# How to keep an audit trail for bill records in Xero

Attach the source invoice to every bill in Xero. Record who approved and when, keep reasons for rejections and changes and test the trail on five bills.

An AP audit trail is the record of who received, coded, approved and paid each bill and what was checked.

## Before you start

- Administrator user role for the History and notes report

## The Xero way

Where to find it: Open a bill > History and notes; Accounting > History and notes

1. Open the bill and read the History and notes section for changes and notes.
2. For the whole organisation, in the Accounting menu select History and notes, pick a Start date and End date, filter by User and Type, then click Apply.
3. Export the report as PDF or Excel.
4. Keep the supplier invoice attached to the bill.

## Limits in Xero

- The report shows up to 1,000 results, 100 at a time.
- It excludes payroll transactions, expense claims, organisation settings, reporting, printing and exporting.
- Native approval history is one step.

## Good to know in Xero

- Xero calls this an audit trail or audit log. The Assurance dashboard also lists backdated bills and edited contact bank details.

## The Pulsify way

1. Forward the invoice to Pulsify. The original file is kept with the bill.
2. Set approval rules by supplier, amount or account. Add steps and a review step if needed.
3. Rejections and approvals are recorded with the person and date. Rejections can carry a reason.
4. On approval, the bill is created in Xero with the file attached.

Pulsify connects to Xero in one click. Approved bills are created in Xero with the source file attached.

What Pulsify does not do here:

- Pulsify does not replace the record-keeping duties of your business.

## Common mistakes

- Expecting the report to show exports and printing. Xero excludes them.
- Not keeping the supplier invoice attached to the bill.

## Common questions

### Where do I see who changed a bill in Xero?

Open the bill and read History and notes. For the whole organisation go to Accounting > History and notes.

### Who can run the organisation-wide history?

The Administrator role. Pick a Start date and End date, filter by User and Type, click Apply and export as PDF or Excel.

### What does the History and notes report leave out?

It shows up to 1,000 results, 100 at a time. It excludes payroll transactions, expense claims, organisation settings, reporting, printing and exporting.

### Does Pulsify record approvals?

Yes. Approvals and rejections are recorded with the person and date.

## Sources

- https://central.xero.com/0/article/View-a-history-and-notes-summary-for-transactions-and-user-activity
- https://central.xero.com/0/article/Assurance-dashboard-explanation

Source: https://www.pulsify.tech/how-to/keep-an-audit-trail-for-ap-in-xero/ (last checked 2026-10-19)