Homepage - Simplify layout
The beta version of the new Xero layout. updated interface feels overly busy and cluttered, which makes navigation more difficult—particularly for clients who manage multiple bank accounts.
I believe users should have the choice to switch to the new layout when they’re ready, rather than being automatically transitioned.
Additionally, clients pay for Xero to streamline their financial management, not to have advertising pushed at them.
The current design detracts from the user experience and makes it harder to find and complete tasks efficiently.
Hi team, we have some updates to share. Before we dive into the details, we want to be clear that while we’re committed to monitoring, learning, and refining the Homepage, we don’t intend to return to the previous Dashboard style or its column-based widget layout.
A few months back, we rolled out several enhancements to the "Edit homepage" capability to give you better control over your layout, including:
- Widgets that remain stationary until they are dropped into a new placement
- A "shadow" preview showing exactly where a widget will be placed during drag-and-drop
- Refined animations for a much smoother visual experience
- Improved on-page guidance regarding how to save multiple layouts across different screen sizes
In addition to the existing size options for Chart of Accounts and Cash In and Out, our team is currently building smaller widget sizes for Invoices Owed to You, Bills to Pay, Chart of Account, Cash in and Out and Recent Invoice payments widgets. This includes customisation of the data within these widgets to best suit your needs, such as removing the charts. We’ll provide a confirmation once these updates are live.
There are also other enhancements that our teams are beginning to explore to further solve needs shared in feedback here, so we’ll continue to keep you updated.
If you need help setting up or editing your homepage, please reach out to the Xero Support team. They can help you design a view that best supports your specific workflows. Thanks
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Craig Byron
commented
It's cluttered, overly complicated and disorientating. I got dizzy just looking at it. Seems like Xero are making another change for the worse for the sake of making a change. Can't get more than 20 invoices or 5 bills on a basic plan, but are subjected to endless fiddling that ruins the experience. It was once a clean simple, and intuitive interface, now it's a giant mess. Oh, and the price will go up to pay for this because of course.
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Jodi Herbein
commented
Follow up - As a suggestion, maybe having a Feed page on its own, and the anayltics page on its own instead of trying to combine it.
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Jodi Herbein
commented
Completely agree - althought I like the analytics the new homepage offers, the page is too busy. Each box should have a border. My one client has 6 locations and atleast one credit card for each location. Trying to get the feeds all on the home page was very challenging. And I have no room for the analytics for this client. Also, moving the feeds to where I wanted them was extremely challenging. It kept realigning things on its own. It's still not how I want it, but after trying for quite a while I gave up.
For my smaller clients it is helpful -
Justine Taylor
commented
Agree, the new layout may offer greater insight but the basics are missing - I don't want to have to search, click & scroll to find key data
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Bee Hesketh
commented
In the old view, we could see draft invoices clearly at the top. But now that has moved and is harder to see.
We are also missing the graphs for the bank account feeds. And can't see the full account watchlist without scrolling.
It feels busier but is actually providing us with less vital information.
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Gavin Grossman
commented
I appreciate productive changes in the Xero software.
Unfortunately, the change to the homepage feels a bit disorientating and after a few week of trying this it's more frustrating then anything. Possibly Xero will re-introduce the current homepage layout in 5 years time as something new and revolutionary in the hope we'd have forgotten how it once was.
I'm 36 and don't have the bandwidth to get my head around visual changes like I once did. There are other areas I feel Xero should be focusing on.
Keep up the good changes you are making, (just the homepage please).
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Bruce Rose
commented
Really don't like the Homepage and this isn't just me,. Many of our clients prefer the old style page which is cleaner and more easy to navigate. Why can the option to have either as a permanent fixture. Come on Xero, make it available.
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Adam Willemse
commented
Shooting from the hip: The people who don't want to treat themselves to screen real estate (or working for stingy companies) seems to have an issue with the Home screen look and feel
I LUV the new layout. (I have 32" 4K screens) -
Simon Young
commented
I hate the new Home page. It is far too busy and I cannot see the wood for the trees.
The old home page was perfectly fine, if a bit dated - but not as dated as some other areas of Xero.
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Sue Scott
commented
The new Homepage is cluttered and overwhelming. My husband took one look and blanked out! I had to sit with his Homepage and delete EVERY box except for the Sales Invoices one. So now his "overview" of his own company has taken a complete backseat in contrast to the old Homepage where he had the information on his Homepage even if he chose not to look at it. He absolutely hates it, and I have to agree with him, it's appalling, overly cluttered, overwhelming and obscures the essential day to day elements you actually need to use.
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HoldCo Accounting
commented
Some widgets are too big and take up too much space. I cannot add widgets such as p/l that are helpful. I want to view accounts vertically on one side but cannot adjust this so I end up with a clutter. The font is over big and although going for a clean feel, you pack too much into the space and ruin the effect. Overall, not impressed. You raise fees and give users less.
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Donna Wallace
commented
I spent a lot of time customising my homepage the way it worked for me. Now I have to do it again. I gave up after about 20 minutes because it was not easy to do. The widgets are slippery and sensitive and seem to move where they want to go. The double sized widgets do not fit as nicely as they did before. I cannot display the same information on the homepage as I did before because the widgets don’t fit. This is after deleting the ones I don’t want. So valuable time has to be spent rearranging widgets again and getting used to a new homepage that is no improvement over the last. Will we have to do this again in a few months time when Xero again decides on a new font and new jargon????
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Ryan Wimmer, CPA
commented
I'm on a large screen but don't want 4 columns. It is overwhelming and doesn't add any value. I'm not starved for information on a single screen, I scroll down to view more.
Reconciliations happen with two sides. Everything else is single. It doesn't flow.
If you find it absolutely necessary to provide 4 columns of information I would suggest a top level column limit option. 4, 3 or 2. And then resize down as screen size decreases as you have now.
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Robyn Hitchcock
commented
Nothing to say except it is too busy. Would like an option to keep the old version indefinitely.
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Rodolfo Larsen
commented
The main problem with the new layout is that it is difficult to use on small screens. XERO developers should be forced to use small screens to understand the problem they created.
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Nicola Holdaway
commented
Is anyone at Xero going to respond to all these comments that are all saying exactly the same thing.
Users are clearly unhappy and frustrated with the new imposed layout, and yet no one from Xero has commented in 2 months.
There are some very clear reasons why the new layout does not work, yet users who have taken the time to comment are not getting any feedback or action.
Is the plan to just ignore the comments and force the new layout on users?
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Jenny Lloyd
commented
I agree with everyone else, I don't like the new layout of the homepage. It is extremely frustrating, and all the other things everyone else has described.
Please keep the old layout -
Jamie Heim
commented
I do not like the new layout. Please keep the option to continue with the old one.
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Rachael Matheson
commented
the new layout is messy and agree with others - terrible! please keep the existing one.
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Daniel Nordstrand
commented
The new layout is terrible, there should be an active option for permanently opting in or opting out of the continuous unhelpful updates and changes that keep happening, each of which cost us with the continued cost increases to cover these useless updates, if it is forced on us by February the 16th with no way of keeping the old system I will be actively looking for a different accounting platform.