Organisation settings - Backup / export copy of Xero file
Ability to export copies of the Xero org data.
Purpose: Because the ability to export the copy of the Xero file data makes the user more comfortable. In case there’s incident happens.

Hi everyone, we appreciate wanting the ability to create your own back of your data. For individual use, we recommend creating your own backup by exporting the relevant data from Xero - There are many areas of Xero you can export data from and we have an article that details this more.
Protecting your data is important to us. We do daily backups of customer data to safeguard against data corruption and any hosting service failure. However, these backups aren't designed to be used by individual organisations to undo/reverse data changes performed by users in the organisation.
You can read more on Security at Xero on our website.
Being transparent, this isn't something we're looking to develop for individual use ourselves. If of importance to your business, we do have some official app partners who can fulfill this need and you can explore these through our Xero App Store.
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Vincent O'Hagan commented
If Xero has multiple sites in multiple regions, then the chance of them no being able to recover the data is extremely unlikely. The reliance of a backup by a third party would not necessarily reduce the risk if Xero has multiple backups in multiple regions.
Just because they are not labile for the loss of data does not mean they don't go to lengths to protect your data.
Effectively if Xero were to lose data & their clients could not recover their files it would mean then end of Xero because who could ever risk that again. -
Tarhata Watson commented
But even if Xero does remote backups in multiple regions, there is no guarantee they will give you "your" data, in case of loss. Xero clearly puts the responsibility on the user. We are already looking for alternatives. There is always an alternative solution somewhere out there.
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Vincent O'Hagan commented
Would be good to have some understanding of how Xero backs up the information in their systems eg stored in multiple regions on multiple servers.
That would give us some confidence that the data is secure & the risk of total loss is remote. -
Jane Weekes commented
It is critical that our organization's data is backed up.
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Waddington Educational Resources commented
Xero have a duty of care to their customers which they can not skirt, no matter how many terms and conditions they might have tucked away in fine print. Part of that duty of care is to provide a user-friendly backup process which is far more automated and routine than the piecemeal options currently available, that covers a user's core data - that is, the current data set which you would need to employ if there was a massive breakdown or massive loss. It would be the core data set needed to load quickly so your business could be up and running again quickly, either with Xero or with a different platform. Xero's Terms do not address a situation of core data loss, neither does it explain how to efficiently and easily back up user core data.
Customer data is fundamental to what Xero does as its core business. They're not selling us apples but they are selling a critical service which could mean life or death of a business as a result of critical dysfunction. Xero also promotes itself as a beautiful experience. If user data becomes compromised, as we're seeing happen to large entities all over the world these days, governments become involved on a grand scale. I don't think any government would want to see thousands of businesses fail the moment Xero suffers a critical failure due to backup data failure under its "best practice policies and procedures to prevent data loss."
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Alexandra Oglethorpe commented
We want to back up our data as Xero has put the onus on us if something happens and data is lost. From Xero's Terms & Conditions:
"3. Backup of Data:
You must maintain copies of all Data inputted into the Service. Xero adheres to its best practice policies and procedures to prevent data loss, including a daily system data back-up regime, but does not make any guarantees that there will be no loss of Data. Xero expressly excludes liability for any loss of Data no matter how caused." -
David Hoskins commented
It is critical that we can back up our organisations' data
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Hein Kuenen commented
This is essential and the attitude towards this from Xero is rather perplexing.
(This is not a good way to 'keep' clients ******* really. Get a proper Backup and Export sorted. We hear this is a showstopping issue.) -
Sarah Hart commented
We are required by both law and Xero's own T&Cs to back up our data. Accounting software that does not make this basic function possible is not fit for purpose and should not be sold. This is a critical feature.
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Nigel Soakell commented
This should be built-in, however with only the small amount of votes and length of time the idea has been shared I doubt anything will happen. I intend to raise it at the next Xero event and see what Xero have to say in person, I suggest other people do the same.
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Ian Kerry commented
can't believe this isn't a feature already! Especially with the continuous price increases.
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Gary Mackay commented
Xero clause 36 of T&C's. "Data loss: Data loss is an unavoidable risk when using any technology. You’re responsible for maintaining copies of your data entered into our services." A full back up is required. Not a peace meal export process.
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Waddington Educational Resources commented
The Australian Federal Government will be announcing major corporate requirements they are going to impose upon industry after the appalling state of affairs surrounding the Optus data disaster this week which affected millions of customers.
If Xero management continue to ignore the risks posed by failing to provide their users with a routine, automated, localized physical back up of their data, then the government will inevitably step in. I've put senior Xero management on notice about this issue for several years.
30th September 2022
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Thomas Crampton commented
This is absolutely ESSENTIAL in a world where the GREATEST threat to Australian organisations is the threat of RANSOMWARE (per the Australian Cyber Security Centre), and Xero will not be immune. Even if/when paying ransom - 92% did NOT get all data back and 29% couldnt recover more than half (Sophos). Let us back up our data separately to protect our organisation, and ALSO do it for YOURSELF so that we dont have to class action XERO if you lose it and we can't function.
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Achim Weissegger commented
I should be a standard feature to give me the option to back-up MY data.
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David Taylor commented
Agreed. It is mad that this isn't a standard feature, and should be available at no extra cost unless Xero are also providing the storage space and accepting responsibility in the event of data loss..
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Mark O'Loughlin commented
"Anyone can recommend a third party App that actually can do the live backup?"
I've heard that Control-C is pretty good.
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Prism Accounts commented
I see that people have been requesting this feature for several years now. Can we have a formal response from Xero on this please.
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Ashley Jiao commented
Anyone can recommend a third party App that actually can do the live backup? We've tried Backupmybooks, and it disconnect the links all of sudden and their engineer can't understand why and can't fix it for 3 weeks and then they offer to cancel the contract.
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Vaibhav Agarwal commented
It is really important function which we need.