How to give read-only access to Xero Practice Manager
Read-only access lets someone review how your Xero Practice Manager (XPM) practice is set up, such as your jobs, workflow, and time recording, without being able to change anything. People usually grant it so a bookkeeper, accountant, or consultant can look at how the practice runs and advise on it while you keep full control. Unlike the Xero accounting product, XPM has no single "read only" switch, so the closest equivalent is the Standard staff role with no administrator or manage-staff privileges. This guide explains how to invite someone at that lowest level, the honest limits of it, and how to remove the access at any time.
Access to grant
Standard staff role with no administrator or manage-staff privileges (a read-only practitioner or staff view). This is the most restricted XPM access. It is not a hard "view only" lock, so for a true look-but-do-not-touch review the screen-share option below is safer.
Who you're granting access to
- Anyone you need to give view-only access to: a bookkeeper, accountant, consultant, or another adviser who needs to review your practice setup.
Before you start
- The "Manage staff" permission in your practice (usually the practice owner or an administrator).
- A free slot under your subscription staff limit, or the Invite staff button will be hidden until you remove or disable someone.
- The name and email address of the person you are giving access to.
Step by step
- 1
Open Practice Manager staff settings
Sign in to Xero. In the Business menu select Settings, then under Practice click Staff. This is the staff list for Xero Practice Manager, managed through your Xero HQ practice. If you do not see the Staff option, you do not have the Manage staff permission and will need the practice owner to do this.
- 2
Invite the staff member
Click "Invite staff". Enter the first name, last name, and email address of the person you are giving access to, then click Next. Each email address must be unique to one person. If the Invite staff button is missing, you have hit your subscription staff limit and need to disable or remove a staff member first.
- 3
Leave the role as Standard
Standard is the default role for any new staff member and is the right one for a review. Do not grant the Administrator role, and do not tick the Manage staff or Practice manager settings privileges. The Standard role lets the person see jobs and how your workflow is organised with limited Xero HQ access, but keeps them out of practice details, document packs, and your billed client organisations.
- 4
Send the invitation
Confirm the details and send the invite. Xero emails the person an activation link. They click it to set up or log in to their Xero account, then they can review your setup. Adding someone as Standard staff does not change any of your jobs, timesheets, or client records.
- 5
Tell the reviewer what to look at
Because XPM does not enforce a strict view-only lock, let the person know which jobs or settings you want reviewed. A Standard staff member is meant to look, not assign, edit, invoice, or delete. If you want zero write ability at all, use the screen-share option below instead.
Removing access afterwards
- In the Business menu select Settings, then under Practice click Staff.
- Find the staff member in the list and clear the "Currently working" checkbox on their record to disable their access while keeping their history.
- To remove them fully, click the menu icon next to their name, choose "Remove from practice", then confirm with "Yes, remove from practice". This also frees up a spot under your subscription staff limit.
If that option is not available
Because XPM has no true read-only role, the safest option is a short screen-share call. You drive Xero Practice Manager while the reviewer watches and notes how your jobs, workflow, and time recording are set up. They see everything they need and you keep full control. Never share your password.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Unlike the Xero accounting product, XPM does not offer a dedicated "read only" role. The most restricted option is the Standard staff role with no administrator or manage-staff privileges. That keeps the person out of practice settings and your client organisations, but it is not a hard view-only lock. For a strict look-but-do-not-touch review, the screen-share option is safer.
It might. XPM subscriptions are tiered by the number of staff, so if you are already at your staff limit the Invite staff button is hidden until you disable or remove someone. If you have a spare slot, adding a Standard reviewer costs nothing extra. Disabling rather than deleting them afterwards keeps your timesheet history intact.
No. The Standard role has limited Xero HQ access and cannot reach practice details, document packs, or the client Xero organisations billed to your practice. Those sit behind the Administrator role and the manage-staff and practice-manager-settings privileges, which you should not grant for a read-only review.
The Standard role is intended for viewing jobs and entering time against assigned jobs, not for managing the practice. It is not a strict view-only lock, so the safest way to be sure nothing changes is to either limit what the person is assigned to or use the screen-share option where you keep control of the screen.
Go to Settings, then under Practice click Staff. Clear the "Currently working" checkbox to disable the person, or use the menu icon next to their name and choose "Remove from practice" to delete them entirely. Removing them also frees up a slot under your subscription staff limit.
Related guides
Steps last checked against Xero Practice Manager on 2026-06-09.
Based on official Xero Practice Manager documentation: Xero Central: Set up and manage practice staff in Practice Manager, Xero Central: About staff roles and permissions in Practice Manager, Xero Central: Remove staff from your practice. Xero Practice Manager is a trademark of its respective owner; this guide is independent and for instruction only.
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