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Draft Invoices

Learn how to work with draft invoices, including creating, editing, and finalizing them.

📝 What are Draft Invoices?​

Draft invoices are incomplete or work-in-progress invoices that haven't been finalized or sent to customers. They allow you to:

  • Save invoices while still working on them
  • Return later to complete the invoice
  • Review and verify details before sending
  • Make changes without affecting sent invoices
Draft Status

Draft invoices are not included in financial reports or revenue calculations until they are finalized.

Creating a Draft Invoice​

Automatic Draft Creation​

When you start creating a new invoice, it automatically begins as a draft:

  1. Click Invoices in the sidebar
  2. Click New Invoice or Create button
  3. Start filling in invoice details
  4. The invoice is automatically saved as a draft

Manual Draft Save​

While creating an invoice, you can explicitly save it as a draft:

  1. Fill in the invoice details (customer, products, etc.)
  2. Click Save as Draft button
  3. The invoice is saved and you're returned to the invoice list

Invoice Create Form

Viewing Draft Invoices​

Filtering for Drafts​

  1. Go to Invoices page
  2. Click the Status filter dropdown
  3. Select Draft
  4. Only draft invoices will be displayed

Invoices List

Draft Invoice Indicators​

Draft invoices are marked with:

  • Draft badge or label in gray or muted color
  • Different icon (usually a pencil or document icon)
  • Separate section in the invoice list
  • Excluded from invoice totals/reports

Editing Draft Invoices​

Draft invoices can be edited freely without restrictions.

Edit Process​

  1. Find the draft invoice in the invoice list
  2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) or three-dots menu
  3. Select Edit from the actions menu
  4. Make your changes to:
    • Customer information
    • Invoice date or due date
    • Products/services and quantities
    • Prices and discounts
    • Tax settings
    • Payment terms
  5. Click Save as Draft to keep it in draft status
  6. Or click Finalize to mark it as ready

What You Can Edit​

In draft invoices, you can change:

✅ Customer - Switch to a different customer
✅ Products/Services - Add, remove, or modify items
✅ Quantities - Adjust quantities
✅ Prices - Change unit prices
✅ Discounts - Add or modify discounts
✅ Tax Rates - Change tax settings
✅ Dates - Invoice date, due date

Finalizing Draft Invoices​

When your draft invoice is ready, you can finalize it.

Finalize Process​

  1. Open the draft invoice for editing
  2. Review all details carefully
  3. Click Finalize Invoice or Mark as Final button
  4. The invoice status changes from Draft to Pending or paid
  5. Invoice number is locked (if using auto-numbering)
After Finalizing

Once finalized, invoices have editing restrictions to maintain audit trails. You may not be able to change certain fields.

Deleting Draft Invoices​

Draft invoices can be deleted completely since they haven't been sent to customers.

Delete Process​

  1. Go to Invoices list
  2. Find the draft invoice
  3. Click the three-dots menu (⋮) or Actions button
  4. Select Delete from the menu
  5. Confirm deletion in the dialog box
  6. The draft invoice is permanently removed
Safe to Delete

Since drafts haven't been sent to customers and aren't included in reports, deleting them won't affect your accounting records.

Converting Drafts to paid Invoices​

Standard Conversion​

  1. Edit the draft invoice
  2. Verify all information is complete and accurate
  3. Click paid or mark as paid button
  4. Invoice moves from Draft to Pending status

Best Practices​

Don't Use Drafts For​

❌ Quick invoices - For simple invoices, create and send immediately
❌ Long-term storage - Don't leave drafts unused for months
❌ Sent invoices - Once sent, it's no longer a draft

Draft Management Tips​

  1. Review regularly - Check draft invoices weekly
  2. Clean up old drafts - Delete or finalize drafts older than 30 days
  3. Use clear naming - Add notes to identify what the draft is for
  4. Set reminders - Note when you need to return to complete a draft
  5. Bulk process - Finalize multiple drafts at month-end

Scenario 2: Creating Template for Recurring Services​

Problem: You invoice the same customer monthly for the same services.

Draft Invoice Limitations​

What Drafts Cannot Do​

❌ Cannot be paid - Customers cannot pay draft invoices
❌ Not in reports - Excluded from revenue and accounting reports
❌ No payment reminders - System won't send payment reminders for drafts
❌ Not tracked for overdue - No overdue status since they're not active
❌ No customer visibility - Customers cannot see draft invoices in portal

Troubleshooting​

Cannot Find Draft Invoice​

Problem: Created a draft but can't find it.

Solutions:

  1. Check the Status filter is set to show Drafts
  2. Search by customer name or invoice number
  3. Check if it was accidentally deleted
  4. Look in the All Invoices view without filters

Draft Won't Save​

Problem: Changes to draft invoice aren't saving.

Solutions:

  1. Ensure required fields are filled (customer, at least one product)
  2. Check for validation errors (highlighted in red)
  3. Verify you have permission to create/edit invoices
  4. Try refreshing the page and re-entering changes

Cannot Delete Draft​

Problem: Delete option is grayed out for draft invoice.

Solutions:

  1. Verify the invoice is truly in Draft status
  2. Check if you have delete permissions
  3. Ensure the draft isn't locked by another user
  4. Try from the edit screen instead of the list view

Next Steps​

Pro Tip: Use drafts liberally! It's better to save a work-in-progress invoice as a draft than to rush and send an incorrect invoice to a customer.