---
title: "Custom Connection | Xero to SpyderFlow | Tracking Categories"
description: "### Setting up Tracking Categories in your Xero integration #### What are Tracking Categories in Xero? \"Xero uses tracking categories and options instead of department codes or cost centres. This keeps the user's chart of accounts manageable. Tracking categories are…"
url: "https://spydertech.net.au/docs/xero-connection-tracking-categories/"
updated: "2025-04-30"
category: "Custom Connection | Xero to SpyderFlow"
---

# Custom Connection | Xero to SpyderFlow | Tracking Categories

### Setting up Tracking Categories in your Xero integration

#### What are Tracking Categories in Xero?

"Xero uses tracking categories and options instead of department codes or cost centres. This keeps the user's chart of accounts manageable. Tracking categories are user-defined and gives them the flexibility to further categorise their transactions to gain better insight into their businesses performance".** ***Tracking Category Mapping — Xero Developer*. (2025). Xero.com. [https://developer.xero.com/documentation/best-practices/categorising-transactions/tracking-category-mapping/](https://developer.xero.com/documentation/best-practices/categorising-transactions/tracking-category-mapping/)

 

#### To Set up Tracking Categories in SpyderFlow

**Location:** Main Menu --> System Interface --> Integration Module (Select Xero Integration to set Tracking Categories). Click **EDIT -->**Scroll down to**Tracking Categories** and Click **+ADD**to enter values.

- To set up tracking categories in the Xero integration in SpyderFlow saves your Finance department entering this into Xero manually for every invoice.
- Once this process is set up correctly the information will send through the Xero integration connection for invoices.
- **User Role required:** Finance, Manager, System Administrator. This role will require co-ordination with Xero Administrator to configure values correctly to go across to Xero.

**Note !**

- Each line item in Xero can be assigned to at most two tracking categories, the types and values of which are defined in Xero.
- The below mappings are checked in order of appearance to determine which categories (if any) will be sent across to Xero.
- If the same name appears more than once, only the first applicable entry is used.
- If more than two different tracking category names apply, the only the first two with non-blank options are used.

 

#### Process to set Tracking Category Values

- Click **+ADD**to enter details into category values (fields).
- If **+ADD** is not available then scroll to top of page and Click**EDIT**. Then scroll back down to Tracking Categories and click**+ ADD**
- Select **SpyderFlow Invoice Type** from dropdown (Payable, Purchases Credit Notes, Receivable, Sales Credit Note).
- Select **SpyderFlow Invoice Client** from dropdown. (If there is no client check you have a client in your SpyderFlow system).
- Select **SpyderFlow Company** from dropdown. (Your company, you should have at minimum 1 x company in your SpyderFlow system).
- Type**Xero Tracking Name** (Red box shows this is mandatory).
- Type **Xero Tracking Option** (Optional).
- Click Green tick at right side to save for each line value added.

 

![](https://spydertech.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tracking-Categories-1-1024x213.png)

 

![](https://spydertech.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Add-tracking-categories-Xero-e1745979359375-1024x207.png)