Invoicing

Overview

Generate professional invoices from your tracked time using customizable Word templates. Invoices can be exported as PDF or DOCX files and include detailed breakdowns of your time entries.

Before You Start

You need at least one invoice template before you can generate invoices. See the Templates guide for how to upload templates.

Generating an Invoice

Step 1: Open Invoice Generation

1. Go to the Invoices tab in Time Tracking
2. Click "Generate Invoice"
3. The invoice generation dialog opens

Step 2: Select Template

If you have multiple templates, choose which one to use:

1. Click the Template dropdown
2. Select your desired template
3. The template name and available tags are shown

Tip: Set a default template in the Templates tab to skip this step.

Step 3: Configure Invoice Details

Fill in the invoice parameters:

Client Selection (Optional but Recommended)

• Client: Select a client contact from your database
• Benefits of linking a client:
  • Enables item review step
  • Auto-fills client name
  • Tracks unbilled amounts
  • Shows client statistics

Invoice Information

• Client Name Override: Leave empty to use linked client's name, or enter a custom name
• Invoice Number: Auto-generated (e.g., INV-1234567890) or enter your own
• Start Date: Beginning of the billing period
• End Date: End of the billing period
• Format: Choose PDF or Word (.docx)

Step 4: Review Items (If Client Selected)

If you selected a client, you can review and select which time entries to include:

Viewing Unbilled Entries

The review screen shows:

• All unbilled time entries for the selected client
• Entries grouped by job
• Total hours and amount for each entry
• Summary of selected items

Selecting Entries

Select Individual Entries:

• Check/uncheck individual time entries

Select by Job:

• Check a job header to select all entries for that job
• Uncheck to deselect all

Select All:

• Use the "All Items" checkbox to select everything
• Uncheck to deselect all

Summary Bar

The top summary bar shows:

• Number of selected entries
• Total hours for selected items
• Total amount to be invoiced

Step 5: Generate

1. Review your selections
2. Click "Generate Final Invoice" (or "Generate Invoice" if no client selected)
3. Wait for generation to complete
4. The invoice downloads automatically

Managing Generated Invoices

Viewing Invoices

The Invoices tab shows all your generated invoices:

• Invoice number
• Client name
• Date generated
• Total amount
• Payment status
• Download link

Downloading an Invoice

1. Find the invoice in the list
2. Click the Download button
3. The file downloads in the format you selected (PDF or DOCX)

Marking as Paid

1. Click on an invoice in the list
2. Click "Mark as Paid"
3. The invoice status updates

Why mark as paid:

• Track which invoices have been paid
• Filter to see outstanding invoices
• Generate reports on paid vs unpaid

Deleting an Invoice

1. Click on an invoice
2. Click "Delete"
3. Confirm deletion

Note: Deleting an invoice does NOT delete the time entries. The time entries become unbilled again and can be included in a future invoice.

Invoice Templates

What Templates Include

Invoice templates are Word (.docx) files with placeholder tags that get replaced with your data:

Available Tags:

• {client_name} - Client's name
• {invoice_number} - Invoice number
• {date_range} - Period covered (e.g., "Jan 1 - Jan 31, 2024")
• {total_hours} - Total hours billed
• {total_amount} - Total amount due
• {#time_entries_table}...{/time_entries_table} - Table of time entries

See the Templates guide for detailed information on creating and managing templates.

Best Practices

Before Generating

1. Review Time Entries: Check the Entries tab to ensure all time is logged
2. Verify Descriptions: Make sure descriptions are client-appropriate
3. Check Rates: Confirm job hourly rates are correct
4. Select Date Range: Choose the correct billing period

Invoice Numbering

Recommended formats:

• Sequential: INV-001, INV-002, INV-003
• Date-based: INV-2024-01-001
• Client-based: ACME-001, TECH-001

Tips:

• Be consistent
• Make it easy to reference
• Include year for long-term tracking

Client Communication

When sending invoices:

1. Review the PDF before sending to client
2. Include a cover email explaining the charges
3. Attach supporting documents if needed
4. Set clear payment terms (e.g., "Net 30")
5. Follow up on unpaid invoices

Record Keeping

• Download and save all generated invoices
• Back up invoice files regularly
• Keep for tax purposes (check your local requirements)
• Track payment dates in your accounting system

Common Workflows

Monthly Client Billing

1. First of the month: Review previous month's time
2. Select date range: First to last day of previous month
3. Select client: Choose the client to invoice
4. Review items: Ensure all billable time is included
5. Generate invoice: Create PDF
6. Send to client: Email with payment instructions

Project-Based Billing

1. Project completion: Review all time for the project
2. Filter by job: Select the project job
3. Custom date range: Project start to end date
4. Generate invoice: Include all project time
5. Final review: Ensure completeness before sending

Retainer Billing

1. Track all time: Log time as usual
2. End of period: Review total hours
3. Compare to retainer: Check against agreed hours
4. Generate invoice: For overage or full amount
5. Include summary: Show retainer vs actual

Troubleshooting

Invoice Generation Fails

Possible causes:

• No template uploaded
• Invalid template tags
• No time entries in date range
• Network connection issue

Solutions:

1. Upload a valid template
2. Check date range includes entries
3. Try again with a different template
4. Check browser console for errors

Missing Time Entries

If entries don't appear in review:

• Verify they're in the selected date range
• Check they're assigned to the selected client
• Ensure they haven't been invoiced already
• Confirm the job is linked to the client

Template Not Working

If placeholders don't get replaced:

• Check tag syntax (must be exactly {tag_name})
• Ensure template is .docx format
• Re-upload the template
• Try the sample template first

Related

• Templates - Upload and manage invoice templates
• Time Entries - Review entries before invoicing
• Managing Jobs - Set up billing rates
• Troubleshooting - Common issues