The fastest way to connect Xero to Salesforce is a native AppExchange package: install it into your Salesforce org, authorise your Xero organisation, match your accounts, and you're syncing invoices, payments and customers both ways in about 15 minutes — no code and no middleware. Below is the full walkthrough, plus an honest look at the other three approaches in case a different one fits you better.
Your four options
| Approach | Effort | Ongoing cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Native AppExchange package | ~15 min, no code | Subscription | Teams that want real two-way sync |
| iPaaS (Zapier, Workato) | Hours, no code | Per-task fees | One simple one-way automation |
| Custom API build | Weeks of dev time | Maintenance forever | Very unusual requirements |
| CSV export/import | Ongoing manual work | Staff time | Nobody, honestly |
If you're weighing specific products, see our comparison of the best Xero Salesforce integrations. The steps below use TwoCanConnect for Xero — a native managed package — but the general shape applies to any native connector.
Step 1 — Install from the AppExchange (about 5 minutes)
Open the TwoCanConnect listing on the Salesforce AppExchange and click Get It Now. You can install into a sandbox first (recommended if you have one) or straight into production — the 14-day trial needs no payment details. Install for admins only to start; you can widen access later.
You'll need Salesforce Professional Edition or above. Developer Editions and sandboxes are supported too, so you can test everything before touching production. The Flow elements need Enterprise Edition or above.
Step 2 — Connect your Xero organisation
Open the TwoCanConnect app inside Salesforce and follow the guided setup wizard. You'll be sent to Xero to authorise the connection — standard Xero OAuth, using your own Xero login. The connection is made directly between your Salesforce org and Xero's API: your data never passes through anyone else's servers. Running multiple Xero organisations? You can connect several to the one Salesforce org.
Full details: Connecting your Xero organisation.
Step 3 — Match your accounts and products
The wizard walks you through matching existing Salesforce Accounts to Xero Contacts and Salesforce Products to Xero Items, so the sync starts from a clean, deduplicated base. This is the step people skip when they rush — don't. It's the difference between "everything just matches" and confusing duplicates later.
If you're coming from another Salesforce–Xero connector (or a home-built integration), the migration wizard brings your existing setup across in minutes instead of a manual re-mapping exercise.
Step 4 — Sync your history
Turn on historic sync and your existing Xero invoices, contacts and payments flow into Salesforce and attach to the right records. Day one looks like you've always had the integration.
Step 5 — Create your first invoice and automate
Create a test invoice from an Opportunity (or any standard or custom object) and watch it appear in Xero. When a payment lands in Xero, the Salesforce record updates in near real time. From there, automate the busywork: drop the connector's Flow elements into Salesforce Flow to auto-create invoices when an Opportunity hits Closed-Won, generate repeating invoices, or trigger whatever your process needs — all clicks, no Apex. The Flow elements need Salesforce Enterprise Edition or above.
Guide: Creating your first invoice in Xero.
What syncs once you're live
Customers, invoices (including repeating), products and line items, quotes, payments and purchase orders sync two-way; bills, credit notes and tax rates flow from Xero into Salesforce so both systems always agree. The full object-by-object breakdown is on the Xero Salesforce integration page, and pricing is flat per month with unlimited users and transactions.
If something doesn't sync
Every sync is logged inside Salesforce. The most common causes are an unmatched account or a missing tax rate — both two-minute fixes. See why a sync failed and how to retry it.