How it works

Follow these 3 simple steps to create Xero inventory items automatically from your new Shopify products

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Product Created

App connector: Shopify • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step monitors your Shopify store and kicks off the entire workflow the moment someone creates a new product, ensuring your accounting system stays current without manual data entry.

This trigger watches for new product creation events in your Shopify store and captures all the product data needed for Xero sync. The step runs automatically whenever a product is added to your store, collecting details like product title, description, and all variant information. No configuration is required since it uses your existing Shopify connection. The captured product data gets passed to the loop step for processing each variant individually.

Loop Over Variants

App connector: Loop • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step processes each product variant separately since Xero requires individual items for different sizes, colors, or other variant types rather than grouped products.

The loop step takes the product variants from Shopify and creates individual processing cycles for each one. Each variant gets processed with its own SKU, price, and inventory quantity to create separate Xero items. This step runs automatically using the variant data from the product trigger. The loop ensures that a shirt with Small, Medium, and Large sizes becomes three distinct items in Xero rather than one grouped product.

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Create Item

App connector: Xero • Time to complete: 0 minutes (Auto-configured)
Why this matters: This step actually creates the inventory records in Xero using each variant's specific details, completing the sync between your ecommerce catalog and accounting system.

This action creates individual Xero items for each product variant processed in the loop. The step maps Shopify variant SKUs to Xero item codes, product titles to item names, and strips HTML from product descriptions for clean Xero records. It also syncs current inventory quantities and sets unit prices from your Shopify variant pricing. Each Xero item gets created with the exact details needed for accurate inventory tracking and sales reporting.

Make it your own

Customize this workflow even further:

Filter by product type or vendor
Add conditions to only sync certain product categories to Xero, such as excluding digital products or only syncing items from specific suppliers.
Set custom Xero accounts and tax codes
Configure different chart of accounts or tax settings for various product types, helping maintain proper accounting categories automatically.
Add notification alerts
Send Slack messages or emails when sync errors occur or when high-value items get added to inventory, keeping your team informed of important changes.
Update existing items instead of creating duplicates
Modify the workflow to check if Xero items already exist and update them rather than creating new records, preventing duplicate inventory entries.

Frequently asked questions

What happens if a Shopify variant doesn't have a SKU?
The workflow uses the variant SKU as the Xero item code, so variants without SKUs will create Xero items with blank codes. Consider adding SKUs to all variants before enabling this workflow, or modify the step to use variant IDs as backup codes.
Can this workflow handle products with multiple variants like size and color combinations?
Yes, each unique variant combination becomes a separate Xero item. A t-shirt with 3 sizes and 4 colors creates 12 individual Xero items, each with its own SKU, price, and inventory quantity for accurate tracking.
Will this sync inventory quantity changes from Shopify to existing Xero items?
No, this workflow only creates new Xero items when products are first created in Shopify. To keep inventory quantities in sync after creation, you'll need a separate workflow that triggers on inventory updates and modifies existing Xero item quantities.
What is a template?
MESA templates are fully pre-configured workflows built and vetted by Shopify Experts. Unlike competitor templates that provide basic scaffolds requiring extensive setup, MESA templates come with all data variables properly mapped, required fields configured, and steps ready to activate. You can turn them on immediately and start automating.
Can I customize a template?
Absolutely! While our templates work out-of-the-box, every step can be personalized to match your exact business requirements. Add conditional logic, integrate additional apps, or build more sophisticated workflows. MESA's templates provide a solid foundation that you can expand as needed.
Are templates free?
Yes! Our entire library of expert-built, production-ready templates is free to use. Unlike platforms that charge for premium templates or provide only basic scaffolds, MESA gives you access to hundreds of fully-configured, vetted workflows at no additional cost.

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