> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/revenue/invoices/create-an-invoice.md). # Create an invoice Invoices work similarly to quotes, but the Invoices page and invoice actions require the invoicing feature and invoice permissions. If the Invoices page or New Invoice button is missing but you need it, contact your business's administrator to review your role. Online customer payments, saved-card charges, autopay, and Stripe sales tax require a verified Stripe connection. If your business syncs accounting activity, set up the accounting integration and mappings under Settings > Invoicing before relying on invoice and payment sync. ## Before you start * The customer and property must already exist. * The invoice needs at least one line item and payment terms before you can save it. * If the work came from a signed quote, create the invoice from that quote to carry over line items, discounts, and attachments. ## Create the invoice 1. Open the Invoices page. 2. Click New Invoice in the top right. 3. Choose the customer and property. 4. Add invoice line items, attachments, and payment terms. Discounts — and, when your business allows fee waivers, the invoice's processing fees — are under **Additional options** below Attachments (see [Apply a discount to an invoice](/revenue/invoices/apply-a-discount-to-an-invoice.md) and [Waive processing fees on an invoice](/revenue/invoices/waive-processing-fees-on-an-invoice.md)). The Description field supports rich text — bold, italics, underline, headings, lists, divider lines, and tables (see [Format descriptions and terms with rich text](/revenue/quotes/format-descriptions-and-terms-with-rich-text.md)). 5. If your business keeps more than one invoice document template, pick the design for this invoice in the **Template** dropdown; the preview updates to match. With a single template there is no dropdown — the invoice uses it automatically (see [Choose and customize your invoice document template](/administration/settings/choose-and-customize-your-invoice-document-template.md)). 6. Use the preview on the right to check what the customer will see. The **Context** tab beside it shows the billing details, an asset-group summary, property contacts, and customer facts while you work (see [See property, customer, and deficiency context while quoting or invoicing](/revenue/quotes/see-context-while-quoting-or-invoicing.md)). 7. Save the invoice. Saving creates the invoice in Draft with no invoice number yet. You can keep editing while it is in Draft, then send it or finalize it when it is ready. The invoice number is assigned the moment the invoice leaves Draft — when you send it, finalize it without sending, charge a saved payment method, or record a payment — so numbers follow the order invoices go out, and a draft you delete or void never uses one up. Once assigned, the number stays with the invoice, even if you later revert it to Draft to make changes. If you leave before saving, Essential asks you to confirm, and keeps a copy of the new invoice in your browser. The next time you click **New Invoice**, select **Restore** to pick up where you left off (see [Restore an unsaved quote or invoice](/revenue/quotes/restore-an-unsaved-quote-or-invoice.md)). Admins can [set the next invoice number](/administration/settings/set-the-next-invoice-number.md) before creating an invoice, for example to start at **50000**. When you link a job, the technicians on any non-cancelled visit of that job automatically receive credit for the invoice's revenue in the Revenue by technician and Technician profitability reports — each report divides the invoice's pre-tax revenue recognized in the period (cash or accrual) evenly among them. There is nothing to select: change who is credited by changing who is assigned to the visit. An invoice with no linked job credits nobody; the Revenue by technician report lists it under Unattributed invoices so you can link a job or fix the assignment. You can also start an invoice from the New shortcut at the top of any page. When you start from a customer, property, contact, or job page, Essential carries that context into the invoice when it applies, so the customer, property, or related job may already be filled in. > **Where to find it:** Invoices page, New Invoice button (top right) ## Add a customer signature An administrator can enable **Customer signature** below **Invoice templates** under **Settings > Invoicing > Invoice**, then select **Save**. The setting is off by default. Existing unsigned invoices keep their appearance, with no signature section added. Signatures are optional: you can still save or finalize an invoice without one. ![Customer signature setting, off by default](https://3838208579-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Flu1pgNH0CrkCPslG8suQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-2c115dac36abe12e9c52dd86251e0e825bef1477%2Finvoice-customer-signature-settings.png?alt=media) After adding items and configuring sales tax, find **Customer signature** above **Additional options** near the bottom of the invoice form. Before saving or finalizing a draft, select **Add signature**, enter the customer’s full name, and have them draw their signature. Save the signature, then save or finalize the invoice. The signature and full name appear together at the bottom of the default invoice template and in its PDF, aligned with the rest of the invoice content. Customized document templates also show saved signatures. If either the signature or full name is blank, neither appears on the invoice. ![Customer signature after invoice items and sales tax, above Additional options](https://3838208579-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2Flu1pgNH0CrkCPslG8suQ%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-8d134174bafac86a8a9ddb9a05b2c19bc8c06737%2Finvoice-customer-signature-web.png?alt=media) While the invoice is editable, use the edit icon beside **Customer signature** to replace it or the trash icon to remove it on the web. This works on desktop web, a phone’s web browser, and the mobile app. In the mobile app, enter the name, tap **Draw signature**, and then **Use This Signature**. Signatures stay with saved offline drafts until they sync. Turning the setting off hides capture controls but keeps signatures already saved on invoices. ## Use a different service address An invoice normally prints its property's address as the **Service Address**. When the work happened somewhere that is not one of the customer's saved properties — a one-off site, a different building, a trailer — you can print a different service address on this invoice without creating a property. 1. Choose the customer and property as usual. The property stays on the invoice. 2. Under the **Property** field, select **Use a different service address**. 3. Enter the address (an optional location name, street, city, state, and zip) and select **Save**. The preview updates, and the address shows under the Property field with a **Custom** tag. 4. Save the invoice. Select **Edit** to change the address or **Use property address** to go back to printing the property's address. The billing address is not affected. Sales tax follows the service address you enter: automatic sales tax looks up the rate for that address, and manual rates limited to a state or city match against it. Changing or clearing the address re-applies the rates for the new address on any line whose tax was applied automatically. ## Duplicate an existing invoice 1. Open the invoice you want to use as a starting point. 2. Save any changes, then open the **three-dot menu** and choose **Duplicate**. 3. Essential opens an **unsaved copy** with the original property selected. You can choose another property, including one belonging to another customer. 4. Review its details and select **Save** to create the draft. It gets its own invoice number when you send or finalize it. Leaving without saving creates no invoice. Refreshing reloads the source and discards unsaved edits. Send the saved draft when ready. The copy keeps the customer, property, a different service address if one was entered, description, line items and groups, saved line-item and discount explanations, taxes, discounts, payment terms, processing-fee waiver and its reason, attachments, linked jobs, and the technicians selected under **Related Records**, so the copy credits and prints the same technicians. It starts fresh without the original invoice date, sent history, payments, or payment status—even when the original is paid. Duplicating does not send anything to the customer. Changing the property clears the copied contact, linked jobs, service-address override, typed **Job #** and **Technicians** values, PO number, and the technicians copied from **Related Records**; pick technicians again for the new property if needed. Payment terms and fee waivers use the destination’s defaults. Copied prices and ordinary attachments remain. Automatic taxes follow the new effective service address; review manual rates and items that may have been exempt at the original property. A review warning appears only for a known state/city scope conflict in a copied manual rate or unresolved untaxed items from an exempt source. Valid destination rates need no confirmation. If prompted, select **Confirm tax selections** after reviewing the affected items. An unchanged-property copy preserves the source’s applied tax. A source line without a saved rate contributes no tax until you choose a rate or change its destination. The PO number is copied as text; select a tracked purchase order again if the new invoice should bill against it. Custom fields that require unique values start blank so you can enter new values. The copy is a standalone invoice, separate from the original's quote or subscription. ## Duplicate with the Assistant Ask the Essential Assistant to duplicate a saved invoice. Review the source invoice, destination and total on the action card, then click **Confirm**. This creates a saved draft for the same customer and property. The completed card links to the new invoice. The Assistant copies saved commercial content, attachments, linked jobs, technicians selected under **Related Records** and non-unique custom fields. Payments, sent history, original dates and tracked purchase-order links do not carry over. Nothing is sent or finalized. Save source edits first. If the source changes before confirmation, request a fresh proposal. To use a different customer or property, or fill a required field that cannot be copied, use the editable **Duplicate** form described above. ## Related guides * [Create an invoice from a job](/revenue/invoices/create-an-invoice-from-a-job.md) * [Restore an unsaved quote or invoice](/revenue/quotes/restore-an-unsaved-quote-or-invoice.md) * [Add a line item to an invoice](/revenue/invoices/add-a-line-item-to-an-invoice.md) * [Apply a discount to an invoice](/revenue/invoices/apply-a-discount-to-an-invoice.md) * [Attach files or reports to an invoice](/revenue/invoices/attach-files-or-reports-to-an-invoice.md) * [Can I reverse a payment I recorded?](/revenue/invoices/can-i-reverse-a-payment-i-recorded.md) * [Feature availability and setup](/getting-started/getting-started/feature-availability-and-setup.md) ## Link jobs and technicians Open the linked-records control near the invoice title (initially **No Related Records**). In **Related Records**, select technicians directly, or select a property on the invoice and search for its jobs. Jobs can be linked before a visit is completed. Choose **Save links** to apply your selection, then save a new invoice to keep its links. Reopen the same control to add, change, or remove links. On saved invoices, **Save links** saves immediately, including on paid invoices. Jobs added to editable drafts can add billable line items; save the invoice to keep those item changes. Unlinking a job keeps existing line items. [Revenue by technician](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/revenue-by-technician.md) and [Technician profitability](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/job-costing-reports.md) combine directly selected technicians with technicians assigned to linked-job visits. Revenue is split equally between distinct people. Removing a direct technician link leaves any credit they receive through linked jobs. If your business turns on the invoice **Technicians** field, it combines the same two sources (technicians selected here and those assigned to the linked jobs' visits, each listed once) and prints them on the invoice. See [Technicians on invoices](/revenue/quotes/custom-fields-and-po-numbers-on-quotes-and-invoices.md#technicians-on-invoices). --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. 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