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Invoice Numbering

FlowForth uses sequential numbering for invoices and credit notes. A real number is assigned the moment you create a document, ensuring a continuous, audit-compliant sequence.

How It Works​

  • When you create an invoice, the next available number is assigned automatically — there is no placeholder. The series is chosen from the client type: business clients use the INV- series, individual (consumer) clients use the INV-I- series.
  • Business invoice numbers follow the format INV-00001, INV-00002, etc. (zero-padded to 5 digits).
  • Free-profession clients (doctors, lawyers, notaries, etc.) are business clients, so they use the business INV- series — even though their invoices are delivered by email only rather than via Peppol. Their email-only delivery does not change their numbering. See Non-Business Clients for the Traditional vs Free Profession distinction.
  • Individual (consumer) invoice numbers use a separate series: INV-I-00001, INV-I-00002, etc. See Non-Business Clients for details.
  • Credit note numbers follow the format CN-00001, CN-00002, etc., and are assigned when the credit note is created.
  • Numbers auto-increment — each new document gets the next number in its respective sequence.
  • Numbers are unique per organization.

Provisional Until Sent​

A draft's number is provisional until the document is sent:

  • If you delete a draft, its number is released back into the pool and re-used by the next document in the same series — keeping each series gap-free with no abandoned holes. The next document you create reclaims the lowest available released number before the counter advances again.
  • Because a deleted draft's number can be recycled to a different document (and potentially a different client), a draft number is not yet final. A draft is still clearly marked as a draft in the app, so an exported preview is never mistaken for an issued document.
  • Only when you send an invoice does its number become permanent. A number that has been on a sent document is never released or re-used — the issued sequence stays gapless and immutable.
tip

There is no "cancel" action. To dispose of a document that has not been sent, delete the draft (its number is freed for re-use). To reverse a document that has already been sent, issue a credit note.

Configuring the Starting Number​

If you're migrating from another invoicing system or need to align with your existing numbering, you can set the next number to be assigned.

Step-by-Step​

  1. Navigate to Settings > Integrations > E-Invoicing / Peppol.
  2. In the Invoice Numbering section, you'll see:
    • Next Invoice Number — The number that will be assigned to the next business invoice you create (unless a released number is re-used first).
    • Next Credit Note Number — The number that will be assigned to the next credit note you create.
    • Next Individual Invoice Number — The number that will be assigned to the next invoice you create for an Individual (consumer) client, formatted as INV-I-XXXXX.
  3. Update the values as needed. A live preview shows the formatted number (e.g., INV-00100).
  4. Click Save.

Before You Begin​

You need the Organization Admin role to change numbering settings.

tip

Only change the starting number before creating your first invoice, or if you need to continue from a specific number after migrating. Changing it after invoices have been created could create gaps or confusion in your records.

What's Next?​

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