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Automatically import clients from your connected apps
Automatically import clients from your connected apps

How to import clients from Xero, QuickBooks or Xero Practice Manager (XPM)

Tom Maxwell avatar
Written by Tom Maxwell
Updated over a week ago

Automatically Import Clients from Xero

If you have Xero connected to Ignition, you can select from any Xero contacts that are customers (or future customers) when creating new proposals. You'll see the Xero logo to the right of all imported contacts.

Please note: When connected, the client list will not automatically import all clients at once - when you create a proposal, it will allow you to import them one at a time. If you prefer to import all of your clients, the best method will be to use the CSV import.

The Xero contact information will be copied over to Ignition to create a new client.

If a supplier needs to be sent a proposal, you can create a new client in Ignition with the same name. When the first invoice is created in Xero, the client and contact will be synced at that point.

Automatically Import Clients from QuickBooks

If you have QuickBooks connected to Ignition, you can select any existing QuickBooks customer when creating new proposals. You'll see the QuickBooks logo to the right of all imported clients.

Please note: When connected, the client list will not automatically import all clients at once - when you create a proposal, it will allow you to import them one at a time. If you prefer to import all of your clients, the best method will be to use the CSV import.


The QuickBooks customer information (client name, contact name and client email address) will be copied over to Ignition to create a new client.

Using your Xero Practice Manager Clients

If you have XPM connected to Ignition, your client base from XPM will be brought into Ignition as "Leads".

There is a 2-way sync of the data, so any changes in Ignition will be brought across to XPM and vice versa.

When a lead is created in Ignition, their details are not sent to XPM until they have accepted a proposal through Ignition.

Upon accepting their first proposal through Ignition, the "Lead" will turn to "Active" in Ignition and the lead's status in XPM will be updated to "Client".

Why can I not see Xero/QuickBooks contacts when I have XPM connected?

Please note that if you are using both a ledger integration (Xero or QuickBooks) and XPM, the clients imported from XPM will take precedence (as they have already been created in Ignition) and you cannot import from Xero or QuickBooks if you have XPM connected. This is to avoid duplications of clients from having both systems connected. 

If a client is not present in your XPM instance but is in your ledger, it is best to create a new Ignition client with the same - on acceptance of the proposal it will create the client in XPM and be matched to the client with the same name in your ledger when their first invoice is deployed.

Why are tax numbers not syncing with XPM?

Please note that when it comes to tax numbers (e.g. TFN in Australia), this information will not be imported into Ignition. Xero has removed this information from their API as they consider it confidential information. Entering these details in Ignition will also not sync back to XPM.

Using data from a spreadsheet

See our article on importing clients to learn how to import client data from a spreadsheet.

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