How to generate an invoice, step by step
The editor above walks you through seven short steps. Your draft saves itself as you type, so you can close the tab and come back later.
- Basics. Choose your country, whether the client is a business or a private person, and your tax status. A verdict card then tells you whether this document works as an invoice there: ✓ valid, ⚠ valid with a condition, or ✕ not a valid tax invoice, in which case it suggests a pro forma invoice or a quote instead.
- You. Enter your business name, address and the tax IDs your country asks for. Add your logo. If you use an IBAN, it is checked as you type.
- Client. Pick a saved client or paste an e-mail signature into the “paste from e-mail” box. The parser fills in name, address and contact details for you to confirm.
- Items. Add a description, quantity, unit and price for each line. Set a tax rate per line. You can enter prices net or gross.
- Details. The next invoice number is suggested from your series. Set the issue date, payment terms and notes.
- Design. Preview 12 designs filled with your own data, choose an accent color and switch between US Letter and A4.
- Review & download. A “Ready to send?” checklist flags anything missing, with a Fix link for each item. The PDF can always be downloaded, even with open warnings.
What to put on an invoice
The US has no federal law that dictates what an invoice must contain. Clients, accountants and auditors still expect the same core details, and many other countries do have rules. A complete invoice usually shows:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The word “Invoice” and a unique number | Lets both sides refer to it and keeps your records in order |
| Issue date and due date | Starts the payment clock; “Net 30” means due 30 days after the invoice date |
| Your name, address and contact | Tells the client who to pay and who to ask |
| Client name and address | Required by many accounting departments before they approve payment |
| Description, quantity, unit price | Shows exactly what was delivered |
| Tax rate and tax amount | Needed wherever you charge sales tax, VAT or GST |
| Total and payment instructions | Bank details, card link or check address |
Our guide on what to include on an invoice explains each field in depth. If you invoice from the UK, Canada or Australia, the country pages list the legal requirements with references.
A quick worked example
A web designer bills a small client for a landing page:
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page design | 1 | $1,200.00 | $1,200.00 |
| Hosting setup | 2 h | $75.00 | $150.00 |
| Domain registration (1 year) | 1 | $18.00 | $18.00 |
| Total | $1,368.00 |
With payment terms of Net 30 and an issue date of November 3, the due date is December 3. If your state taxes some of these items, set the rate on those lines only; the totals are then split by rate. For help choosing terms, see payment terms explained.
After you download: send it and get paid
The invoice does not end at the PDF. On a phone, the Share button opens your share sheet, so you can attach the PDF straight to a mail, WhatsApp or Telegram message. On a computer you can open a pre-written e-mail draft with a subject line and a polite message; you attach the PDF yourself.
Every invoice then has a status: Draft, Sent or Paid. Overdue invoices show a reminder text you can copy. When a client pays, click “Mark as paid” and create a receipt that is already filled in from the invoice. For a recurring job, Duplicate copies the invoice for next month with a new number. If you need to correct a sent invoice, issue a linked credit note. You can also add a calendar reminder for the due date.
Everything you create is listed in My documents, with totals for outstanding, overdue and paid amounts, a numbering gap check and a CSV export for your accountant.
Your data stays on your device
The generator runs entirely in your browser. Invoices, clients and settings are stored on your device, not on our servers, and nothing is uploaded. That also means nobody can restore them if you clear your browser data, so save a backup file now and then. Details are in our privacy policy.
Other documents and formats
The same editor makes commercial invoices for export shipments, quotes and estimates, receipts and pro forma invoices. If you prefer to fill in a file by hand, the invoice template library has blank Word, Excel and PDF versions. Need a signature on your invoices? Create one with the signature generator.