> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://developers.pleo.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Vendor Creation vs Vendor Sync

> Compare Pleo's two Vendor flows, Vendor Creation and Vendor Sync, and find the right docs for each.

Pleo has two separate Vendor flows. Together, they keep Vendor records the same in Pleo and in your Accounting System.

* **Vendor Creation** sends new vendors from Pleo into the Accounting System.
* **Vendor Sync** brings vendors from the Accounting System into Pleo.

See [Supplier vs Vendor](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/supplier-vs-vendor-overview) for what a Vendor is, and how it differs from a Supplier.

## How the Two Flows Differ

|           | Vendor Creation                                                 | Vendor Sync                                       |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Direction | Pleo → Accounting System                                        | Accounting System → Pleo                          |
| Trigger   | A `v1.vendor.created` webhook, or a 5-minute poll               | Scheduled sync (hourly), plus an ad hoc option    |
| Purpose   | Let a bookkeeper add a vendor that doesn't exist yet            | Keep Pleo's vendor list up to date                |
| Result    | The vendor starts `DRAFT`, then becomes `ACTIVE` once activated | The vendor stays `ACTIVE`, or moves to `ARCHIVED` |

A vendor can go through both flows, at different times. Vendor Creation adds it and activates it. Vendor Sync then keeps it up to date.

## Vendor Creation

Use these docs to implement the Pleo → Accounting System direction.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Platform Capabilities" href="/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/vendor-creation-overview">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">What Vendor Creation does, and why it exists.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration Design" href="/docs/current/integration-design/exports/vendors/integration-design-vendor-creation-overview">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Implementation detail: draft detection, creation, and activation.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workflow Guide" href="/docs/current/guides/vendor-creation-workflow-guide">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">The end-to-end steps, in order.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Create Vendors in Pleo" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/vendors/how-to-create-vendors-in-pleo">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">The bookkeeper action that produces a `DRAFT` vendor.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Detect Draft Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/vendors/how-to-detect-draft-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Find new `DRAFT` vendors, via webhook or polling.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Create a Vendor in the AS" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/vendors/how-to-create-vendor-in-as">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Create the corresponding vendor record in the Accounting System.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Activate a Vendor in Pleo" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/vendors/how-to-activate-vendor-in-pleo">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Report the AS-assigned identifiers back to Pleo.</div>
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Vendor Sync

Use these docs to implement the Accounting System → Pleo direction.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Platform Capabilities" href="/docs/current/platform/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/vendor-sync-overview">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">What Vendor Sync does, and why it exists.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="Integration Design" href="/docs/current/integration-design/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/integration-design-vendor-sync-overview">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Implementation detail: data mapping, periodicity, and matching.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="Workflow Guide" href="/docs/current/guides/accounting-integrations/imports/vendor-sync-workflow-guide">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">The end-to-end steps, in order.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Fetch and Match Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/how-to-fetch-and-match-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Retrieve vendors from both systems, and decide what each one needs.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Create Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/how-to-create-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Create a new Pleo Vendor for an unmatched active AS vendor.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Unarchive Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/how-to-unarchive-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Unarchive a Pleo Vendor whose AS vendor is active again.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Update Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/how-to-update-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Update a Pleo Vendor's details to match the AS.</div>
  </Card>

  <Card title="How to Archive Vendors" href="/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/how-to-archive-vendors">
    <div className="text-sm mt-2">Archive a Pleo Vendor with no matching active AS vendor.</div>
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Related Reading

* [Supplier vs Vendor](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/supplier-vs-vendor-overview)
* [Platform Capabilities: Vendor Creation Overview](/docs/current/platform/exports/vendors/vendor-creation-overview)
* [Platform Capabilities: Vendor Sync Overview](/docs/current/platform/accounting-integrations/imports/vendors/vendor-sync-overview)
* [How to Activate Vendor Tagging](/docs/current/how-tos/accounting-integrations/how-to-enable-vendor-based-bookkeeping#1-activate-vendor-tagging) (or [chat with support](https://help.pleo.io/en/support/solutions/articles/103000360463-how-to-activate-vendor-tagging-in-pleo) <Icon icon="arrow-up-right-from-square" size={14} />)

***