> 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/why-cant-i-edit-an-invoice.md). # Why can't I edit an invoice? Invoices can be edited only while they're in Draft. Once an invoice has been sent (Unpaid or Overdue) or Paid, its contents are locked. To change a sent invoice that has no payment on it yet, choose Revert to Draft from the ... menu: pending reminders stop, the customer's link stops working, and the invoice reopens for editing. Send it again when it's ready; it keeps the same invoice number. While any payment is applied, the invoice can't be reverted (hand-recorded payments can be undone first with **Mark as Unpaid**). A card or bank payment that was started on the invoice but never finished (for example, **+ Add Payment Method**, then **Credit Card**, was chosen in **Charge Payment Method** and the window was closed) also keeps **Revert to Draft** out of the menu. It shows on the invoice as a **Payment attempt** card, usually with the status **Unpaid** and the note "Checkout incomplete" (**Action required** if the customer stopped at a verification step): open that card's ... menu, choose **Cancel Payment**, and confirm. Canceled and failed attempts don't block it. If the invoice has an automatic late fee, reverting removes the unpaid fee; the confirmation says so before you commit, and when your business charges late fees it also asks whether a late fee after you send the invoice again should count from the new send date or from the original invoice date. The customer and property can never be changed, so if either is wrong, void the invoice and create a new one. You can still edit linked jobs and technicians on any invoice status. Open the linked-records control near the title, make changes in **Related Records**, and choose **Save links**. These changes update report attribution without changing the invoice’s line items or payments. A locked invoice is still yours to hand out: **Print** and **Download PDF** stay in the ... menu on a Paid or partially paid invoice, alongside **Duplicate**. An automatic late fee doesn't unlock the invoice either. When your business charges late fees and an invoice goes unpaid long enough, the fee is added as a separate, dated adjustment on top of the sent invoice — its items, discounts, and tax stay exactly as sent, and the fee simply joins the balance due. See [Automatic late fees on overdue invoices](/revenue/invoices/automatic-late-fees-on-overdue-invoices.md). > **Where to find it:** On the open invoice, the ... menu (Revert to Draft, Duplicate, Void, Download PDF, Print) ## Related guides * [Invoice statuses and what each one means](/revenue/invoices/invoice-statuses-and-what-each-one-means.md) * [Automatic late fees on overdue invoices](/revenue/invoices/automatic-late-fees-on-overdue-invoices.md) * [Why can't I save an invoice?](/revenue/invoices/why-cant-i-save-an-invoice.md) * [Why can't I send an invoice?](/revenue/invoices/why-cant-i-send-an-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) --- # 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. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://learn.withessential.com/revenue/invoices/why-cant-i-edit-an-invoice.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.