How to automatically create a new invoice in QuickBooks when a contract is signed?

How can I configure the automation?

Note: To proceed with the automation setup, you must establish the connection between your Contractbook and QuickBooks account. You can find our guide about these steps here.

• The event that will trigger this automated workflow is all signees' complete signature of the sales contract. 
• Here is a short video tutorial on the automation setup, and a step-by-step guide follows right after:

• Click on Automations tab from the main menu and then on the blue button Create new at the upper right-hand corner.

You will be redirected to a pop-up window where you can customize the automation's setup.

How can I configure the trigger event?

• The first thing you need to do is set the trigger event for the automation to be executed.
• To begin with, in our example, select the Contract is signed trigger from the drop-down menu:

• This will automatically open a configuration window to the right in which you can define which contract should initiate the automation.
• You can assign the trigger to every contract, only a contract drafted from a specific template or a particular contract.
• Learn how to create centralized automation running across the entire team's accounts here:

• We will use every contract drafted from a specific template for our automation flow.
• If you have selected the same option as we did, you can then use the search bar below to find the template you want to use as a base for the automation trigger event:

• If you have several templates sharing the same name, click on the small eye icon, and the document will directly open for your review.
• After choosing the correct file, you can select which signature should start the automation.
• This extra configuration enables you to pick whether the automation trigger should be executed after each time a signee completes a signature added to the contract (Every signature) or only after the last signature that defines the contract as fully signed is completed (Final signature).
• Use the drop-down list to select the option to define whether creating or updating a QuickBooks invoice record should happen after each signature is added to the chosen contract or only after the last one.
• In our use case, we will choose the Final signature option under the automation setup and expect all required signatures to be added first for the signed contract to trigger the QuickBooks invoice record creation:

• After completing the trigger event configuration, you can confirm all customizations by clicking on Save, and the next step in the automation setup will be displayed.

How can I configure the action event?

• This step covers the action that the trigger event you have just defined will automate.
• You can use the search bar to locate the option Create QuickBooks invoice:

• A new configuration window will appear on the right side of the screen. Here you can define the new QuickBooks invoice configuration, including Customer details and Invoice items.
• All properties can be manually inserted or fetched from the Data fields available in the signed contract.
• Creating your QuickBooks invoices can be done automatically based on contract data:
  
• The configuration of all invoice details is entirely customizable and easy to follow.
• Keep reading for guidelines on completing this configuration. 

How do I define customer details?

• The first configuration type is Customer Details. Under this section, you can start by pulling the basic customer contact details, including the Name, Mobile phone, Email address, and Currency of the new invoice, which will only affect new Customers and not existing ones.

Note: The customer details will be overwritten if this name already exists in your QuickBooks account.

• You can manually type in any text input or use variables (Data fields) from the template used in the trigger event step ("Contract is signed") and auto-populating their values.
  • You can do that by searching and populating the variables across the respective fields of each section under the Customer Details in the Automation Builder:

• You can use any Parties or Signees' variables and define which specific Signee in the required signatures' sequence to use for the auto-population customer details.
• Once you have filled in the Customer details of the QuickBooks invoice record, click Save.
• The main profile data will now be used as a link with your Contractbook document to create a new invoice in your QuickBooks bookkeeping system automatically.

How do I use the invoice Item data?

• Once you are done with the Customer Details of the configuration, you can then move to the Invoice Items:

• The primary purpose of the Invoice Items is to allow you to create of a complete invoice by manually typing in information or automatically populating Party/Signee, Document Owner details, or Data fields from the template chosen under the first step of the automation setup.
• Note: You can add as many Invoice Items as needed, but at least one item is required.
• You can add any additional step in the Automation configuration. For example, you can automatically create a new Custom task in the signed document after the new invoice creation in QuickBooks. For more automation examples and inspiration, click here.

How do I utilize the Details tab to use Party or Signee variables in my automation?

• You can always use any Party or Signee variable in the automation configuration. 
• This helps you deliver essential details to the new QuickBooks invoice record fetched directly from the associated with any contract Signee information.
• Once you have filled in the details in the last Invoice Item you want to include, click Save to complete the entire Automation setup.

How can I start using my new QuickBooks automation?

Once you have all invoice details you want to customize completed, click on Save to confirm the configuration of the complete automation and then Publish in the upper right-hand corner to set it into active use.

How can I rename the automation?

• You can always rename the automation and its steps as you find fit by clicking on the small pen icon next to the generic title in the upper left-hand corner.
• In the example we are working with, let us call it "QuickBooks Sales automation":

How can I delete an action in the Automation Builder?

• At the bottom of each action configuration window, you have the option to delete only this specific action and not the complete automation:

How can I use the activity feed of my automation?

• If you click on the three grey dots next to the status toggle bar, you will be able to open, rename, delete, duplicate, or see the activity feed of the automated configuration steps:

How can I check the result of the automation?

• Below, you can find video guidance on the test performance and a step-by-step description of the process that will follow right after: 

• For the test to be performed, you need to find the template you used in the trigger event of the automation setup, then first save the template as a new draft, turn it into a contract by initiating the signature process, then first sign it on your behalf and then entirely by completing the signature of the relevant additional signees.
• You can start by testing the workflow without sending it to an external party.
• You can be the only Signee ("Only me") to achieve that.

Note: As mentioned above, you need to ensure that all relevant data points you want to add or update in your invoice in QuickBooks are available in the signed document in the form of Signee/Party details, Document owner details, or Data fields.

• As soon as the contract has been fully signed, go to your documents overview and check the Notifications under your account.
• The status of the automation will be listed there as either successful or failed:

How can I fix a failed automation? 

• If the automation fails, you can access the detailed view by clicking on the failed notification in the list.
• In this view, you can identify the reason for the failure by expanding the failure to run details.
• You can then use the information found there to change the automation from the configuration settings.

How does a new QuickBooks invoice get created?

• If your automation has run successfully, you can head back to your QuickBooks platform and refresh the Sales (Transactions - AllSales) page under your company's account.
• A new invoice will be available among your list of invoices:

• The new invoice record will be created with the same properties you configured under the automation setup.
• All related customer and invoice data will be prefilled in reference to all defined data fields of the signed contract data.  
• The final amount of the invoice will match the calculation of Amount x Quantity you have defined in the Invoice item field of the Automation Builder, and the currency will be the one you have specifically chosen:

• The new QuickBooks invoice is now completed and includes the specified data points. Variables are fetched directly from the fully signed sales agreement, which triggers the automation flow. 

Now that you have tested using Contractbook in-app integration with QuickBooks across your automations, you are ready to save time and scale your business by automatically creating a new or updating an existing invoice record in QuickBooks each time an agreement in Contractbook is fully signed: no more manual work and risk of errors.

If you need additional information or assistance, contact us anytime via our Online Support Chat or email.