Xero has outlined a series of changes and updates for software partners, including a new connections management page in its developer portal and further details on an upcoming shift in how it charges for access to its developer platform.
The company said it is evolving its developer platform towards a commercial model based on connection counts and API data egress. Xero also flagged a webinar focused on API call optimisation and connection management.
Portal Changes
Xero has added a connections management page inside the Xero Developer Portal. The company said developers can now view and disconnect Xero tenant connections from the portal.
The update changes a process that typically required developers to handle connection cleanup inside their own applications, either through the API or by relying on end users to disconnect manually.
Xero positioned the change as relevant for security and customer experience in integrations that connect to Xero tenants. It framed the new page as a tool for keeping connections "clean".
Pricing Model
The company said the move to a new commercial model makes optimisation more important for developers who build on Xero's APIs. Xero linked this to two areas. It cited connection counts and API data egress.
Xero said it will host a webinar on API Call Optimisation and Connection Management. It scheduled two sessions and said it set them at different times for global participation.
The announcement comes as many software platforms look more closely at API usage costs. Vendors increasingly track consumption in more granular ways than flat-rate access. Xero did not include pricing figures in the update.
Recertification Process
Xero also announced its annual recertification process for 2026. The company linked the process to its approach to integration quality and security across its ecosystem.
It said it made "significant changes" to the recertification process this year. Xero said it overhauled the experience based on feedback from the previous round of assessments. It described the updated process as more straightforward and easier to prioritise.
Xero said recertification must be complete by 28 February 2026.
Developer Engagement
Xero said it continues to run weekly office hours and has expanded this to two sessions. One session targets participants in Eastern Australia, New Zealand and North America. The second session targets the UK and Europe.
The company said these sessions have included technical and marketing questions. It also said it has collected feedback and passed it to product teams.
Integration Case Studies
Xero highlighted developer stories from splose and Make. Both examples focused on how software providers build and scale integrations that connect with Xero.
In a profile of splose, Xero cited the use of a two-way sync for financial information, including invoices and payments. It linked the approach to scaling an allied health platform used by more than 20,000 practitioners.
"If the fundamentals aren't rock solid, everything else becomes harder as you scale," said Nicholas Sanderson, Founder and CEO, splose.
Xero also referenced Make, which it described as a no-code platform for workflow automation across many applications. Xero said Make's approach emphasises designing integrations as connected systems and planning for scale early.
UK Payroll Change
Xero issued a notice about its UK Payroll API. It said new fields in the contracts collection, previously set to become mandatory for creating a new employee or adding employment details to an active employee, will now remain optional.
Xero said it communicated in October 2025 to affected applications that these fields would become mandatory. It said the change was due to take place in Jan 20, 2026. It then said the fields will remain optional moving forward.
The company recommended that developers supply the data during employee creation. It said this will "ensure completeness" and reduce calls to action in the user interface that ask for updates to employee records.
App Store Updates
Xero also referenced changes and promotional tools for partners in the Xero App Store. It said it is rolling out the next phase of an App Store Pricing feature. The company said the feature displays an app's plans and pricing directly on its listing.
Xero said it has seen demand for this feature from customers. It also urged developers to check that their app store listing reflects all markets where their application is available. It said some applications are available in more regions than they have selected in their listing, which can reduce visibility.
The company also referenced "Power Lists" of popular apps by category and new additions to the app store in recent months.
Separately, Xero highlighted its referral programme. It said participants can offer customers 90% off Xero for six months. It also said participants can "earn up to $200 USD per referral when the customer converts to a paid subscription."
Xero said Lawpath has integrated the referral offer into its customer journey.