Revert approved bills to draft: a guide for Xero users

Xero cannot move an approved bill back to draft. Its Product Ideas reply of 20 November 2025 says the bill unapprove request is not in the roadmap at the moment. Before copying anything, check whether editing the bill is enough. If it is not, the route is to copy the bill, void the original and re-attach the files.

Based on Xero Central pages last read on 12 October and 5 November 2026, and Xero Product Ideas as read on 24 October 2026.

First: is an edit enough?

Xero's page on editing bills covers what can change in each status. An awaiting payment bill with no part payments or credit notes can be edited in any field, and a paid bill allows changes that do not affect the total. If the fix fits that, edit the bill and stop there. A bill that is still awaiting approval is a separate case, covered in the moving bills back to draft guide.

The native way, bill by bill

1. Remove any payment. A paid bill can't be voided. Use Remove & Redo on the bill, one payment at a time (Delete an invoice or bill payment).
2. Download the attached files. Open the bill, click Files, then View and Download for each one (View, download and delete files in transactions).
3. Copy the bill. Purchases > Bills, open the bill, click Copy (Add and approve a bill).
4. Void the original. On the Awaiting Payment tab, tick the bills and click Void, then continue to void the items (Delete or void a bill). Several bills can be voided at once.
5. Re-attach the files to the copy (Attach a file to a transaction). Xero says a file attachment isn't copied across.
6. Edit the draft and approve it again.

Xero says voiding a bill could have tax implications, so check with your accountant or bookkeeper first.

Where the native way runs out

• Only the void is bulk. Copying, downloading and re-attaching files are done bill by bill.
• Payments come off one at a time, one payment from one bill.
• The void is permanent.
• Lock dates stop edits to bills dated on or before the lock date (Set up or remove lock dates).

The same route, for a selection

Unapprove is a web app that works with Xero. Filter the list to bills, and the preview shows what would happen to each one without writing anything. You confirm by typing the count, for example UNAPPROVE 24. For each bill it creates a draft copy first, carries the attachments across and checks the file count, then voids the original. The copy takes the original bill number from the start, and both bills get a history note naming the other. The preview offers a CSV backup of the selection to download first.

What it skips, and what it will not do

Bills with a payment applied or a credit note allocated are skipped (why), as are bills inside a locked period (why) and bills for an archived contact (why). A bill with a file over 10 MB, or more than 10 files, can only be voided, because no complete copy can be made. A void is permanent. It never sees your Xero password and never stores your files.

Price

Free for 14 days, with unlimited previews and three documents processed in total. After that, $29 per month per connected organisation, or a one-off $49 Clean-up Pass for 30 days with unlimited documents. Prices are in US dollars and exclude VAT and sales tax (added at checkout); the pricing page has the details.

Questions

Written by Atesen Software, an independent developer. Unapprove works with Xero through Xero's public API; Xero does not make it and has not endorsed it.

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