Ability to enter Multiple Bills on one file without constantly searching Archive and sending the same file back to Inbox
Since the upgrade, I am no longer able to set another tab within Inbox where I can access a file containing multiple Bills. I now have to:
Enter 1 bill of at least 7 included in the file
Search for the file in Archive
Transfer this file back to Inbox
Enter Bill number 2
Search for the file in Archive
Transfer this file back to Inbox
etc etc
Is there an easier way?
The system I had in place before this so called upgrade worked a treat. I knew how many bills I had entered from this 1 file. Now I have to spend ages searching for the file in Archive in order to transfer it back to Inbox so I can enter yet another Bill.
The only way I can see is to send multiple files from 1 email into Xero. Is there any other way you can suggest please? I have tried as Xero suggested and forwarded the one email to Purchases Bills email address. This has resulted in:
5 bills being added to one Draft Bill BUT Xero has taken the first invoice number and the totals from the 5th Bill on the attachment!
It all worked perfectly when I was able to send the multiples to my created multiples folder in INBOX and then I was able to see how many I had created by counting BILLS marked up next to the item in the inbox. EG: if there were seven invoices on one, as I entered them Bill would come up. So Bill Bill Bill Bill meant I had entered 4 and had 3 left to enter.
Is anyone else having these issues?
Lesley Thomas
shared this idea
Hi
Thank you for the detailed breakdown of your workflow.
I can certainly see why searching the Archive for the same file seven times would be frustrating and time-consuming!
It sounds like you're looking for a way to keep that "master file" active while you create individual bills.
There is actually a more efficient way to do this within Xero today that avoids the Archive search entirely:
- Use the "Split to new" feature: When you open your multi-page PDF from the Inbox in the side-by-side view, don't just enter the data. Instead, click the file options and select 'Split to new'.
- How it helps: This allows you to "cut" the pages you've just entered into a new bill, while the remaining pages stay as a separate file in your Inbox.
- No more searching: This keeps your "remaining" bills visible in your Inbox so you can process them one after another without ever needing to go into the Archive or transfer files back and forth.
Because this tool exists to solve this exact workflow, I’ve marked this as Existing Functionality.
However, I’ve also shared your feedback with our Product team regarding the "Archive" behavior. We understand that for users handling multi-bill files, the auto-archiving can feel like a "so-called upgrade" that adds steps, and we're looking at ways to make the file-splitting process more intuitive.
Best regards,
Ridhwaan
