Enable copying of purchase orders to bills
Currently the Xero UI allows users to copy a purchase order to a bill which is useful for tracking an order through to payment. This functionality however is not present in the API. The API also does not provide any reference between a bill created in this way and the original PO, so it is impossible to determine whether or not a Bill was created in this way.
I propose that the API enables a few things:
- Provide the bill/invoice/purchase order ID with the original purchase order. This ID would be the newly created records ID and allows us to know where a purchase order was copied
- Provide the original purchase order ID in the newly created record so we know which purchase order was copied
- Allow purchase orders to be copied. This could be done very simply by adding a purchase order ID property to the creation of a bill/invoice/purchase order.
This is crucial for us to implement a feature we're working on. The only way around this is either to force the users to perform the action within Xero directly, or have them void a purchase order a create a new bill. Neither solution is suitable, as they either completely lose the trail of the purchase, or they have a poor user experience and we then have no way of correctly tracking the data which causes issues on our end
Adrian Hooper
shared this idea
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Michael Turner
commented
Streamlining document workflows like this could really improve efficiency for anyone handling multiple purchase transactions. Reducing the need to manually recreate information from one document to another saves time and helps avoid small errors. I often notice similar advantages when reviewing property data through resources such as https://eriecountypropertyappraiser.org for quick access to ownership and assessment information. Small automation features like this can make everyday tasks much smoother.
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Olivia Bennett
commented
A feature that allows purchase orders to be copied directly into bills could make financial workflows much smoother and reduce repetitive data entry. It would also help minimize mistakes when transferring information between documents. While looking into systems that manage structured records efficiently, I found useful references like Sonoma court docket that organize case details clearly and systematically. You can explore it here https://sonomacountycourt.org as an example of how organized record access can support better administrative processes overall.
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Ava Mitchell
commented
That would definitely save time when handling multiple purchase orders and bills. Being able to copy details directly would reduce manual entry and minimize small mistakes that often happen during retyping. I’ve seen how streamlined data access tools, like those used when reviewing https://crittendencountyjailsar.org can make routine tasks much faster and more organized. Features that cut repetitive work like this usually improve overall workflow for everyone involved.