Why choose Datamolino
You repeatedly code different lines from the same supplier, turn mixed-length scans into separate invoices, allocate shared bills, or need clients and managers to sign off before the prepared bill reaches Xero.
Give Xero a bill that's already coded and approved.
Xero's Smart Document Capture extracts invoice lines, and Xero Bills can fill in a supplier's saved defaults. Datamolino takes it further with rules you control: saved coding based on line descriptions and keywords, reusable Bill Split allocations and built-in approvals. Prepare and approve bills in Datamolino, then export them to Xero ready to go.
The trade-off with Xero Smart Document Capture
Xero’s supplier defaults work well when bills from the same supplier use the same coding. Xero's capture suggests coding from learned patterns and has no rules you can set. When individual lines need different codes, Datamolino applies saved rules based on line descriptions and keywords, under your team's control. Xero’s native document capture is included with its business plans and can match documents to existing transactions.
Sources and product details
This compares Xero Smart Document Capture in Documents with preparation before export. Xero’s existing supplier defaults and bill-approval tools are included in the workflow comparison.
- Datamolino: saved line coding
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Datamolino: automatic PDF document splitting
- Datamolino: Bill Split
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Xero: email bills and supplier defaults
- Xero: document auto-matching
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
Compare features and limits.
| Your work | Datamolino | Xero Smart Document Capture |
|---|---|---|
| Read individual invoice lines | ✓YesWith line items included | ✓YesNative itemised extraction |
Details for Read individual invoice linesDatamolinoCapture descriptions and amounts from individual invoice lines, including quantity, unit price and tax where printed. Line-item extraction requires an eligible subscription. Extraction depends on the quality of the source document. Coding fields are synced from your accounting software.
Xero Smart Document CaptureXero extracts descriptions, quantity, price, tax rate and account code. Review the result and create or match a transaction. PDF/JPG/PNG under 25MB and up to 10 pages. Web extraction review; mobile upload.
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| Reuse accounting choices | ✓YesSaved description-based line coding | !LimitedSupplier defaults in Bills |
Details for Reuse accounting choicesDatamolinoReuse the last exported coding for an exact line description from the same supplier. Configure keyword rules when descriptions change. Datamolino's rule structure is deterministic.
Xero Smart Document CaptureXero Bills, including bills emailed in, fill in a supplier's saved purchase defaults. Xero supplier defaults set a bill starting point. Datamolino reuses coding by line description and keyword rule.
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| Code lines with rules you control | ✓YesDescription and keyword rules | –Not offeredNo user-defined rules; learned suggestions |
Details for Code lines with rules you controlDatamolinoCoding comes from rules your team saves: the coding last exported for an exact line description, and keyword rules you create. The rules are deterministic, so the same line gets the same coding every time, and your bookkeeper or accountant can see and change every rule. Datamolino line-extraction plan.
Xero Smart Document CaptureSmart Document Capture has no rules you define: no keyword or description rules. Xero says it “learns your patterns over time”, so its suggestions come from learned patterns, not from rules your team sets. Xero Bills adds one set of defaults per supplier. Checked 28 September 2026.
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| Separate invoices in one PDF | ✓YesAutomatic PDF splitting | –Not offeredOne bill per file; no PDF splitting |
Details for Separate invoices in one PDFDatamolinoDatamolino can automatically split a PDF containing multiple invoices into separate documents, including invoices that span several pages. Choose Auto when uploading the PDF, or use @split in the subject line for documents forwarded by email.
Xero Smart Document CaptureXero reads a multi-page file of up to 10 pages as one document and creates one bill per file. It does not split one PDF into separate bills. Datamolino Auto splitting separates several invoices of different lengths in one ordered file. Separate attachments and multi-page extraction are different from splitting one file into several invoices.
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| Create accounting allocation lines | ✓YesBill Split: one-off, saved or automated | !LimitedEdit lines in the bill |
Details for Create accounting allocation linesDatamolinoSplit a bill across multiple accounts using fixed amounts and percentages. Use the split once, save it for future use, or automate it for a supplier. Bill Split is available with Xero, QuickBooks Online and FreeAgent, with automation options depending on the integration.
Xero Smart Document CaptureXero lets you edit lines and use several account codes. Datamolino Bill Split saves fixed amounts first, then percentages of the remainder. Manual line editing is supported. Datamolino adds reusable Bill Split allocations.
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| Get the invoice approved | ✓YesBuilt-in approval workflows | !LimitedXero bill statuses and roles |
Details for Get the invoice approvedDatamolinoRoute invoices through configurable approval workflows before export. Set up multiple approval stages and choose whether Any or All approvers in each stage need to approve. Once approved, the invoice can be exported to Xero. Admins can also skip approval and export an invoice when needed; the invoice is marked as skipped and the skip is recorded in its history.
Xero Smart Document CaptureXero users can submit and approve bills, depending on their user role. Xero Bills approval is available. Datamolino adds configured multi-stage approval during preparation.
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| Convert statement PDFs | ✓YesDirect export or CSV/Excel download | !LimitedHubdoc PDF to CSV |
Details for Convert statement PDFsDatamolinoExtract transactions from PDF bank statements, review any warnings, then export directly to Xero or FreeAgent. QuickBooks Online does not yet accept bank statement data through its API, so for QuickBooks you download a CSV and import it. You can also export to Excel whenever you want the data in a structured spreadsheet format. Datamolino checks opening and closing balances and flags potential issues for review before export.
Xero Smart Document CaptureSmart Document Capture covers bills, invoices, spend and receive money and supplier credit notes, not bank statements. Hubdoc, included with Xero business plans, converts a PDF statement into a CSV file. Separate products. Hubdoc statement requirements apply.
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Compare the feature, plan, setup and regional scope. Open Details for evidence.
Save coding for recurring invoice lines
Xero's Smart Document Capture extracts individual invoice lines and suggests coding from patterns it learns; there are no rules you can set for it. Xero Bills can fill in a supplier's saved defaults. Datamolino coding is deterministic: it reuses how recurring lines from the same supplier were coded and applies keyword rules when descriptions change, and your bookkeeper controls every rule.
- Start with
- An invoice has two lines: “Equipment” and “Maintenance August 2026”. Each needs different coding.
- In Datamolino
- Code “Equipment” once and Datamolino remembers the coding for the same line description next time. Because the month in “Maintenance August 2026” changes on each invoice, set a keyword rule for “Maintenance” to apply the right coding whenever that word appears in the description.
- The result
- Next month, “Equipment” is coded from the saved line description, while “Maintenance September 2026” is coded by the keyword rule.
Exact descriptions reuse previous coding automatically, the same way every time. When part of the description changes, keyword rules let you automate the coding based on the words that stay the same.
See description and keyword codingSources and product details
The Datamolino example uses the same supplier, a line-item plan and valid saved rules, with Bill Split off. Check whether your Xero setup supports the same per-line controls.
- Datamolino: saved line coding
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Xero: email bills and supplier defaults
- Xero: Documents and Smart Document Capture
Separate multiple invoices in one PDF
Datamolino Auto Split identifies individual invoices within a PDF and separates them automatically, including invoices that span multiple pages.
- Start with
- One PDF contains three invoices: one is a single page, one is three pages and one is two pages.
- In Datamolino
- Select Auto splitting when uploading the PDF. Datamolino identifies each invoice and separates them automatically.
- The result
- Three separate invoices are created, with all pages of each multi-page invoice kept together.
Upload one PDF containing multiple invoices instead of splitting it manually first. Datamolino separates the invoices while keeping the correct pages together.
See automatic PDF splittingSources and product details
Use complete, contiguous pages for each invoice. Datamolino Auto splitting separates this mixed-length batch into documents.
- Datamolino: automatic PDF document splitting
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
Approve invoices before they reach Xero
Datamolino lets you collect approval before an invoice is exported to Xero. If you need to finish coding after approval, the invoice can remain editable until it’s ready to export. Xero approves bills in the ledger. A Xero bill status such as Awaiting Approval is separate from approval in Datamolino.
- Start with
- The client needs to approve the invoice, but the bookkeeper still needs to complete the coding before it’s exported to Xero.
- In Datamolino
- Configure approval, enable Keep documents editable and leave automatic export off. After the client signs, the bookkeeper completes accounting detail and exports.
- The result
- The client approves the invoice first, while the bookkeeper keeps control of the final coding and when it’s exported to Xero. The Audit Trail PDF can be exported with the document.
Approval doesn’t have to lock the invoice or trigger an immediate export. Your team can continue working on it after approval and export it when it’s ready.
See coding after approvalSources and product details
Xero integration with Keep documents editable enabled: Admins and Users in the folder can edit after approval, Approver-only users cannot. The Audit Trail PDF covers the completed approval round.
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Datamolino: exporting when approval is enabled
- Xero: bill approval
- Xero: purchase permissions
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
Split one bill across three accounts
A Xero example: a £1,200 bill needs £200 allocated to one account, with the remaining £1,000 split 60/40 across two others. Bill Split creates the three lines for you.
Set the allocation
Set £200 as a fixed amount, then split the remaining balance 60/40 across two accounts.
Review the new lines
Bill Split creates three lines: £200, £600 and £400. Review the account and tax coding for each line.
Choose once or recurring
Use the split once, save it to reuse manually within the folder, or automate it for future bills from the same supplier.
Approve if needed, then export
If approval is required, send the bill through the configured workflow. Once it’s ready, export it to Xero.
One £1,200 bill becomes three correctly coded lines: £200, £600 and £400. Reuse the same split rule next time, or automate it for future bills from the supplier.
Sources and product details
Example for Xero, authorised user, correct tax treatment. Bill Split replaces captured lines.
- Datamolino: Bill Split
- Datamolino: exporting when approval is enabled
- Xero: bill approval
Use Datamolino for the preparation, Xero for the accounts
Datamolino adds saved line coding, bill allocations, document splitting and included approvals before export. Native capture is included on all Xero business plans. You still need a Xero subscription with the right bill allowance: UK Ignite lists 10 bills, while higher plans allow more.
Sources and product details
Checked 28 September 2026 for the UK. Regions and plans differ. Compare the same document mix and contract period.
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Xero: UK plans
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
Questions about Xero Smart Document Capture and Datamolino.
Does Xero capture invoice line items?
Yes. Smart Document Capture extracts descriptions, quantity, price, tax rate and account code. Files must be PDF, JPG or PNG, under 25MB and up to 10 pages.
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
Why pay for Datamolino if Xero already has capture?
Datamolino prepares the bill before it reaches Xero: it separates mixed-length scans, applies your saved description and keyword coding, reuses bill allocations and collects approvals. Xero's included capture reads the invoice; Datamolino handles these recurring preparation tasks alongside capture.
- Datamolino: automatic PDF document splitting
- Datamolino: saved line coding
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Datamolino: Bill Split
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
Does Xero have supplier rules and approvals?
It has supplier purchase defaults in Bills and bill approval by user role. Compare the precise control your team needs.
- Xero: email bills and supplier defaults
- Xero: bill approval
Can I review Xero's captured data on my phone?
The current guide allows mobile uploads but says Smart Document Capture extraction is viewed and managed on the web. Xero Expenses is a separate employee claim workflow.
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Xero: Expenses
Can Xero turn a bank statement PDF into transactions?
Not in Smart Document Capture, whose help lists bills, invoices, spend and receive money and supplier credit notes. Hubdoc, included with Xero business plans, converts a PDF bank statement into a CSV file you can import into Xero. Datamolino also converts statement PDFs and exports the transactions directly to Xero, or to CSV or Excel.
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Hubdoc: bank statement extraction
- Datamolino: bank statement processing
- Datamolino: export bank statement data
Try your invoice and approval workflow.
Start a free trial with a recurring supplier invoice and your approval steps, or check the plan for your volume. Prefer a walkthrough? Book a workflow demo and we will take you through the coding and approvals, right through to export.
14 days free, no payment details needed.
Comparison sources · checked 28 September 2026
- Datamolino: extracted fields and line-item plans
- Datamolino: saved line coding
- Datamolino: keyword rules
- Datamolino: automatic PDF document splitting
- Datamolino: Bill Split
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview
- Datamolino: exporting when approval is enabled
- Datamolino: bank statement processing
- Datamolino: export bank statement data
- Hubdoc: inclusion in Xero
- Hubdoc: bank statement extraction
- Xero: Smart Document Capture
- Xero: document auto-matching
- Xero: email bills and supplier defaults
- Xero: bill approval
- Xero: purchase permissions
- Xero: Expenses
- Xero: UK plans
- Datamolino: invoice approval overview