Xero help article
How to forward Xero bill emails into ZeroPaste
If supplier documents already arrive through Xero’s email flow, you do not need to rebuild your intake process. ZeroPaste can accept a normal forwarded email from Xero as long as the original supplier PDF is still attached as a PDF. In our app-level payload test, a Xero-style sender address such as documents-83f4a@xero-documents.com routed through the private inbox path correctly and the PDF attachment passed the normal attachment filter.
Clear summary
ZeroPaste at a glance
A short visible summary of the product, workflow, cost, alternative, and next step.
- What is ZeroPaste?
- ZeroPaste is an AI invoice extraction product for European bookkeepers. Forward invoices by email, upload PDFs, or capture them with Snap and get clean spreadsheet-ready rows with optional Xero draft bills and DATEV export for German practices.
- Who is it for?
- It is for solo bookkeepers and small bookkeeping firms that want clean invoice data in spreadsheets first, with a shared workspace, team invites, and optional Xero delivery when they are ready.
- What problem does it solve?
- ZeroPaste reduces manual invoice entry and copy-paste work when supplier, date, invoice number, total, and VAT would otherwise be typed by hand.
- How does it work?
- Use your personal ZeroPaste inbox, for example greg@zeropaste.io, or your client alias inbox if you route documents per client. Look for the Xero-generated document sender address in the message headers or From field. In testing we used the pattern documents-83f4a@xero-documents.com, and ZeroPaste accepted it normally because only the recipient inbox and PDF attachment matter to the handler. Match emails from the Xero sender pattern and forward them to your ZeroPaste inbox. Use a standard forwarding rule that keeps the original PDF attached.
- What does it cost?
- The entry point starts with 5 free invoices and no card required. After that, Starter is €29/month. Pro is €99/month and Agency is €299/month.
- What is the main alternative?
- The main alternative is still entering invoice data manually or using heavier tools like Dext, AutoEntry, or Hubdoc with more setup and higher cost.
- What should the user do next?
Forward one live Xero-delivered supplier email into ZeroPaste and confirm that the original PDF appears in the dashboard. If it does, the recurring rule is ready.
Try one invoice
Who this is for
Who this guide is for
The problem
What matters technically
ZeroPaste does not care that the sender is a Xero-generated address. The inbound handler resolves the destination inbox owner from the recipient address on your ZeroPaste domain, not from the sending domain. A sender like documents-xxxxx@xero-documents.com is treated like any other sender.
The important part is the attachment. ZeroPaste currently accepts PDFs and clean JPG or PNG images up to 10MB. If your mail rule forwards the original message and preserves the supplier invoice PDF as a normal PDF attachment, the document will be queued and processed like any other forwarded invoice.
The main failure mode is not Xero itself. It is when an email client forwards the entire message as an .eml or message/rfc822 attachment instead of forwarding the original PDF attachment. That wrapped email file is not an accepted document type, so ZeroPaste will ignore it.
Step by step
How to set it up
The safest setup is a normal forwarding rule in your mail client that targets Xero-generated document emails and preserves the original PDF attachment.
Step 1
Copy your ZeroPaste inbox address
Use your personal ZeroPaste inbox, for example greg@zeropaste.io, or your client alias inbox if you route documents per client.
Step 2
Identify the Xero sender pattern in your mailbox
Look for the Xero-generated document sender address in the message headers or From field. In testing we used the pattern documents-83f4a@xero-documents.com, and ZeroPaste accepted it normally because only the recipient inbox and PDF attachment matter to the handler.
Step 3
Create a forwarding rule in Gmail or Outlook
Match emails from the Xero sender pattern and forward them to your ZeroPaste inbox. Use a standard forwarding rule that keeps the original PDF attached.
Step 4
Avoid forwarding the whole email as an attachment
Do not use a workflow that converts the message into an .eml or message/rfc822 attachment. ZeroPaste is expecting the supplier PDF itself, not the raw email file.
Step 5
Send one live test and confirm it lands in the dashboard
Forward one real Xero-delivered supplier email and confirm the PDF appears as a queued document in ZeroPaste. After that, the rule can handle the recurring flow automatically.
Example
What a good forwarding setup looks like
The practical distinction is whether the forwarded message still contains the invoice PDF as the actual attachment ZeroPaste can read.
Manual
Wrapped email attachment
A user forwards the message in a way that turns the whole original email into an .eml attachment. ZeroPaste sees no accepted PDF or image attachment, so nothing is queued.
Structured
Forwarded PDF preserved
The forwarded message arrives from a Xero-generated sender address, but the supplier invoice is still attached as application/pdf. ZeroPaste accepts the attachment and processes it through the normal inbound flow.
The sender domain is not the issue. Preserving the original PDF attachment is the issue.
Common mistakes
Common mistakes
Matching the wrong recipient
The forwarding rule must send the document to your real ZeroPaste inbox address, not just keep it inside Xero or another holding inbox.
Using a forward mode that creates .eml attachments
ZeroPaste accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG files. A wrapped email file is not treated as an invoice document.
Assuming the sender domain must match zeropaste.io
It does not. The handler routes by the recipient inbox on zeropaste.io and accepts normal external senders.
When ZeroPaste helps
When this setup helps
This is a good fit when Xero is already part of the intake path but you want a cleaner review and extraction layer before downstream bookkeeping.
You already receive supplier documents via Xero email
Keep that intake pattern and forward it into ZeroPaste instead of asking suppliers to learn a new address immediately.
You want review-first extraction before posting or export
ZeroPaste can sit between the forwarded Xero email and the final Xero, CSV, XLSX, or DATEV handoff.
You want a low-risk migration path
A forwarding rule lets you test the workflow on real traffic before changing anything broader in your bookkeeping stack.
When it is not the right tool
When this is not the right setup
The forwarding rule is not the best path if the message structure stops ZeroPaste from seeing a real document attachment.
- If your mail client or automation rewrites the email into an .eml attachment instead of keeping the PDF.
- If the document arrives without a PDF, JPG, or PNG attachment that ZeroPaste can actually read.
- If the attachment exceeds ZeroPaste’s accepted attachment limits and needs a different intake path.
FAQ
FAQ
These are the practical questions that matter when you are bridging Xero email intake into ZeroPaste.
Does ZeroPaste care that the sender is a Xero-generated email address?
No. The inbound handler resolves the inbox owner from the recipient address on zeropaste.io and does not require the sender to match any trusted domain.
Will a forwarded Xero PDF process normally?
Yes, if the forward preserves the original supplier invoice as a normal PDF attachment. In our payload test, a Xero-style sender address and PDF attachment passed the normal route and attachment checks.
What breaks this setup most often?
A forwarding method that wraps the whole original email into an .eml or message/rfc822 attachment instead of passing through the PDF itself.
Can I still use Xero later for draft bills?
Yes. ZeroPaste can still create Xero draft bills later. This guide is only about getting the incoming supplier PDF into ZeroPaste cleanly first.