Tofu gives you flexible control over how documents sync with your accounting software through Auto-Publish and Auto-Import.
These settings can be configured per extraction type, allowing you to automate your workflow or stay fully manual—depending on your preference.
Supported Document Types
📌 Take note:
🧾 AP Bills and AR Invoices — supported for per-extraction-type settings
📄 Direct Expenses — Auto-Publish available; Auto-Import not available (Import is manual only)
📄 Bank Statements — configuration settings are coming soon
The Changes: From Auto-Sync to Flexible Controls
Previously, Tofu used a single Auto-Sync toggle.
Now, this has been split into two independent controls:
Auto-Publish
Automatically sends extractions and updates from Tofu to your accounting software after saving.
Auto-Import
Automatically pulls updates from your accounting software into Tofu (e.g., status changes, edits, or newly created records).
This separation gives you more control while still supporting fully automated workflows.
Manual Sync Actions: Import & Publish
Even with automation enabled, you can always manually control syncing from the Review screen.
Import
Pulls updates from your accounting software into Tofu
Example: If a bill is marked Paid, clicking Import updates it in Tofu
📄 Direct Expenses: Import is always manual
Publish
Pushes documents or updates from Tofu to your accounting software
Useful when Auto-Publish is OFF and you want control over timing
Changed an extraction type after sync?
Changing the extraction type creates a new transaction and may leave the original one for cleanup. Learn more: What Happens When You Change an Extraction Type After Syncing to Your Accounting Software.
How Auto-Publish & Auto-Import Work
Auto-Publish
When enabled, documents are automatically sent to your accounting software after saving.
Example:
Creating or editing an AP Bill, AR Invoice, or Direct Expense in Tofu will automatically publish the update after saving.
Auto-Import
When enabled, Tofu automatically reflects updates from your accounting software.
Example:
If an invoice is marked Paid in Xero or QuickBooks, Tofu will automatically reflect that change.
⚠️ Important:
Auto-Import applies only to AP Bills and AR Invoices. Direct Expenses require manual Import.
Recommended Setup ✅
For most users, the best experience is to enable both Auto-Publish and Auto-Import for:
AP Bills
AR Invoices
This closely mirrors the old Auto-Sync behavior while giving you more flexibility.
Default setup for newly created integrated entities
If you create a new entity and connect your accounting software during guided setup, Tofu may turn on Auto-Publish by default for supported document types so you can start processing immediately.
You can change this at any time:
Go to Entity Settings → Integrations to review sync behavior
Go to Entity Settings → Features to review which extraction types are enabled
If you prefer a more manual workflow, you can turn Auto-Publish off and use Publish only when you’re ready.
Can I Manually Override Auto-Publish or Auto-Import?
Yes. You can turn either toggle OFF at any time.
Auto-Publish OFF → Use Publish to push changes manually
Auto-Import OFF → Use Import to pull updates manually
Even when automation is ON, manual actions may still appear if attention is required (for example, sync errors or unpublished changes).
When Would You Use Auto-Publish & Auto-Import?
AP Bills & AR Invoices
You can choose:
Auto-Publish only
Auto-Import only
Both Auto-Publish + Auto-Import (most automated)
Neither (fully manual)
This table applies to AP Bills and AR Invoices.
Action | Auto-Publish ON Auto-Import ON | Auto-Publish ON Auto-Import OFF | Auto-Publish OFF Auto-Import ON | Auto-Publish OFF Auto-Import OFF |
Create invoice in Tofu | New invoice automatically created in accounting software after extraction | New invoice automatically created in accounting software after extraction | Click Publish after extraction to create invoice in accounting software | Click Publish after extraction to create invoice in accounting software |
Edit invoice in Tofu | Auto-published update after clicking Save draft | Auto-published update after clicking Save draft | Save draft → click Publish to update in accounting software | Save draft → click Publish to update in accounting software |
Edit invoice in accounting software | Auto-imported into Tofu | No auto update → click Import to update invoice in Tofu | Auto-imported into Tofu | No auto update → click Import to update invoice in Tofu |
Verify invoice in Tofu | Xero: status → Awaiting Approval / Awaiting Payment
QuickBooks: no action | Xero: status → Awaiting Approval / Awaiting Payment
QuickBooks: no action | Xero: No auto update → click Publish to update invoice in Xero
QuickBooks: no action | Xero: No auto update → click Publish to update invoice in Xero
QuickBooks: no action |
Change status in accounting software (e.g. Awaiting Approval → Paid) | Auto-imported into Tofu | No auto update → click Import to update invoice in Tofu | Auto-imported into Tofu | No auto update → click Import to update invoice in Tofu |
Delete bill in Tofu | Auto-deleted invoice in accounting software | Auto-deleted in accounting software | No auto update → click Publish to update invoice in accounting software | No auto update → click Publish to update invoice in accounting software |
Delete invoice in accounting software | Auto-deleted invoice in Tofu | Xero: No auto update → click Import to mark the invoice deleted in Tofu
QuickBooks: auto-imported into Tofu | Auto-deleted invoice in Tofu | Xero: No auto update → click Import to mark the invoice deleted in Tofu
QuickBooks: auto-imported into Tofu |
Create new invoice in accounting software | Auto-imported new invoices into Tofu | No new invoices to Tofu | Auto-imported new invoices into Tofu | No new invoices to Tofu |
Direct Expenses (Auto‑Publish Only)
Direct Expenses support Auto-Publish, but Auto-Import is not available.
If you delete a Direct Expense in Tofu after it has been published:
Auto-Publish ON:
The Direct Expense is also removed from your accounting software.Auto-Publish OFF:
The deletion only applies in Tofu.
If you also need it removed from your accounting software, you must delete or void it there.
Action (Direct Expenses) | Auto‑Publish ON | Auto‑Publish OFF |
Create/Edit in Tofu | Automatically publishes after you save | Click Publish to create/update |
Changes made in accounting software (edits/status/deletes) | No auto update → click Import to update in Tofu | No auto update → click Import to update in Tofu |
Create new in accounting software | Not auto‑imported | Not auto‑imported |
Summary
Auto-Publish and Auto-Import give you fine-grained control over how documents sync.
Settings can be configured per document type.
Direct Expenses: Auto-Publish supported; Auto-Import not available (manual Import only).
Bank Statements: automation controls coming soon.
For most users, enabling both Auto-Publish and Auto-Import for AP Bills and AR Invoices provides the best experience.
You can always switch to manual Import or Publish when needed.