  We define the notion of Y-algebroids, generalising the Lie, Courant, and
exceptional algebroids that have been used to capture the local symmetry
structure of type II string theory and M-theory compactifications to $D \geq 5$
dimensions. Instead of an invariant inner product, or its generalisation
arising in exceptional algebroids, Y-algebroids are built around a specific
type of tensor, denoted $Y$, that provides exactly the necessary properties to
also describe compactifications to $D=4$ dimensions. We classify ``M-exact''
$E_7$-algebroids and show that this precisely matches the form of the
generalised tangent space of $E_{7(7)} \times \mathbb{R}^+$-generalised
geometry, with possible twists due to 1-, 4- and 7-form fluxes, corresponding
physically to the derivative of the warp factor and the M-theory fluxes. We
translate the notion of generalised Leibniz parallelisable spaces, relevant to
consistent truncations, into this language, where they are mapped to so-called
exceptional Manin pairs. We also show how to understand Poisson--Lie U-duality
and exceptional complex structures using Y-algebroids.
