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LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Now you can spice up your brand with your own custom invoice template. In just a few steps, you will be able to import styles that bring enhanced flexibility to your invoices and let your brand shine!

 

Step 1 – Make sure you have enabled Import Styles in QuickBooks Labs

       1.  Click on the Gear icon in the upper right corner and select QuickBooks Labs 

 

il1.png

 

       2. Scroll down the screen and toggle the switch for Import Styles to On.

 

2018-04-18_10-57-58.png

 

       3. Click the blue Done button.

 

 

Step 2 – Create your template in Word

 

Following these tips will make sure that your forms look their best when you import them into QuickBooks Online: 

 

  • Indicate which fields that you want QuickBooks to map data to by marking it with opening and closing angle brackets “<“and “>”  Refer to the EZ Map Field list below to find out which QuickBooks fields you can use in your imported templates.

    2018-04-19_9-48-52.jpg

 

  • Don’t mark data that doesn’t change - information like your company name, address, and contact information stays the same, so there’s no need to mark them on your forms.
  • For us to upload your style successfully, you will need to use one of our supported fonts:
    o Arial Unicode MS
    o Courier, Courier Bold, Courier Oblique, Courier Bold-Oblique
    o Helvetica, Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Oblique, Helvetica Bold-Oblique
    o Times Roman, Times Bold, Times Italic, Times Bold-Italic
    o Symbol
    o Zapf Dingbats
  • Technical note: fields that are independent from each other and don’t repeat are known as Scalar Fields. Examples of Scalar Fields include invoice numbers, invoice due dates, and total invoice amount. In contrast, Table Fields are fields that go together as part of a larger objects and repeat, such as fields in the Activity Table or Account Summary on invoice.

     

  • In order to make Import Styles work for you, follow these best practices:
    Scalar Fields can be placed inside text boxes or tables. However, Scalar and Table fields should NOT be part of the same table.

tables.png

  • Table Fields must always be placed inside tables
  • Table Fields in the first non-header row of a table are repeated until all rows in your invoice are rendered. All other rows are ignored
  • Formatting of the first non-header row repeats on all rows. Don’t be surprised by this
  • Avoid the following elements as they will not transfer correctly/cause issues with your import:

          o Audio

          o ClipArt, Word Art
          o Animated GIFS
          o Embedded files
          o Adding or updating hidden links or merging fields
          o Files over 2MB
          o Non .docx file types or older MS Word documents renamed as .docx files 

 

 

Step 3 – Import your template into QuickBooks Online

 

To import your customer template, follow these steps: 

 

       1. Click on the Gear icon in the upper right corner and select Custom Form Styles

2018-04-19_10-08-19.jpg

         

       2. Click the arrow next to New style and select Import style.

2018-04-19_10-10-19.jpg

  

       3. Select a form type and click the upload field to select your template file. If you already have a design in docx (MS Word 2010+) format, you may directly proceed to the next step. If you want to start from scratch, we suggest that you download a sample template and modify it according to your needs.

       4. Click Next to upload your document. 

 

The uploaded document is analyzed and scanned for marked fields prior to mapping. 

 

 

 Received an error during uploading?  Don’t worry, here’s how to fix it:

Error code

What does it mean?

How can I fix it?

size_validation_error

Your file is too large to upload

Your document must be less than 2MB

extension_format_error

The file you selected isn’t of a type we support

Try uploading a Microsoft Office 2010 (*.docx) file

 

 

 Step 4 – Map marked areas in your document to QuickBooks data fields

 

Once the upload is complete, QuickBooks will make an initial pass at mapping fields using an algorithm that tries to predict the most applicable data with the marked areas on your template.


It’s important to review each field to make sure that the mapped fields from your template correspond to the correct fields in QuickBooks Online.

 

Each marked section on your document will have a number next to it, this corresponds with the number on your invoice preview. As an example, note the numbering and mapping of fields highlighted below:

2018-04-19_12-25-40.jpg

 

 

As you can see in the image, some of the fields are not correctly mapped.  To change the mapping you can either:

  • Click on the drop down for the line you want to change and scroll through until you find the mapping you want
    2018-04-19_10-37-33.jpg

 

  •  Type the word that you know corresponds to the mapping in the drop down and select from the list – for example, type in “Total” and it will only show fields that contain the word in them.2018-04-19_10-39-05.jpg

 

 Once everything is linked correctly and looks good, go ahead and click the Next button at the bottom of the screen and you will be able to see a preview of your invoice. 


If you are happy with the way everything looks, simply click Save and type in a name for your new style. Your new style is now ready to use!

 

Errors during mapping? 

Error code

What does it mean?

How can I fix it?

Fetching preview failed

An attempt to create a preview of your style failed

Check for angle brackets applied in the wrong place or applied incorrectly. Try to reduce fields marked with angle brackets until Preview succeeds and then add them back in one at a time to isolate the mapping error.

Save Mapping failed

The selected mappings could not be saved

Please try again or contact support

No Mapping found

The mapping wizard could not find any field that required mapping

Please mark at least one data element on your template with chevrons in order for mapping to work

Multiple Page Document

The document uploaded has multiple pages

Please restrict the Style to a single page document

 

 

Step 5 – Use your custom style invoice

Using your new custom template is as easy as creating the invoice as normal, then clicking on Customize at the bottom of your screen and choosing the saved custom template. 

2018-04-19_13-51-16.jpg

 

 FAQs

 

If you have any questions, we’re here to help! We’ve put together answers to some common questions to get you back to business quickly.

 

"We can't display a preview.  Please correct your mappings in the previous steps and try again" 

Certain fields are expected to be inside tables. For example line item information like Quantity, Product, and Price are tabular and should be inside tables. Please make sure while mapping that these fields are mapped to fields inside tables in style being imported.

 

Some data is not appearing in the printed or preview document.  Why?

We use settings in your Standard form style to decide how data is handled and presented in your imported templates. Please enable the desired settings in your standard style by following the steps below:

 

  1. Click the Gear Icon then select Custom Form Styles.
  2. Locate your Standard template, then click Edit.
  3. Enable your desired settings, and click Save.

 

Your data should now appear in your imported style.

 

It’s also important to note that if you do not add mappings to your style for your invoice field, that data will not be displayed on your forms later. For example, if you do not map a field for “Shipping Charge Value”, shipping costs will not appear on your form regardless of if you have entered them on your invoice

 

Are there any restrictions on what I can upload?

Only word (.docx) documents under 2MB can be uploaded to QuickBooks.

 

Can I upload a style with multiple pages?

Yes

 

Can I download my imported form style?

Currently, you cannot download the style that was imported. We recommend that you save a local copy of the template you imported, and take a quick note of the mappings you selected.

 

Do I have to have a field mapped to import a style?

Yes. The style you want to import should have at least one field that has to be mapped to data.

 

I see a blank screen after mapping
This situation can occur if the final output cannot be formed. This can happen due to any of the following reasons
* incorrect mapping
* Incorrect use of Table (ex. Some Table Fields are left empty)
* When EZ Map Keys for Tables are used they must always start after a table's header row
* Typos (ex. missing braces)

 

Why is my Table row tall?
Import Styles uses the properties of first non-header row of a table to format other rows in the same table. Please adjust your column widths and try again.

Do you support import for other form templates?
Currently, we only support import for Invoice & Estimates templates in US Region, but we’re exploring other form types to support as well.

I need more data fields to be mapped
EZ Map Field catalog lists all data that can be mapped from QBO. Fields not present in this catalog can't be mapped into Templates. Please provide feedback through help widget to request for more fields

 

Solved
Best answer April 19, 2018

Best Answers
LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

 

Reference this list while mapping your fields to decide exactly what information you want in your style, and where you’d like to put it.


Standalone Fields – Company Information

These fields contain your company information and should not be placed inside of tables. Since this information doesn’t change often, we recommend that you enter this information directly into your template as static text.

 

QuickBooks Field

Field Description

Company Name

Your company name from settings

Company Address

Your company address from settings

Company Tax Identification Number

Your company Tax ID from settings

Company Business Identification Number

Your company Business Identification Number from settings

Company Email

Your company email

Company Phone

Your company phone number

Company Website

Your company website

 

Standalone Fields – Customer information

These fields contain information about your customers, and should not be placed inside of tables.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<customername>

Customer name

Invoice & Estimates

<billingaddress>

Billing address

Invoice & Estimates

<duedate>

Due Date/Expiry Date

Invoice & Estimates

<billingtaxnumber>

Customer's Tax Registration number

Invoice & Estimates

<shippingaddress>

Shipping address

Invoice & Estimates

<shipdate>

Ship date

Invoice & Estimates

<shipvia>

Delivery/Ship via information

Invoice & Estimates

<trackingno>

Tracking number

Invoice & Estimates

 

Invoice Fields

Fields below are other common Scalar Fields (non-repeatable fields) which apply to Invoices

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<message>

Message displayed in invoice

Invoice & Estimates

<duedate>

Due Date

Invoice & Estimates

<invoiceno>

Invoice Number

Invoice & Estimates

<date>

Invoice Date

Invoice & Estimates

<terms>

Terms

Invoice & Estimates

<custom1>

Custom Field 1

Invoice & Estimates

<custom2>

Custom Field 2

Invoice & Estimates

<custom3>

Custom Field 3

Invoice & Estimates

<purchasesalelocation>

Place of Supply (POS)

Invoice & Estimates

<exchangerate>

Exchange Rate

Invoice & Estimates

 

Activity Table Fields

These fields are part of the activity table that make up the body of your invoice.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<srno>

Row number

Invoice & Estimates

<item>

Item/Product/Service

Invoice & Estimates

<itemdescription>

Item, Product or Service Description

Invoice & Estimates

<amount>

Amount/Line total

Invoice & Estimates

<qty>

Quantity

Invoice & Estimates

<rate>

Rate/Price

Invoice & Estimates

<servicedate>

Service date

Invoice & Estimates

<lineitemdiscount>

Discount

Invoice & Estimates

<tax>

Tax/Taxes

Invoice & Estimates

<sku>

SKU

Invoice only

<uqc>

Unit Code/UQC

Invoice only

<itemclassificationcode>

HSN/SAC

Invoice only

 

Tax Summary Fields

If you display tax summary on your invoices, use these fields to map your template.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<taxrate>

Tax rate

Invoice & Estimates

<taxamount>

Total tax amount

Invoice & Estimates

<taxhomeamount>

Total tax amount in home currency

Invoice & Estimates

<nethomeamount>

Net amount in home currency

Invoice & Estimates

<netamount>

Net Amount

Invoice & Estimates

 

Account Summary Fields

If you display account summary on your invoices, use these fields to map your template.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<accountsummaryamount>

Account summary amount/balance

Invoice only

<accountsummarydate>

Account summary date

Invoice only

<accountsummarydescription>

Account summary description

Invoice only

 

Subtotal Fields

These fields make up the subtotal section of your invoice. It is important to note that these sections must be part of a separate table and cannot be placed in the same table as your Activity Table. It’s important to map these fields carefully to ensure the accuracy of your generated forms. 

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<amountdue>

Total amount due/Balance due /Account balance

Invoice only

<dueamountinwords>

Amount due in words

Invoice only

<subtotal>

Subtotal

Invoice only

<discountbeforetax>

Discount before tax

Invoice only

<discountaftertax>

Discount after tax

Invoice only

<totaltax>

Total tax/taxes

Invoice only

<shippingcharge>

Shipping charges

Invoice only

<total>

Invoice total due

Invoice only

<amountpaid>

Amount Paid/Payment

Invoice only

<deposit>

Deposit/Pre-payment/Down payment

Invoice only

<totalofnewcharges>

Total Of New Charges

Invoice only

 

 

View solution in original post

161 Comments 161
LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

 

Reference this list while mapping your fields to decide exactly what information you want in your style, and where you’d like to put it.


Standalone Fields – Company Information

These fields contain your company information and should not be placed inside of tables. Since this information doesn’t change often, we recommend that you enter this information directly into your template as static text.

 

QuickBooks Field

Field Description

Company Name

Your company name from settings

Company Address

Your company address from settings

Company Tax Identification Number

Your company Tax ID from settings

Company Business Identification Number

Your company Business Identification Number from settings

Company Email

Your company email

Company Phone

Your company phone number

Company Website

Your company website

 

Standalone Fields – Customer information

These fields contain information about your customers, and should not be placed inside of tables.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<customername>

Customer name

Invoice & Estimates

<billingaddress>

Billing address

Invoice & Estimates

<duedate>

Due Date/Expiry Date

Invoice & Estimates

<billingtaxnumber>

Customer's Tax Registration number

Invoice & Estimates

<shippingaddress>

Shipping address

Invoice & Estimates

<shipdate>

Ship date

Invoice & Estimates

<shipvia>

Delivery/Ship via information

Invoice & Estimates

<trackingno>

Tracking number

Invoice & Estimates

 

Invoice Fields

Fields below are other common Scalar Fields (non-repeatable fields) which apply to Invoices

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<message>

Message displayed in invoice

Invoice & Estimates

<duedate>

Due Date

Invoice & Estimates

<invoiceno>

Invoice Number

Invoice & Estimates

<date>

Invoice Date

Invoice & Estimates

<terms>

Terms

Invoice & Estimates

<custom1>

Custom Field 1

Invoice & Estimates

<custom2>

Custom Field 2

Invoice & Estimates

<custom3>

Custom Field 3

Invoice & Estimates

<purchasesalelocation>

Place of Supply (POS)

Invoice & Estimates

<exchangerate>

Exchange Rate

Invoice & Estimates

 

Activity Table Fields

These fields are part of the activity table that make up the body of your invoice.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<srno>

Row number

Invoice & Estimates

<item>

Item/Product/Service

Invoice & Estimates

<itemdescription>

Item, Product or Service Description

Invoice & Estimates

<amount>

Amount/Line total

Invoice & Estimates

<qty>

Quantity

Invoice & Estimates

<rate>

Rate/Price

Invoice & Estimates

<servicedate>

Service date

Invoice & Estimates

<lineitemdiscount>

Discount

Invoice & Estimates

<tax>

Tax/Taxes

Invoice & Estimates

<sku>

SKU

Invoice only

<uqc>

Unit Code/UQC

Invoice only

<itemclassificationcode>

HSN/SAC

Invoice only

 

Tax Summary Fields

If you display tax summary on your invoices, use these fields to map your template.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<taxrate>

Tax rate

Invoice & Estimates

<taxamount>

Total tax amount

Invoice & Estimates

<taxhomeamount>

Total tax amount in home currency

Invoice & Estimates

<nethomeamount>

Net amount in home currency

Invoice & Estimates

<netamount>

Net Amount

Invoice & Estimates

 

Account Summary Fields

If you display account summary on your invoices, use these fields to map your template.

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<accountsummaryamount>

Account summary amount/balance

Invoice only

<accountsummarydate>

Account summary date

Invoice only

<accountsummarydescription>

Account summary description

Invoice only

 

Subtotal Fields

These fields make up the subtotal section of your invoice. It is important to note that these sections must be part of a separate table and cannot be placed in the same table as your Activity Table. It’s important to map these fields carefully to ensure the accuracy of your generated forms. 

 

EZ Map Field

Description

Can be used for

<amountdue>

Total amount due/Balance due /Account balance

Invoice only

<dueamountinwords>

Amount due in words

Invoice only

<subtotal>

Subtotal

Invoice only

<discountbeforetax>

Discount before tax

Invoice only

<discountaftertax>

Discount after tax

Invoice only

<totaltax>

Total tax/taxes

Invoice only

<shippingcharge>

Shipping charges

Invoice only

<total>

Invoice total due

Invoice only

<amountpaid>

Amount Paid/Payment

Invoice only

<deposit>

Deposit/Pre-payment/Down payment

Invoice only

<totalofnewcharges>

Total Of New Charges

Invoice only

 

 

lfeinstein
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

We have been getting an error everytime we go to add our custom invoice.  Quickbooks said it was a known issue.  Are you able to add your custom invoices?

LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

I just tested and was able to import a custom template.  What is the error message you are getting when you try to import into your QBO?  

lfeinstein
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

It goes through the process of importing and when it gets to the final step, I get an error:

 

Sorry, something happened.

- undefined

WE can't display a preview.  Please go to the previous screen and try again.

 

 I have attached my steps.  I spent hours on the phone with support and they told me its a known problem but this makes no sense.

 

Thanks,

Lisa

LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Lisa,

 

Hmm, that error makes me think it doesn't like something in the original source document and couldn't convert it.  

 

Would you be willing to share your original template file (Word doc) with me so I can try it on my system?  Most of the time when I got an error it was because I had something in my original document that the sytem couldn't convert.  

lfeinstein
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

We just got it to import! Now, I am just trying to figure out why some security blocks my admins from using custom forms.  Do you by chance know why that would be?

LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Thats great, so glad it imported for you!  

 

Are they being blocked from importing custom invoices or are they not seeing the Customize option in the Invoice page?  If it's the former, only Company and Master Administrators are enabled to Import Custom Forms. 

lfeinstein
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

They are being blocked from seeing the customize option.  I can't imagine why.

LisaNullar
Community Leader

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

In order to see the Customize option and be able to choose different invoice styles, a user needs to have permission to edit company information, you may want to double check the permissions for your users.   

 

 

 

ParkerIV
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

I don't have an option to import a new style, how can I gain access to that option? I have followed the steps but this is where I get stuck. 

 

Thank you! 

 

EmillyScreen Shot 2018-06-05 at 1.31.08 PM.png

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Hello,

 

Are you still having this issue?

 

Have you gone to the QuickBooks Labs and enabled custom import?

nm77
Level 1

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

I have included the following fields in the template (Subtotal.... Total of new charges).2.PNGBut I cannot see those fields when i add a new invoice. Capture.PNG

 

 

LA_Accountant
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

The fields located on the bottom portion of my imported invoice template are not showing on the field list.  How do I make those fields active?

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

you post a screenshot please?  It would greatly help if we could see the template.  Also which version of QuickBooks Online are you using?

LA_Accountant
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

We are using Quickbooks Online Accountant.

 

LA_Accountant
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Here is the Quickbooks Screenshot.  Showing only fields through 21 are imported.

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Hello,

A couple things I notice. I have outlined in screenshot in red.

<TotDue You're missing the end > it should be <TotDue> This might be causing QBO to not recognize it as a field that should be mapped.

 

Acct # Where is this info coming from? I see there is no place in the customer profile to assign a customer account number. Are you using once of the "Custom 1, 2 or 3" fields on the invoice form? If so, you need to actualy label it <Custom1> in the template becuase QBO doesn't know what you named the field.

 

<BillName>, <BillAddress>, etc. In QBO for the templates, it groups the customer name, address, city, state and zip into 1 big field called <BillingAddress>

 

I would try making these changes on the template and see if you're still having issues. If you are, please attach the MS Word doc to a comment or you can message me directly and I will import the template into a sample company I have and see if I can figure out where the issues is.

 

In addition to the marks on your template screenshot, I'm also including a screenshot of the sample invoice template available for download within the import feature so you can see how it comes with labels not changed in any way.

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Original template with no changes

StephiG72
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

i am struggling too! i spent 4 hours on this yesterday and I STILL cannot get the info to populate on my table.... :( see attached word tags see attached preview after "mapping" see Mapping items 5-9 can anyone help me?? -Sincerely, desperate A/P clerk...
StephiG72
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Field Mapping Screenshot

StephiG72
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Word Docx Tags

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

I sent you a PM.  Will take a closer look at your screenshots.

StephiG72
Level 2

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Thanks!!!

MarshallA
Intuit

Importing Custom Invoice Templates into QuickBooks Online

Hello,

I see a couple things with the screenshots you sent.  I need to attach other screenshots so I will have to spread across a couple replies.  The screenshot is from the default template you can download from QuickBooks Online.

 

1. There's no need to have the mapping fields listed across multiple line items.  You only need 1 row of each mapped field. Item, Description, Rate, QTY, etc.  

What you want to do is edit the line on the tabel to make sure its marked to Resize Line to fit contents.  That way when you add a 2nd line to the invoice, it will automatically add another line to the table.

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