How to Create an Invoice and Add Items from the Library
Learn how to create a new invoice and add products, services, and timelogs from your project library.
Written By Gemma DeMasi
Last updated About 1 month ago
Invoices can be created manually or generated automatically from approved estimates. Once created, invoices allow you to bill products, services, freight, fees, and tracked time from a single workflow.
The invoice editor shares many of the same tools and layout patterns as estimates, including sections, client visibility settings, and item organization.
Before You Start
Before adding invoice items, always select the correct:
Client
Project
Selecting these first ensures that:
Project-specific library items load correctly
Timelogs are associated with the correct project
Billing and display settings populate properly
Client-facing information is accurate
Creating a New Invoice
Navigate to Finances > Invoices.
Click New Invoice.
Select the client and project.
The invoice editor will open.
Invoices save automatically as drafts while you work.
Invoice Numbering
Invoice numbers are assigned sequentially and can be edited manually if needed.
If an invoice is automatically generated from an approved estimate, the estimate title does not automatically carry over to the invoice. You can rename or edit the invoice number directly from the top-left area of the invoice editor.
Adding Items from the Library
Click Add from Library inside the invoice editor to open the item library panel.
The library includes three billing sources:
Products — Physical products, furnishings, and materials
Services — Design fees, consulting services, retainers, or billable service templates
Timelogs — Tracked project time entries
Adding Product Items
The Products tab allows you to invoice physical goods and project materials.
You can:
Search by product name
Filter by project
Filter by vendor
Filter by category
Filter by location
Filter by status
Select the products you want to invoice and click Add to Invoice.
Adding Services
The Services tab is used for billing service-based work such as design fees, consulting, procurement services, retainers, or flat-fee billing.
Service items can be added directly to the invoice as billable line items without needing associated product inventory.
Adding Timelogs
The Timelogs tab allows you to invoice tracked project time.
You can:
Search by title, memo, or task
Filter by project
Filter by team member
Filter by billable or non-billable entries
Filter by date range
Group entries by date
Time logs can only be added to invoices — not estimates.
After adding timelogs, you can edit the line item titles and descriptions directly inside the invoice editor before sending the invoice to the client.
Hide Already-Invoiced Items
The library panel includes a Hide already-invoiced items option.
When enabled, items that were previously added to another invoice for the project are hidden from the list to help prevent duplicate billing.
Adding Manual Line Items
You can also create one-off charges manually by selecting Add Line Item directly inside the invoice editor.
This is useful for:
Custom fees
Shipping adjustments
Miscellaneous charges
Items not stored in the library
Reviewing Client Visibility
Before sending the invoice, review the client-facing display settings carefully.
Invoice export settings control:
Which pricing columns are visible
Whether markup appears
Whether descriptions and specifications are shown
Section totals and summary visibility
Terms, notes, and payment schedules
Always preview the invoice before sending it to the client.
Estimate-to-Invoice Conversion
Important: When an estimate is approved by the client, an invoice is automatically created from the approved items.
The generated invoice becomes visible to the client immediately, so it is important to review:
Invoice settings
Display visibility
Payment schedules
Terms and conditions
Line item details
If an estimate is only partially approved, only the approved items convert to the invoice.
Important Limitations
Time logs can only be added to invoices, not estimates.
PDF visibility settings are not saved automatically.
Products without assigned vendors will not generate purchase orders later in the workflow.
What Happens Next?
After invoice items are added, teams commonly:
Configure invoice display settings
Add payment schedules or terms
Export a PDF preview
Send the invoice to the client
Track payments and approvals