Overview
Most business owners pull financial reports manually at month-end — or worse, wait for their accountant to send them. Xero's scheduled reports feature lets you configure financial reports to generate and email automatically, keeping you and your team financially informed without any effort.
Before you start
- Xero account with accurate, up-to-date data
- Chart of accounts properly set up
- Email addresses for all report recipients
- Optional: budget set up in Xero Budget Manager
Step-by-step guide (4 steps)
Set up your key financial reports in Xero
In Xero, go to Accounting > Reports. Navigate to: Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and Cash Summary. Customize each report's date range (previous month), comparison period (same period last year), and any segment filters relevant to your business.
Schedule each report for automatic delivery
On each report, click 'Schedule.' Set frequency to Monthly, delivery date to the 1st, and time to 8am. Enter the email addresses for all recipients: you, your business partner, your accountant. The report generates and emails automatically.
Add a custom executive summary report
In Xero Reports, look for 'Management Report' or build a custom report combining P&L + Cash Flow + key KPIs. Schedule this as a single executive summary for non-accounting stakeholders who want a one-page overview.
Add a 'Business Performance' report that shows revenue by customer or product line. This is the most actionable view for decision-making — more useful than a standard P&L for most SMB owners.
Set up real-time budget vs. actual tracking
In Xero, create a Budget (Accounting > Budget Manager) with your monthly targets. The Budget Variance report (automated monthly) shows you exactly where you're over or under budget — the most valuable financial report for operational management.
What you'll get
Financial visibility on the 1st of every month — automatically
Accountant always has current data without requesting it
Budget vs. actual tracking catches overspending in real time
Year-over-year comparisons included automatically
Common mistakes to avoid
Scheduling reports before reconciliation is complete (reports show inaccurate data)
Not customizing the date range (default is current month, not previous month)
Sending detailed accounting reports to non-accountants (use a management summary instead)
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coding experience to set up this Xero automation?
No coding is required. This guide walks you through everything using Xero's built-in features and Zapier's visual interface. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this guide.
How long does this automation take to set up?
Most users complete this setup in 30–60 minutes on their first try. Once set up, it runs completely automatically with zero ongoing effort.
What happens if the automation fails?
Zapier and Make both have error notifications and task history, so you'll know immediately if something goes wrong. We cover troubleshooting steps in the guide above.
Can I customize this automation for my specific business?
Absolutely. The guide includes notes on common customizations. Most automations have multiple variation points — timing, conditions, notification recipients, and more.