Xero Tracking Categories lets you see how different areas of your business are performing, so you can make proactive business decisions.
For example, let's say you’re a business with multiple work locations. You can track sales for each location by setting up a tracking category with tracking options for each location. You can also track sales by service line, like compliance versus advisory work, by setting tracking on your services.
Please note: Xero tracking categories are available on Pro plans and above. Ignition automatically includes the tracking options set on your clients and services on the invoices it creates in Xero.
Before getting started, you’ll need to have:
At least one active tracking category set up in Xero.
The Xero App in Ignition both Enabled and set to Automatically create invoices in Xero.
Once you’re ready to go, you can set tracking categories at three levels:
Clients: a default for every invoice line for that client. Set these one-by-one or in bulk using the Client Import Template.
Services in your library: a default for a service, wherever it's used.
Services on a proposal or agreed service: an exception for one client.
How Ignition chooses tracking for each invoice line
For each tracking category, Ignition uses the first option it finds in this order:
The service on the proposal or agreed service. Use this for a one-off exception for a single client.
The service library default. Use this when a service always belongs to the same department or service line.
The client default. Ignition uses this when the service has no option set for that category.
Each category is worked out separately. For example, a client has Office set to Sydney, and your Tax Advisory service has Service type set to Advisory.
The Tax Advisory line on the invoice gets both: Office: Sydney from the client, and Service type: Advisory from the service.
Setting client tracking categories one-by-one
Here’s how you set tracking categories on a client one-by-one in Ignition. Just repeat this process for each individual client you want to set tracking categories on.
Navigate to your Clients tab and click into a specific client.
Click the Edit Client button.
Select the Apps tab. You’ll then see the active tracking categories you’ve set up in Xero with a dropdown menu below each.
Note: Xero only allows you to have up to two active tracking categories at any one time.
Using the dropdown menu, select an option for each tracking category.
Click the Save Client button.
From this point onwards, all invoices created in Xero for the client will automatically show the tracking option(s) you’ve set on that client in Ignition.
Note: The client's tracking options show on every line item on the invoice, unless a service has its own option for that category.
Updating client tracking categories one-by-one
If at any time you want to change a tracking option already set on a client, you just need to repeat the above steps selecting a different tracking option from the dropdown menu.
Alternatively, you can remove a tracking option already set on a client by selecting the “None” option from the dropdown menu.
Setting client tracking categories in bulk
If you prefer to set tracking categories on multiple clients at once, you can do this using the Client Import Template.
Please note: This method below is for when you have clients already in Ignition. If you do not have a client list yet, you can assign the tracking categories when you are importing your clients for the first time. The Client Import Template sets client tracking only. Set service tracking in your service library or on a proposal.
Navigate to your Clients tab and click Export to download your entire client list.
Once you have downloaded the CSV file, open it and start entering tracking option names for each client row in the columns named “Xero Tracking Category 1” and “Xero Tracking Category 2”.
It's a big spreadsheet, so scroll to the right if you can't see it.
Once you’re done, save the file, navigate back to your Clients tab in Ignition , and click Import.
A slider from the right hand side will appear. Drag the CSV into the box provided to upload the file.
Once uploaded, click on Import Clients to start the import process. Wait for it to complete, and you’re done!
Note: When entering tracking options into the CSV, be sure to enter a valid tracking option for each tracking category otherwise the import will fail for the rows containing an invalid option.
If you are unsure which is Tracking Category 1 versus Tracking Category 2 for your practice, click the Edit Client button on any client record in Ignition and you’ll see each tracking category labelled with a 1 or 2.
Updating client tracking categories in bulk
You can update tracking categories on your clients in bulk by first exporting and making changes to your current client record and then importing them back into the system.
Navigate to your Clients tab and click Export to download your entire client list.
You’ll receive an email with a download link to open the export file in a spreadsheet.
Open the spreadsheet and start editing the tracking category names for each client row in the columns named “Xero Tracking Category 1” and “Xero Tracking Category 2”.
It's a big spreadsheet, so scroll to the right if you can't see it.
Ensure that you do not make any changes to the other columns!
Once you’ve made the necessary updates, save the file.
Then navigate back to your Clients tab in Ignition, and click Import.
A slider from the right hand side will appear. Drag the CSV into the box provided to upload the file.
Once uploaded, click on Import Clients to start the import process. Wait for it to complete, and you’re done!
Setting tracking categories on a service
Set a default on a library service, and Ignition uses it every time that service is added to a proposal.
Go to Services and open the service.
Select the Apps tab.
Under Xero, choose an option for each tracking category you want to set.
Click Save.
Leave a category blank to use the client's option for that category instead.
To apply the change to proposal templates that use this service, choose Save and sync and select the templates. This works even if tracking is the only thing you changed.
Note: Syncing updates your templates. It doesn't change proposals or agreed services that already have their own tracking options.
Changing tracking for a service on a proposal
In the proposal editor, go to the Services step and edit the service.
Select the Apps tab.
Under Xero, choose the tracking options for this proposal.
Click Save.
These options apply to this proposal only. To update the library service too, select Update Services library before saving.
Changing tracking for an agreed service
If a service was accepted with the wrong tracking, you can correct it for future invoices without changing your service library.
Open the client and go to their Services tab.
Edit the service.
Update the Xero tracking options next to Sales Account.
Click Next, review the change, then save.
Note: Ignition doesn't update invoices already created in Xero. Correct those directly in Xero if needed.
What happens when you change or clear tracking
Changing a library default doesn't affect proposals or agreed services that have their own option for that category.
Clearing an option on a proposal or agreed service removes the exception. Ignition then uses the library default, or the client's option if there isn't one.
Clearing a library default means the client's option is used instead. If no option is set at any level, that category is left off the invoice line.
Note: Agreed services without their own option use the library default before the client's. So adding a library default can change tracking on future invoices for existing clients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why don’t I see any tracking categories in Ignition?
There are several possible reasons:
You don’t have any active tracking categories for the Xero organization you connected with Ignition. It could be that the tracking categories have not yet been set up in Xero, or they have been set up but have since been deleted or archived. You would need to go to Xero and ensure that tracking categories are set up and active for the organization you have connected. Alternatively, you can connect to a different Xero organization with active tracking categories.
You have recently set up active tracking categories in Xero but there is a data sync delay between Xero and Ignition. We suggest you either wait one business day before trying again or trigger a manual sync by going to Apps → Xero → clicking the Sync button.
Why do I see a tracking category but it doesn’t have any options to select?
There are several possible reasons:
You don’t yet have any tracking options added to your active tracking category in Xero.
You have recently added an active tracking option in Xero but there is a data sync delay between Xero and Ignition. We suggest you either wait one business day before trying again or trigger a manual sync by going to Apps → Xero → clicking the Sync button.
I've updated a tracking category or option in Xero. Why can’t I see the change in Ignition?
It’s possible that there is a data sync delay between Xero and Ignition. We suggest you either wait one business day before trying again or trigger a manual sync by going to Apps → Xero → clicking the Sync button.
What happens to my tracking categories if I move to a plan that doesn't include them?
Tracking categories are available on Pro plans and above. If you move to a plan without them:
You can no longer set or update tracking on your clients or services in Ignition.
Ignition no longer includes tracking options on future invoices it creates in Xero.
Tracking options already set on your clients can still be bulk exported from Ignition.
Tracking options can still be set on your clients in bulk using the Client Import Template, but they won't be used in Ignition or on future invoices in Xero.
Can different services on the same invoice have different tracking options?
Yes. Set tracking on your services, either in your service library or on the proposal. Ignition applies tracking line by line. See How Ignition chooses tracking for each invoice line above.
Can I set both tracking categories on clients and on services?
Yes. Where the same category is set on both, the service's option is used. The client can still supply the other category.
Will changing tracking in Ignition update invoices already in Xero?
No. Changes apply to future invoices only. Update existing invoices directly in Xero.