Managing Bills in Xero: Make It Work for You

When you're reviewing your bills in Xero, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information in front of you. Thankfully, Xero offers several features to help you focus on what’s relevant, filter out the noise, and save time.

Here’s a quick guide to managing your Bills to Pay view more effectively:

1. Customise Your Columns

You don’t need to see every column Xero offers. You can tailor your view by selecting only the columns that are relevant to you.

• Click on the column settings to hide unnecessary fields.

• If you want to start fresh, just hit Reset to Default.

2. Use Compact View for More Visibility

If you need to see more on one screen, switch to Compact View. This tightens up the layout so you can see more invoices at a glance, no endless scrolling required.

3. Set Your Default View

You can choose which section of the Bills to Pay tab loads by default.

Options include:

• All

• Draft

• Awaiting Approval

• Awaiting Payment

• Paid

Choose the one that fits your workflow best so you're not clicking around each time you log in.

4. Filter by What Matters

Filters let you zero in on exactly what you want to see:

• View only overdue bills

• Hide credit notes if they’re not relevant

• Focus on specific statuses

You can always return to the standard view by clicking Reset to Default.

5. Search & Filter by Date

Use the search bar to find bills by:

• Contact name

• Invoice amount

• Reference

• Date range

When filtering by date, choose what the date refers to:

• Transaction date (the invoice date)

• Due date (when the bill is payable)

• Planned date (when you intend to pay it)

This is especially handy for forecasting and managing cash flow.

Wrapping Up

With just a few clicks, you can transform the way you manage bills in Xero — making it easier to stay on top of your payables and focus on what matters.

If you’d like help getting this set up or exploring other Xero features, feel free to get in touch.