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create-paymentRecords a payment.
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list-profit-and-lossReturns the profit and loss report.
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list-trial-balanceReturns the trial balance report.
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list-payroll-employeesLists payroll employees.
Workflows
Example workflows
Monthly owner summary
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1
Ask for last month's profit and loss.
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2
The assistant pulls the report.
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3
It compares with the month before.
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4
It explains the main changes.
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5
The owner asks follow-ups.
Invoice after a job
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1
Share job details.
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2
The assistant finds or creates the contact.
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3
It drafts the invoice.
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4
The bookkeeper approves.
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5
The invoice is created in Xero.
Prompts
Example prompts
“Summarize our profit and loss for last quarter compared with the one before.”
“Which customers have invoices overdue by more than 30 days?”
“Create a draft invoice for Harbor Group for last week's work.”
Setup
Installation and configuration
Examples for Claude Desktop and Claude Code. Replace the placeholder values with your own keys, and store secrets outside version control.
Claude Desktop: claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"xero": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest"
],
"env": {
"XERO_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here",
"XERO_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret_here",
"XERO_SCOPES": "accounting.invoices accounting.contacts accounting.settings"
}
}
}
}Claude Code: terminal
claude mcp add xero -e XERO_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id_here -e XERO_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret_here -- npx -y @xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest- Local server: npx -y @xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest.
- Needs: Xero custom connection (XERO_CLIENT_ID, XERO_CLIENT_SECRET) or a bearer token in XERO_CLIENT_BEARER_TOKEN..
Security
Security considerations
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Restricted keys
Use restricted keys or scoped sign-in that allow only the actions a workflow needs.
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Test mode first
Build and test in sandbox or test mode before touching live money.
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Approve money movement
Refunds, payouts, payments and deletions need a person to approve them.
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Audit trail
Review entries in Xero's history and keep a bookkeeper in the loop.
Related servers
Servers that pair well with it
QuickBooks Online
Intuit's official QuickBooks Online MCP server lets AI search and create customers, invoices, bills and payments and pull financial reports.
Stripe
Stripe's official MCP server lets AI search and read Stripe data, make changes with confirmation for sensitive actions, run analytics and search docs.
Google Sheets
Google's own Sheets MCP server lets AI read and update cell values and formulas, change spreadsheet structure and insert rows or columns.
Keep exploring
Solutions and services that use it
Related services
View all related services- MCP integration Connect AI assistants to your CRM, files, databases and tools through Model Context Protocol servers, with safe permissions.
- Payment integration Stripe, PayPal and local gateways wired into your site or app, with receipts, refunds and reconciliation.
- Automation and Integrations CRM, payment and API integrations, MCP connections and workflows that stop people copying data by hand.
- Billing and payments Checkout, invoices, subscriptions, refunds and the accounting exports your finance team needs.
- SaaS Product Development MVPs, subscription platforms, admin panels and multi-tenant products, planned to grow past the first launch.
- Dashboards and reporting Dashboards that pull numbers from the systems you already use and show what matters without a spreadsheet.
Solutions
View all solutions- Invoice processing Read supplier invoices, match them to orders and push approved ones into accounting, with exceptions flagged for review.
- Automated reporting Reports that build themselves from your systems on schedule, with a plain-language summary of what changed.
- Receipt capture and matching Snap a receipt, and the details are read, categorized and matched to the card transaction and the right project.
- AI automation and integrations Connect the tools you already use so data moves once, correctly, and AI reads the parts that arrive as text or documents.
- Scheduling and drafting automation Turn one piece of content into posts for each channel, schedule them and track results, with approval before anything goes out.
Industries
View all industries- Finance and accounting Client portals, document collection, invoice and receipt processing, and reporting for accounting firms and finance teams.
- Logistics and transportation Driver apps, order and shipment tracking, document processing and integrations for logistics and delivery companies.
- Vacation rentals Booking websites, owner and guest portals, turnover scheduling and guest messaging for rental operators.
- Property management Tenant portals, maintenance tracking, owner statements and inbox automation for property managers.
- Construction and facilities Job tracking, maintenance requests, inspections, quotes and proof-of-work photos for builders and facility teams.
- Home services Booking, dispatch, quotes, invoicing and reviews for plumbers, electricians, cleaners and other home service businesses.
Case studies
View all case studies- Facility management platform Every request, inspection and cost for every building now lives in one place, with a clear owner and status.
- Payroll system for an IT services company Payroll is calculated from recorded inputs, reviewed once and sent as payslips in a single batch, with every change logged.
- Tax filing service platform Clients upload documents and see where their case stands, and staff work from one queue with deadlines and reminders.
Guides and articles
View all guides and articles- How to measure the ROI of AI automation Measure the return on AI automation with a baseline, the right metrics and honest accounting of costs.
- How to connect AI to your database safely Let staff ask questions of your data in plain English without risking production systems or sensitive records.
- How to automate reporting with AI and MCP Build reports that assemble themselves from your systems through MCP, with a written summary people can trust.
- How to set up automated reporting Replace manual weekly and monthly reports with dashboards and summaries that update themselves.
Glossary terms
View all glossary terms- API integration An API integration connects two or more systems through their APIs so data and actions flow between them automatically.
- Workflow automation Workflow automation uses software to move work through a series of steps, such as routing, approvals and notifications, based on rules and events.
- Webhook A webhook is an automatic message one system sends to another's web address when something happens, such as a payment or a new order.
- AI agent An AI agent is software that uses a language model to plan steps, call tools and act toward a goal, instead of only answering one question.
- API An API, or application programming interface, is a defined way for one piece of software to request data or actions from another.
- Business process automation Business process automation uses software to run a multi-step business process, such as approvals or onboarding, from start to finish with less manual work.
FAQ
Questions people ask us
Have a question that is not here? Ask us directly.
Yes. It is maintained by Xero.
Yes. We recommend a bookkeeper approves each one.
Yes, including profit and loss and trial balance.