You can get supplier invoices into Xero as draft bills in three ways: type each one in, import a CSV file, or use an extraction tool that reads the PDFs and photos and creates the drafts for you. Typing is fine for a handful of bills; once you handle dozens a month, extraction saves the most time.

The three ways to get a bill into Xero

• Type it in. Create a bill in Xero, pick the contact, then enter the invoice number, dates, account, tax rate and amounts. Reliable, but slow and easy to mistype.
• Import a CSV. Xero can import bills from a CSV file. You still have to read every invoice and copy the figures into a spreadsheet first, so the typing moves rather than disappears.
• Use AI extraction. A tool reads the invoice, pulls out the fields and sends them to Xero as draft bills. You can review the results before anything is created.

What Xero needs for every bill

• Supplier (contact) name
• Invoice number, invoice date and due date
• One or more line items with a description, account code and tax rate
• Amounts, and whether they include or exclude GST

Getting the GST treatment wrong is the most common source of rework, so check that line amounts and the invoice total agree before you send anything.

Steps with LedgerSnaps

1. Upload. Drop in PDF, PNG or JPG invoices, up to 50 files at once.
2. Scan and estimate. LedgerSnaps checks each file and estimates how many documents and AI credits it needs. This step uses no credits.
3. Extract. It reads the supplier, dates, amounts, GST and line items.
4. Connect. Choose the Xero organisation to send to. You sign in to Xero once and we never see your password.
5. Review (optional). Check results beside the original document if you want to. ABN, GST and duplicate checks are flagged automatically, along with a confidence score.
6. Send. The bills are created in Xero as drafts. Nothing is approved or paid for you.

Mistakes to avoid

• Duplicate bills. The same invoice emailed twice becomes two bills. LedgerSnaps flags repeated invoice numbers in a batch and invoice numbers that already exist in the Xero organisation you selected.
• Wrong contact. A supplier typed slightly differently creates a second contact. Match against existing contacts where you can.
• Trusting the output blindly. AI can misread blurry scans, photos and handwriting. Check supplier, date, amounts and GST before sending, and look closely at anything the tool flags.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Bulk upload bills to Xero from PDF and photos
• How to check a supplier's ABN and GST on an invoice

Last updated: 2026-11-04 · General information only, not tax or accounting advice.