Importing Onboarding into Xero
WorkZerk makes it easy to onboard people prompting for their contact details, completing any required compliance (such as uploading documents) and then getting that data into Xero as new Contacts.
This works particularly well for onboarding contractors, suppliers (creditors) and clients, customers, patients, students (debtors).
With configurable field export names, you can set up your Workflow (via the onboarding step templates) to automatically export data in the exact format Xero requires to import Contacts.
Please note that in Xero a Contact can be both a Customer/Client (Debtor) or Supplier/Contractor/Creditor.
Built-in Xero Fields
When downloading onboarding from WorkZerk in CSV format its uses the standard Xero field names already for these ‘built-in’ fields that are contained in the Contact and Onboardee records:
Company > ContactName
First Name > FirstName
Surname > LastName
Mobile > MobileNumber
Phone > PhoneNumber
Email Address > EmailAddress
Street Address >
Xero is the most widely used third party application in Australia and New Zealand, so our CSV export defaults to using the correct Xero column names without any further configuration requires. It’s only additional fields that need to be setup using the Field Name property in the onboarding template.
Xero Notes Field
Xero does not currently support importing a Notes field via CSV file. Therefore, unfortunately this is not possible with the standard CSV import (even though a notes field is supported in WorkZerk for a Contact and the Xero Contact does have a Notes field.
Other Contact Fields
When you create an onboarding step in WorkZerk, you can set the Field Name property. This field name becomes the column header when you export your onboarding data to CSV. By matching these field names to Xero's import format, you can export from WorkZerk and import directly into Xero without any manual reformatting.
Configuring Fields for Xero Import
When setting up your onboarding steps, use the following field names to match Xero's Contact import format for suppliers and contractors:
Banking Details
BankAccountName
BankAccountNumber
BankBSB
BankName
Address Fields
AddressLine1
Street address line 1
AddressLine2
Street address line 2 (optional)
City
Suburb or city
Region
State or territory
PostalCode
Postcode
Country
Additional Useful Fields
CompanyNumber
TaxNumber
AccountNumber
Website
Setting Up Your Onboarding Steps
Navigate to Onboarding Templates in WorkZerk.
Create or edit the onboarding template.
For each template, set the Field property to match the Xero field name exactly (case-sensitive)
Configure your questions to collect the relevant information
Example: If you're asking for a mobile number, set the Field property to MobileNumber so it exports with that column header.
Exporting and Importing
Once onboardees have completed onboarding:
Export your onboarding data from WorkZerk as CSV
Review the CSV to ensure data is correctly formatted
In Xero, go to Contacts > Import Contacts
Upload your CSV file - Xero will automatically map the columns based on the headers
How Xero Handles ContactName vs FirstName/LastName
Options: Provide either ContactName OR FirstName + LastName (both valid).
Behavior:
FirstName + LastName only → Xero auto-generates ContactName as
FirstName + " " + LastNameBoth provided → ContactName takes precedence and is never overridden (important because ContactName is Xero's matching key for imports; FirstName/LastName are optional metadata).
ContactName only → Xero stores as is without attempting to split it (e.g., "ABC Plumbing Pty Ltd" stays intact).
General Tips
Match field names exactly: Xero's import is case-sensitive. Use the exact field names shown above (e.g., ContactName not Contact Name).
ABN is crucial for Australian suppliers: Always collect ABN for tax reporting and validation purposes.
Banking details speed up payments: Collecting banking information during onboarding means you're ready to process payments immediately without chasing down details later.
Not all fields are required: Start with the essentials (ContactName, EmailAddress, ABN) and add other fields as needed for your workflow.
Benefits of This Approach
No manual reformatting - Export from WorkZerk, import directly to Xero.
Consistent data collection - Ensure you get all required information upfront.
Save time on supplier setup - Onboard and setup in one smooth process.
Reduce errors - Automated export means fewer manual data entry mistakes.
Flexible configuration - Add only the fields your business needs.
Need Help?
If you're unsure which fields to configure for your specific workflow, our support team can help you set up the perfect onboarding template for your Xero integration.
