MCP Directory

How to add Xero MCP Server to Claude Desktop

Official Xero MCP server for accounting, invoicing, contacts, and payroll via the Xero API. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 317★ · stdio · oauth

Claude Desktop config for Xero MCP Server

npx -y @xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "xero-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@xeroapi/xero-mcp-server@latest"
      ],
      "env": {
        "XERO_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id_here",
        "XERO_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret_here",
        "XERO_SCOPES": "accounting.invoices accounting.contacts accounting.settings"
      }
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the Xero MCP Server config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm Xero MCP Server's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Node.js (v18 or higher)
  • npm or pnpm
  • A Xero developer account with API credentials
  • A Xero account/organisation (a Demo Company is recommended for getting started)
  • A configured Xero Custom Connection (client ID/secret) or a Bearer token with the appropriate OAuth scopes

What Xero MCP Server can do in Claude Desktop

list-accounts

Retrieve a list of accounts

list-contacts

Retrieve a list of contacts from Xero

list-credit-notes

Retrieve a list of credit notes

list-invoices

Retrieve a list of invoices

list-items

Retrieve a list of items

list-manual-journals

Retrieve a list of manual journals

list-organisation-details

Retrieve details about an organisation

list-profit-and-loss

Retrieve a profit and loss report

Security

Do not commit your .env file or any sensitive credentials to version control (it is included in .gitignore as a safe default). Authentication requires Xero Custom Connection client ID/secret or a Bearer token; configure the minimum required OAuth scopes for your use case. To use Payroll-specific queries, the organisation region must be NZ or UK.

Xero MCP Server + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the Xero MCP Server config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is Xero MCP Server safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Do not commit your .env file or any sensitive credentials to version control (it is included in .gitignore as a safe default). Authentication requires Xero Custom Connection client ID/secret or a Bearer token; configure the minimum required OAuth scopes for your use case. To use Payroll-specific queries, the organisation region must be NZ or UK.

What authentication modes are supported?

Two modes: Custom Connections (client ID/secret, recommended for testing/development and 3rd-party MCP clients like Claude Desktop) and Bearer Token (for supporting multiple Xero accounts at runtime, where the MCP client executes an auth flow such as PKCE). The XERO_CLIENT_BEARER_TOKEN takes precedence over XERO_CLIENT_ID if defined.

Do I need to configure OAuth scopes?

Yes. Custom connections require different scopes depending on when they were created (SCOPES_V1 before Apr 29, 2026; SCOPES_V2 from that date). The server tries V1 first and falls back to V2. You can override scopes via the optional XERO_SCOPES environment variable as a space-separated list.

Are there region restrictions for Payroll?

Yes. To use Payroll-specific queries, the organisation region must be either NZ or UK.

View repo Full Xero MCP Server page