HoneyBook Xero Integration Guide [2026 Updated]

Connecting your client management and accounting software saves time and prevents costly data entry errors. If you use HoneyBook for proposals, contracts, and payments, and Xero for your bookkeeping, creating a link between them is a powerful way to automate your financial workflow. This guide provides an updated, step-by-step process for integrating HoneyBook and Xero to keep your financial records accurate and up to date.

Why You Should Connect HoneyBook and Xero

While HoneyBook is excellent for managing the client-facing side of your business—from initial inquiry to final payment—it isn't a full-fledged accounting system. On the other hand, Xero provides robust tools for bank reconciliation, financial reporting, and tax preparation. Connecting them bridges the gap between your project management and your financial records.

Here’s what the integration accomplishes:

• Automates data entry: When a client pays an invoice in HoneyBook, the transaction data can be automatically sent to Xero. This eliminates the need to manually create invoices or record payments in your accounting software, freeing you up to focus on your clients.
• Reduces human error: Manual data entry is prone to mistakes like typos, incorrect amounts, or duplicate entries. Automation ensures that the numbers in HoneyBook match the numbers in Xero, giving you confidence in your financial reports.
• Keeps your books current: With an active integration, your financial data in Xero stays current with your business activities in HoneyBook. This gives you a real-time view of your cash flow and financial health, allowing for better business decisions.

This integration is ideal for service-based small businesses, freelancers, and creative entrepreneurs (like photographers, designers, and consultants) who already depend on HoneyBook and Xero to run their operations.

How HoneyBook and Xero Connect in 2026

Many software platforms offer direct, native integrations that you can activate with a few clicks. However, as of 2026, HoneyBook does not have a native, built-in integration with Xero. To connect them, you’ll need to use a third-party automation tool. These platforms act as a bridge, listening for activity in one app and triggering an action in another.

Here are the primary methods for connecting the two platforms:

1. Third-Party "Connector" Platforms

These tools are the most popular and accessible way to link HoneyBook and Xero. They offer pre-built connectors that simplify the automation process without requiring any coding knowledge.

• Zapier: This is the most widely used and recommended solution for integrating HoneyBook and Xero. It uses automated workflows called "Zaps" to connect your apps. For example, you can create a Zap that says, "When a payment is received in HoneyBook, create a sales invoice in Xero." Zapier offers a free tier with limited functionality, while paid plans provide more complex workflows and faster sync times.
• Make (formerly Integromat): Make is another powerful automation platform that offers more complex and visually-driven workflow creation. It's a great choice for users who need a higher degree of customization than what Zapier offers, such as multi-step data processing or advanced conditional logic.

2. Custom API Integration

For businesses with unique requirements or a high volume of transactions, a custom integration using HoneyBook’s and Xero’s APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) is an option. This method requires a software developer to write code that directly connects the two systems. While it provides complete control over the data flow, it comes with significant development costs and ongoing maintenance, making it impractical for most small businesses and freelancers.

For the vast majority of users, Zapier offers the best balance of cost, functionality, and ease of use. The rest of this guide will focus on setting up the connection using Zapier.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Integrate HoneyBook with Xero Using Zapier

This walkthrough will show you how to set up a common automation: creating a sales invoice in Xero whenever a new payment is made in HoneyBook. Before you begin, you will need active accounts for HoneyBook, Xero, and Zapier.

Step 1: Create a Zap and Set Up Your HoneyBook Trigger

First, log into your Zapier account and click the "Create Zap" button.

1. Choose the Trigger App: In the Trigger step, search for and select HoneyBook.
2. Select the Trigger Event: You'll see a list of events in HoneyBook that can start your automation. A common and useful event is "New Payment." This means the Zap will run every time a client payment is successfully processed in HoneyBook. Other potential triggers include "New Inquiry," "Proposal Signed," or "Project Booked." Select "New Payment" and click "Continue."
3. Connect Your HoneyBook Account: Zapier will prompt you to sign into your HoneyBook account. Follow the on-screen instructions to authorize Zapier to access your HoneyBook data. You may need to provide your account credentials. Once connected, click "Continue."
4. Test Your Trigger: Zapier will attempt to pull in sample data from your HoneyBook account (e.g., your most recent payment). This confirms the connection is working and gives you real data to use when setting up the next step. Pick a sample record and click "Continue with selected record."

Step 2: Set Up Your Xero Action

Now that your trigger is configured, it's time to tell Zapier what to do in Xero when the trigger fires.

1. Choose the Action App: Search for and select Xero.
2. Select the Action Event: Next, choose what you want to happen in Xero. For our example, select "Create Sales Invoice." Another common action is "Create Contact" if you want to add new clients to Xero automatically. Click "Continue."
3. Connect Your Xero Account: Zapier will ask you to connect your Xero account. You will be redirected to Xero to authorize the connection, giving Zapier permission to create and modify data in your account. Once complete, click "Continue."

Step 3: Map Your Data Fields

This is the most important step. You need to tell Zapier how to move data from HoneyBook into the correct fields in Xero. You'll see a list of fields for a Xero sales invoice, and you'll map them to the data from your HoneyBook payment trigger.

• Contact Name: Click in this field and select the client's information from the HoneyBook data dropdown. You might map this to "Client Full Name" or a similar field from your HoneyBook trigger. If the contact doesn't exist in Xero, Zapier can create one. Be sure to select the "Create Xero Contact if it doesn’t exist" option.
• Email: Map this to the "Client Email" field from HoneyBook.
• Date: Use the "Paid Date" from your HoneyBook trigger to set the invoice date in Xero.
• Due Date: You can use the same "Paid Date" or another relevant date. Since the invoice is already paid, this is often set to the same day.
• Line Items - Description: Map this to the HoneyBook "Project Name" or a combination of fields like "Project Type" and "Project Name."
• Line Items - Quantity: Enter "1" since this typically represents a single payment for a service.
• Line Items - Unit Amount: This is a crucial field. Map this to the "Payment Amount" from your HoneyBook trigger data.
• Line Items - Account Code: This tells Xero which revenue account to assign the income to. You must select one from your Xero Chart of Accounts (e.g., "Sales").
• Invoice # and Reference: You can map the HoneyBook "Project ID" or "Invoice Number" here for easy cross-referencing between the two systems.
• Status: Set the invoice status in Xero to "Authorized" or "Paid." To record receiving the cash, you may want to create a second action step in this Zap: Xero > Create Payment.

Double-check your field mapping to ensure all required fields in Xero have data from HoneyBook. Once you're satisfied, click "Continue."

Step 4: Test, Name, and Activate Your Zap

1. Test your Zap: Zapier will show you a summary of the data it plans to send to Xero. Click "Test step." Zapier will send the test information to your Xero account. Log in to Xero and check that the sales invoice (and payment, if you added that step) was created correctly with all the details you mapped.
2. Fix any errors: If the test fails, Zapier will provide an error message. The most common issues are related to incorrect data mapping (e.g., a text field mapped to a number field) or missing required fields. Go back to the mapping step and adjust accordingly.
3. Give Your Zap a Name: Name your Zap something descriptive, like "HoneyBook Payments to Xero Invoices."
4. Publish Your Zap: Once the test is successful, click "Publish." Your Zap is now live and will automatically run every time a new payment is received in HoneyBook.

Congratulations! You've successfully automated your client payment workflow between HoneyBook and Xero.

Common Issues and Quick Fixes

Integrations are powerful but can sometimes run into trouble. Here are a few common issues and how to resolve them:

• Duplicate entries are created in Xero: This can happen if your trigger is too broad. For instance, if you use "New Project" instead of "New Paid Invoice" as a trigger, it might fire more often than you intend. Make your trigger event as specific as possible to avoid this.
• The Zap fails and gives an error: This often points to a data mapping problem. For example, maybe a required field in Xero (like the Account Code) was left blank. Head to your Zap History in Zapier to see what caused the error, then edit your Zap to fix the mapping.
• Sync delays: Zapier's free and lower-tier plans check for new data periodically (e.g., every 15 minutes). If you need instant syncing, you may need to upgrade to a higher-tier plan that offers faster polling times.
• Authentication problems: Occasionally, the connection between Zapier and HoneyBook or Xero can expire. If your zaps stop working, the first step is to visit the "My Apps" section in Zapier and reconnect the problematic application.

Final Thoughts

Connecting HoneyBook and Xero via an automation tool like Zapier saves time, improves data accuracy, and gives you a clear, up-to-date picture of your business's finances. By following the steps outlined above, you can build a reliable bridge between your client management and accounting systems.

Automating data entry is a fantastic way to streamline your financial operations, but bookkeeping and tax compliance often involve more than just data entry. When questions about the taxability of services, multi-state filing requirements, or deductions arise, we built Feather AI to provide tax professionals with instant, citation-backed answers directly from authoritative sources like the IRS tax code.