Automated High-Value Bill Approval & Mapping: Dext to Xero (Zapier)

Streamline financial compliance by adding conditional logic and project mapping between Dext and Xero.

Tools: Dext → Xero

Platform: Zapier

Short Answer

Users achieve a touchless workflow where low-value bills sync instantly, while high-value items are routed for approval and automatically tagged with the correct Xero Tracking Categories based on the supplier detected.

The Problem

Generic native integrations often lack the granularity to handle high-value approvals or complex tracking category assignments. Without an automated intermediary, finance teams must manually monitor Dext for large expenses and manually assign project codes in Xero to ensure reporting accuracy.

The Outcome

Users achieve a touchless workflow where low-value bills sync instantly, while high-value items are routed for approval and automatically tagged with the correct Xero Tracking Categories based on the supplier detected.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. **Authenticate Source**: Log into Zapier and create a new Zap. Select **Dext** as the Trigger app and choose the event **Item Ready (Purchases)**. Connect your Dext account using your API credentials. 2. **Configure Trigger**: Select your Dext account and profile. Ensure the 'Status' filter is set to 'Ready' to avoid pulling in incomplete extractions. 3. **Sanitize Data (Formatter)**: Add a **Formatter by Zapier** step (Numbers -> Currency). Map the 'Total Amount' from Dext to ensure Zapier reads it as a standard decimal for the next filtering step. 4. **Add Conditional Logic (Filter)**: Drag in a **Filter by Zapier** step. Set it to 'Only continue if [Step 3 Number] is greater than 1000'. This isolates high-value invoices. 5. **Dynamic Project Mapping (Storage/Lookup)**: Add a **Formatter by Zapier** (Utilities -> Lookup Table). Map the 'Supplier Name' from Dext. In the table, enter common suppliers on the left and their corresponding **Xero Tracking Category IDs** on the right. 6. **Create Approval Step (Optional)**: Add a **Mail by Zapier** or Slack step to notify a manager. Use a 'Filter' or 'Paths' if you only want this to run for specific departments. 7. **Connect Xero**: Add the **Xero** app with the action **Create Purchase Bill**. Authenticate your Xero Organization. 8. **Map Required Fields**: Map 'Supplier' to 'Contact Name', 'Date' to 'Date', and 'Total Amount' to 'Line Amount'. Use the output from Step 5 to populate the Xero Tracking Categories. 9. **Attach Source Document**: Scroll to the bottom of the Xero action and map the 'Image URL' from Dext into the 'File Attachment' field to ensure the audit trail is preserved. 10. **Enable Duplicate Protection**: In the Xero 'Reference' field, map the Dext 'Invoice Reference' or 'Dext Item ID'. Xero will use this to prevent creating the same bill twice.