Troubleshooting Xero errors
Fix the real Xero send errors — account codes, item codes, and expired connections.
When a send to Xero fails, VanMan shows you the error right on the invoice, and for the common ones it offers an inline fix. There is no separate "mappings" screen to hunt for.
The inline error panel
A failed send opens a red Xero validation errors panel inside the Invoice Preview. For the two most common errors it gives you a dropdown to fix it there and then, plus an Apply & Retry button.
The job header button also changes to Retry Invoice after a failure.
Account code is not valid
Xero says the account code on a line does not exist.
- Right now: pick a valid account from the dropdown in the error panel and click Apply & Retry.
- Permanently: fix the Invoice Account Code on the material's category (Settings > Material Categories) or on the material itself under Advanced (Settings > Materials). Otherwise the next invoice with that material fails the same way.
Item code is not valid
Xero does not recognise the item code.
- Pick a valid item from the dropdown, or choose + Create new item... to create it in Xero from within VanMan — you give it a code and a name (e.g.
MOVE-LG) and click Create Item. - Then Apply & Retry.
A required field is missing
Xero reports a missing field. This one has no inline fix — it is shown as text, and you resolve the underlying data before retrying.
Some errors people expect are not real. There is no "duplicate invoice number" error — VanMan does not send an invoice number, so Xero auto-numbers and never clashes. There is no "contact email mismatch" error either — VanMan finds or creates the Xero contact automatically. If a guide told you to chase those, ignore it.
The connection has expired
If sends fail with an authentication error, the Xero connection has lapsed.
There is no Reconnect button on the Xero card — that button is only on the Gmail and Outlook cards. To restore Xero, click Disconnect and then Connect to Xero again. Your historical invoice data is not lost by disconnecting.
Rate limiting
If you send many invoices at once, Xero may rate-limit you. VanMan waits and retries automatically — no action needed.
The audit log
View Audit Log on the Xero card records each interaction and its outcome.
Two current limitations of the audit log are worth knowing. It records error detail internally but does not display the error text in the table — so it tells you that something failed, not always why. The inline error panel on the invoice is the better place to read the actual message. (The audit log page may also fail to load in the current build; if it errors, rely on the invoice's own error panel.)
Tutorial: a first invoice bounces back from Xero
You have just connected Xero and your first real invoice failed.
The red Xero validation errors panel on the invoice tells you exactly what Xero objected to. Start there rather than guessing.
This is the most common first-invoice failure, and it means you skipped coding your materials when you connected. Pick a valid account in the panel and Apply & Retry to get this invoice through.
One invoice fixed is not the fix. Go to Settings > Material Categories and set the Invoice Account Code on Service, Travel, and Materials properly. Otherwise every invoice repeats this.
Use + Create new item... in the panel to make the item in Xero without leaving VanMan, then Apply & Retry.
Your connection lapsed. On the Xero card, Disconnect, then Connect to Xero again — there is no Reconnect button for Xero. Then resend.
A successful retry moves the job to Invoiced and shows the invoice in Xero. Confirm both — a send that "worked" but left the job on Completed did not actually reach Xero.