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Xero Sync Conflicts

How to troubleshoot sync conflicts with Xero

This article lists common Xero conflicts with some steps to try and resolve the conflicts.

Contact conflict: Archived contact

GatewayValidationError: The specified contact details matched an archived contact. Archived contacts cannot currently be edited via the API.

The contact you're trying to sync from Method matches a contact that has been archived in Xero.

Xero does not allow archived contacts to be edited through its API, so the sync cannot update the contact.


How to resolve:

  1. Log in to Xero.

  2. Locate the matching contact.

  3. Check whether the contact has been archived.

  4. Restore/unarchive the contact in Xero.

  5. Return to Method and retry the conflict.

📌 Note: This is a Xero-side restriction. Method cannot update an archived Xero contact through the sync.

Estimate conflict: "An unknown error has occurred"

GatewayValidationError: An unknown error has occurred

This error can occur when one or more line items on the Estimate (Quote) have a blank description. You may see the message repeated several times in the conflict details.

Xero may return a generic error instead of identifying the blank description specifically.

💡 Tip: Method calls this transaction an Estimate, while Xero refers to it as a Quote.


Estimate/Transaction conflict: "Please provide a valid Item Code"

GatewayValidationError: Please provide a valid Item Code

Xero is unable to find or validate the Item Code being used on the transaction.

One common reason is the item has not synced to Xero yet.

How to resolve:

💡Tip: If the item itself has not successfully synced to Xero, resolve the item sync first before retrying the transaction that uses it.

First, make sure the item exists in Xero:

  1. Find the item being used on the transaction in Method.

  2. Make sure the item has successfully synced to Xero.

  3. If it has not synced yet, sync the item first.

  4. Once the item is available in Xero, retry the transaction.

If the item has already synced, check the item's Sales / Income Account in Method. An incorrect or invalid income account can also prevent the item from syncing correctly.

  1. Open the item in Method's Items app.

  2. Review the account selected under Sales.

  3. Select the correct income account.

  4. Save the item.

  5. Retry the transaction.

Invoice conflict: "Invoice not of valid status for modification"

A validation exception occurred: Invoice not of valid status for modification

This commonly occurs when an invoice that Method is trying to update has been deleted, voided, or otherwise changed to a status in Xero that no longer allows the requested modification.

For example, if an invoice was deleted in Xero, Method may still have the transaction and attempt to send an update to Xero.

How to resolve:

First, check the invoice in Xero:

  • If the invoice still exists and should be updated, verify its status in Xero and make any necessary corrections.

  • If the invoice was deleted or is no longer intended to sync, you can clear the conflict in Method.

Retrying the conflict will not resolve it if Xero no longer allows the invoice to be modified.

❗️Important: Clearing a sync conflict in Method does not delete or modify the invoice in Xero. It simply removes the conflict from Method's sync conflict list.

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