> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docsautomator.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Generate Invoices from Airtable

> End-to-end walkthrough for automating invoice generation from Airtable records

Generate professional invoices from Airtable records with line items, automatic PDF delivery, and email distribution.

## What You'll Build

By the end of this guide, you will have an automation that:

* Generates a branded PDF invoice from an Airtable record
* Includes line items pulled from a linked table
* Saves the PDF back to your Airtable record
* Optionally emails the invoice to your client

## Prerequisites

* A DocsAutomator account ([sign up here](https://app.docsautomator.co))
* An Airtable account with a base containing your invoice data
* A Google account for creating the template

## Step-by-Step Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the Google Doc Template">
    Create a new Google Doc that will serve as your invoice template. Add placeholders using the `{{placeholder}}` syntax for fields that will be filled dynamically.

    **Example template placeholders:**

    | Section         | Placeholder              | Purpose           |
    | --------------- | ------------------------ | ----------------- |
    | Header          | `{{company_name}}`       | Your company name |
    | Header          | `{{image_company_logo}}` | Company logo      |
    | Invoice details | `{{invoice_number}}`     | Unique invoice ID |
    | Invoice details | `{{invoice_date}}`       | Date of invoice   |
    | Invoice details | `{{due_date}}`           | Payment due date  |
    | Client info     | `{{client_name}}`        | Client's name     |
    | Client info     | `{{client_email}}`       | Client's email    |
    | Client info     | `{{client_address}}`     | Client's address  |
    | Totals          | `{{subtotal}}`           | Sum before tax    |
    | Totals          | `{{tax}}`                | Tax amount        |
    | Totals          | `{{total}}`              | Final amount due  |

    **Line items table:**

    Add a table row with line item placeholders:

    ```
    {{line_items_1}}{{description}}  {{quantity}}  {{unit_price}}  {{amount}}
    ```

    <Tip>
      Browse the [Template Gallery](https://docsautomator.co/templates/) for pre-built invoice templates you can use as a starting point.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Prepare Your Airtable Base">
    Structure your Airtable base with two tables:

    **Invoices table (primary):**

    * Invoice Number (formula using `RECORD_ID()` or custom numbering)
    * Client Name (single line text or linked record)
    * Client Email (email field)
    * Client Address (long text)
    * Invoice Date (date)
    * Due Date (date)
    * Subtotal, Tax, Total (formula/currency fields)
    * PDF (attachment field for generated documents)
    * Document Name (formula: e.g., `"Invoice-" & {Invoice Number}`)

    **Line Items table (linked):**

    * Description (single line text)
    * Quantity (number)
    * Unit Price (currency)
    * Amount (formula: `{Quantity} * {Unit Price}`)
    * Invoice (linked record to Invoices table)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create the Automation in DocsAutomator">
    1. Click **+ New Automation** in your DocsAutomator dashboard
    2. Give it a name like "Client Invoices"
    3. Select **Airtable** as the data source
    4. Connect your Airtable account if not already connected
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the Template">
    Select your Google Doc invoice template, or choose one from the Template Gallery. DocsAutomator will scan the template and detect all placeholders automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select Base, Table, and Configure Output">
    1. Choose your Airtable **Base** and **Invoices** table as the primary table
    2. Set the **Document Name** field (e.g., your "Document Name" formula field)
    3. Set the **Attachment field** to your "PDF" field where generated invoices will be saved
    4. Enable **Overwrite attachment** if you want regeneration to replace existing PDFs
  </Step>

  <Step title="Map Fields and Line Items">
    **Primary field mapping:**

    Map each template placeholder to its corresponding Airtable field. For example:

    * `{{invoice_number}}` to the Invoice Number field
    * `{{client_name}}` to the Client Name field
    * `{{total}}` to the Total field

    <Info>
      Use the **AI Field Mapping** button to automatically suggest mappings based on placeholder and field names.
    </Info>

    **Line item mapping:**

    1. Select the linked field connecting to your Line Items table
    2. Choose the view that determines sort order
    3. Map line item placeholders to columns:
       * `description` to Description
       * `quantity` to Quantity
       * `unit_price` to Unit Price
       * `amount` to Amount
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate a Preview">
    Select an existing Airtable record and click **Preview** to generate a sample invoice. Verify that:

    * All placeholders are replaced correctly
    * Line items appear in the table
    * Formatting looks correct (currency, dates, etc.)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure Output Actions">
    Set up post-generation actions:

    * **Save PDF to Airtable**: Already configured via the attachment field
    * **Send Email** (optional): Enable email sending, set the recipient to `{{client_email}}`, customize the subject line (e.g., `Invoice #{{invoice_number}} from {{company_name}}`), and write your email body with placeholders
    * **Save to Google Drive** (optional): Choose a Drive folder for archival

    <Tip>
      Use [conditional email sending](/features/actions-after-document-generation/send-email#conditional-email-sending) to only email invoices when a specific field (e.g., "Status") equals "Approved".
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set Up the Trigger">
    Choose how invoices are generated:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="Button Field (Free Plan)">
        Copy the webhook URL from DocsAutomator and paste it into a Button field in your Invoices table. Clicking the button generates the invoice instantly.
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Automation Script (Paid Plan)">
        Copy the automation script from DocsAutomator and paste it into an Airtable Automation. Set the trigger to "When record matches conditions" (e.g., Status = "Ready to Send").
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Example Template Layout

Here is a simplified view of how your invoice template might look:

```
{{company_name}}
{{image_company_logo}}

INVOICE
Invoice #: {{invoice_number}}
Date: {{invoice_date}}
Due: {{due_date}}

Bill To:
{{client_name}}
{{client_address}}

| Description | Qty | Unit Price | Amount |
|-------------|-----|------------|--------|
| {{line_items_1}}{{description}} | {{quantity}} | {{unit_price}} | {{amount}} |

Subtotal: {{subtotal}}
Tax: {{tax}}
Total: {{total}}
```

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Nested Line Items" icon="layer-group" href="/features/line-items/nested-line-items">
    Add sub-items within line items for detailed breakdowns
  </Card>

  <Card title="Grouping + Calculations" icon="calculator" href="/features/line-items/line-items-grouping-+-calculations">
    Group line items by category with subtotals
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conditional Content" icon="code-branch" href="/features/advanced-placeholder-options/conditional-show-hide">
    Show or hide sections based on data values
  </Card>

  <Card title="E-Signatures" icon="signature" href="/features/docsautomator-esign">
    Add signature fields for client approval
  </Card>
</CardGroup>