Support for Batching Manual Journal Updating by IDs in the Xero API
We are requesting a new feature in the Xero API to support batch updating of Manual Journals by IDs in a single API request. Currently, the lack of this capability presents significant limitations for high-volume organizations that need to update arbitrary subsets of journals efficiently. They can batch insert new transactions, but they are very limited when it comes to batch update.
Current Challenges:
- Arbitrary Subset Retrieval:
- Our use case involves retrieving a specific subset of Manual Journals by their IDs, as requested by our clients. Without batch retrieval, we are required to make individual API calls for each journal update, which is impractical for large volumes.
- Daily API Call Limit:
- The 5,000 daily call limit is quickly exceeded when retrieving large subsets, even if we optimize requests.
- Inefficient Alternatives:
- Retrieving the full set of journals using pagination (
?page=1&pageSize=1000
) and filtering on our end is inefficient and results in unnecessary data processing for both systems.
- Retrieving the full set of journals using pagination (
Proposed Solution:
Introduce the ability to batch-fetch Manual Journals by IDs in a single request, similar to the existing ?IDs
parameter for other resources like Invoices. While there may be constraints on the URL length (e.g., limiting to 30 IDs per request), this would still significantly improve efficiency and reduce API call usage.
Use Case Impact:
This feature would benefit high-volume organizations that manage thousands of journals and frequently require specific subsets update for reporting, reconciliation, or operational purposes. It would reduce API call consumption, enhance performance, and improve the overall user experience.
Additional Context:
We recognize that URL length constraints limit the number of IDs that can be included in a single request. However, even with a reasonable batch size (e.g., 20–30 IDs max per request), this feature would provide a scalable improvement for many use cases.
Thank you for considering this feature request, and we look forward to any updates or feedback from the Xero team.