This article explains how to import actual Profit and Loss or Balance Sheet results into Magnifi from Xero or a CSV file. It covers on-demand and automated nightly imports, account mapping, and how to review and save imported data.
Use this guide when you want to:
• Update Magnifi with actual monthly results from Xero.
• Set up or review automated nightly imports.
• Import actuals manually from a CSV file.
• Map and review any new or unmatched accounts before saving.
Go to Profit – Profit and Loss → Import Actuals (for Profit and Loss) or Cashflow – Balance Sheet → Import Actuals (for Balance Sheet).
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Select the period to import. You can import multiple months at once – for example, select the last three months to include any prior-period adjustments.
Step 2: Select the division (if applicable).
Step 3: Enter your Xero credentials and connect to Xero. You only need to do this once — future imports will remember your connection and automatically import data.
• If Tracking Categories exist, you can also select the relevant category to import at this step.
Magnifi retrieves the data and displays it for review.
Any new or unmatched accounts appear at the bottom of the page for mapping.
• If you are also using Cashflow, you will need to link the Profit and Loss account to a Balance Sheet account (e.g. materials linked to creditors). If unsure, select your trading account.
Click Save to complete the import.
Matching rules:
• Magnifi matches accounts by Xero Account ID (stored from the initial Chart of Accounts import).
• If no ID match is found, Magnifi matches by account name.
• If you add new accounts in Magnifi, ensure names match Xero to allow automatic mapping.
• If names differ, you can use Merge Accounts to combine them.
Automated nightly imports:
If nightly imports are enabled under Edit Organisation → Enable Nightly Imports, Magnifi automatically refreshes your Xero actuals overnight.
You can still perform an on-demand import at any time for a same-day refresh.
Tracking categories:
If your Xero data includes tracking categories and each transaction is assigned one, Magnifi imports them automatically. This ensures divisional and segment reporting reconciles with organisation totals.
For more information, see Importing Tracking Categories – Xero.
Security and connection:
• Magnifi’s connection to Xero is permanent and read-only.
• Xero handles authentication — Magnifi never stores your Xero login credentials.
• All data transfers are encrypted, and Magnifi is a Xero certified partner.
• You can disconnect Magnifi anytime in Xero under Settings → Connected Apps.
Go to Import Actuals from either Profit or Cashflow.
Select the date range and choose Software: CSV.
Ensure your CSV file follows this format:
• Column 1: Accounts (header “Accounts”)
• Column 2: Account Type (header “Type”, e.g. Income or Expense)
• Column 3 onwards: Monthly values (header format “Jul 2026”, “Aug 2026”, etc.)
Upload the file and review the data.
Follow the same mapping and save steps as described above.
Go to Projections.
Set the Show Actuals To date to display the relevant actual months.
Click directly on any cell within the actual period to amend a value.
Be cautious when editing values — it can result in an imbalance. Manual adjustments are typically used to reallocate amounts between accounts without processing journals in Xero.
If you reallocate a value to an account that didn’t originally have Xero data and later re-import from Xero, Magnifi will prompt you to remove or retain the value.
This prevents edited figures from being overwritten by future Xero imports. However, nightly imports will always refresh all data to match Xero exactly.
• If you cannot connect to your Xero organisation, disconnect the connection in Xero and try again.
• If automated nightly imports are enabled, manual imports are optional.
• Disconnected Xero files retain imported data, but no new updates occur until reconnected.
• You can re-import the same periods at any time — Magnifi simply replaces the previous values.