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This article explains how to add team members directly to Deputy and how the system links their profiles to Xero.
Before you read
- Target audience: This article is for users with Location Manager, System Administrator, or Advisor access.
- Plan restrictions: This article is only for customers who purchased the "Rostering by Deputy with Xero" through their Xero subscription.
This article covers:
- When should I add team members manually?
- How does Deputy match team members to Xero?
- How do I fix a missing Xero match?
- Tips for successful matching
When should I add team members manually?
The encouraged way to add your team is to import them from Xero. This pulls their personal details, pay calendar, and leave balances in a single step.
However, you can add team members directly in Deputy using any of Deputy's built-in functionality. When you do this, Deputy automatically attempts to match the new profile to an existing Xero record.
How does Deputy match team members to Xero?
When you add a team member manually, they don't link to Xero immediately. During the next daily sync (which runs daily), Deputy searches for the team member's email address in your connected Xero organization.
If Deputy finds a matching email, it automatically pulls:
- Pay calendar assignment
- Leave types
- Leave balances
From then on, the team member is part of the daily sync, and their payroll data stays up to date.
What happens if there is no match?
If Deputy cannot find a matching email in Xero, the team member remains "unlinked." This means:
- They won't have a pay calendar assigned from Xero.
- Their leave types and balances won't sync.
- You cannot export their timesheets to Xero.
The most common cause of timesheet export failures for individual employees is that their Deputy profile is not linked to their Xero record.
How do I fix a missing Xero match?
If a manually added team member isn't linked to Xero, ensure their email address matches in both systems.
- In Deputy, go to People, select the team member, and check their email address.
- In Xero, go to Payroll, then Employees, then check their email address.
- Update whichever system has the incorrect or missing email so that both profiles match
The records will link during the next daily sync.
Tips for successful matching
- Set up Xero first: Always add new hires to Xero with their email and pay calendar before adding them to Deputy. The next daily sync will automatically link the employee.
- Import from Xero: Use Import from Xero whenever possible. This workflow validates all details upfront and immediately links the employee to Xero. Adding an employee manually relies on email matching during the daily sync, which can delay payroll data from appearing in Deputy.
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Check email formatting: The match requires an exact email address. For example,
john.smith@gmail.comwill not matchjohnsmith@gmail.com. - Wait for the sync: Do not try to export timesheets on the same day you add someone manually. The link won't work until the next daily sync runs. Use the Import from Xero method if you need an immediate link.