Updated on 17th June 2021
We have an exciting vision for our practice products over the next 12 months and beyond. To realise that vision, we need to think hard about the features that aren’t adding value to your practice, and those that need more of our focus.
One of our biggest goals is making the ‘Clients’ page your single source of truth for client information in Xero HQ. To support this, we’ll be turning off the ‘Activity’ page in Xero HQ from mid-August 2021. In the meantime, you may notice that some Activity alerts aren’t up to date.
Focusing on features you value
Our research and conversations with Xero partners has found that usage of the Activity page is low and many feel it doesn’t add much value. So we’d like to put our resources towards features you use every day, and new practice tools that we know you’re excited to see in Xero HQ.
For example, we’ve recently added a column you can add which shows unreconciled items for each client, and we’ll continue to add more detail to this view so you can action things quickly. We’ve also developed customised COA templates, and improved the way you manage clients in Xero HQ.
Listening to you
Turning features off isn’t a decision we take lightly. Every feature represents countless hours of development, care, and attention from our teams. We spend a great deal of time talking to customers and pouring over data, to make sure we’re doing what’s best for you and your practice.
We’ll continue to keep you updated on the exciting changes taking place in Xero HQ in the months ahead. In the meantime, we’d love your thoughts on this change and encourage you to reach out if you need support.
This looks state of the art, one of the things I love the best about Xero is it’s forward thinking ability. Fantastic approach to a changing tech scene!
Love the new innovative thinking – well done Xero!
Will clients get their own activity feed? Many of ours use Xero well and complete their own payroll and vat, but would benefit from timely reminders and prompts.
This is how Xero is raising the bar for accounting software – making the process more coherent and simple. Xero is the leader in the Lean Accounting Principles!! Thank you!!
Disappointed to learn that the activity feed is going. Unless something changes, there is information currently available in the activity feed which is not present in the client tab – bank accounts where actual & Xero statement balances disagree, notifications from Dext / Xero ask, payroll reminders activity statement information. The ‘payroll’ tab is not a good replacement either, as there is no ability to delete notifications without switching off all alerts for the client. I have erroneous STP notifications hiding current payroll info.
Hi Antonia. I’m sorry to hear that you are disappointed that the activity feed is going but thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, which I will pass on to my team here.
I agree with Antonia, very disappointed, I use the activity feed to view vat returns and payroll, is there anywhere that Xero will show pending payroll, I know it has the vat section but never seems to work that well, links broken etc
Completely agree – how frustrating – Xero really going downhill yet again!
I’m so sorry to hear that you feel that way, Anna. I have passed your feedback on to the rest of my team.
I rely on the activity section to ensure that my clients accounts are being checked without me having to physically check that the bank accounts balance or that they have processed their VAT return and run the payroll correctly.
This is something that I will really miss and have relied on for many years.
Hopefully your tech people will add these to the clients page
Hi Joanne, sorry to hear that you’ll miss the activity section – however, you can use the VAT section in Xero HQ to help keep on top of your MTD VAT clients. If you need help or more information, please reach out to our Support Team, who’ll be more than happy to give you a hand.
I’m with Antonia!
The Activity tab is a fantastic place to spot payroll runs that need doing – or to remind the client, along with the other great points already noted.
In my experience as an employee in a larger firm, the Activity tab is absolutely under-utilised. Possibly because there’s less client ownership and more of a job-by-job approach so the proactive/reactive view doesn’t add value to those concrete workflows.
In my own small practice however the Activity tab is my favourite starting place. I can spot things that need doing right now.
It’s been valuable in making me look super alert, even for clients that prefer to do most of the work in their own subs.
I’d love to see the Activity tab features merged over to the Clients tab.
Give users the option to toggle it per alert type and overall of course, but sort clients so those with alerts are at the top. A small indicator can say “Payroll” or “Bank” etc., and clicking it could expand out a more details view with hide and action buttons.
Activity was handy at times – particularly for spotting GST’s not done so we can remind clients. Also keeping track of Xero Workpapers assigned to me.
Afraid I haven’t seen anything in the Clients tab that I think I would use that isn’t already part of XPM
Not sure why Xero would take functionality away without replacing it – even if it isn’t used all the time
Xero need to turn back on activity feed back on it