Beginner Guide

Your First Invoice in 5 Minutes

Step-by-step guide to generating your first AI-powered invoice. No signup, no setup, no learning curve. Just upload, review, download.

Start Now

What You'll Need

Contract or Agreement

Your client contract, SOW, retainer agreement, or engagement letter (PDF, image, or document)

Receipts (Optional)

Any reimbursable expenses: Uber, flights, hotels, meals, software, parking

Context (Optional)

Hours worked, project details, or any notes you want the AI to consider

File requirements: PDFs, PNG, JPG, JPEG supported • Maximum 10MB per file • Native PDFs, scanned documents, or photos all work

Step-by-Step Tutorial

Upload Everything (Don't Organize)

Drag ALL your files into one upload: contract PDF, timesheet screenshot, email receipts, scanned documents, photos—whatever you have. Don't organize it. Don't rename files. Don't format anything. Just dump it all in.

💡 Examples of What Works:

• Screenshot from Toggl: Weekly timesheet with client hours
• Email from United: Flight confirmation with price
• Photo of crumpled receipt: Restaurant bill from phone camera
• Scanned contract: Photocopied engagement letter from printer
• Slack screenshot: Client approving scope change and new rate
• Multiple formats at once: Mix PDFs, photos, screenshots—AI handles it

What happens now: If you uploaded images or scanned PDFs, OCR (optical character recognition) runs automatically. You'll see a progress indicator. This takes 5-10 seconds per image.

Add Context (Optional)

In the notes field, add any context the AI should know. This step is optional but helps accuracy.

Example messages:

"Worked 12 hours week of Oct 3, worked 10 hours week of Oct 10. Invoice for end of month."
"Project completed. Bill for full amount per contract. Due in 30 days."
"Monthly retainer + expenses. Include all attached receipts as reimbursables."

What to include: Hours worked, date ranges, special instructions, payment due date preferences. The AI reads this and incorporates it into the invoice.

Generate PDF

Click the black "Generate PDF" button. This triggers AI extraction and PDF generation.

What happens behind the scenes:

1. Preparing files → Converts images to text (if needed)
2. Extracting data → AI reads documents and extracts invoice fields
3. Generating PDF → Creates professional invoice with receipts attached

Total time: 10-15 seconds for typical invoice with 3-5 files

Toggle option: "Attach receipts to invoice" is ON by default. Turn it off if you don't want receipts appended to the PDF.

Review Extracted Data (Optional)

After extraction completes, you can review the data the AI extracted. This step is optional—the AI is 95%+ accurate.

What you can check:

• Client name and address
• Your (vendor) name and address
• Invoice number and dates
• Line items (description, quantity, rate, amount)
• Payment terms and instructions
• Reimbursable expenses

To edit: Click the "View/Edit JSON" button to see extracted data. Click any field to modify. Most users skip this—the AI gets it right.

Download & Send

Your invoice is ready! A PDF preview appears in your browser. Click "Download Invoice" to save it.

What's in the PDF:

✓ Professional header with your branding and client details
✓ Invoice number, date, due date
✓ Itemized services or time-based billing
✓ Reimbursable expenses section (if applicable)
✓ Subtotal, any taxes, grand total
✓ Payment instructions
✓ Receipts attached as additional pages (if enabled)

Next steps: Email the PDF to your client. Done! No separate attachments needed—receipts are already in the PDF.

Common First-Time Questions

What if I don't have a contract, just timesheets?▼

That's fine! Upload your timesheet and add context in the notes field: "Client: Acme Corp, Rate: $100/hr, worked 20 hours this month". The AI will generate an invoice from that.

Can I try it with sample documents first?▼

Yes! Click "Load Sample Documents" on the main page. This loads a demo contract and receipts so you can see how it works without using your own files.

What if the AI gets something wrong?▼

You can edit any extracted field before generating the PDF. Click "View/Edit JSON" to see all data. The AI is 95%+ accurate, but you have full control to correct anything.

Is my data secure? Who can see my documents?▼

Documents are encrypted in transit, processed securely, and automatically deleted after 24 hours. Only you can access your invoice. We don't train AI models on your data. Read our Privacy Policy.

How many invoices can I generate for free?▼

5 invoices per month on the free tier. Quotas reset on the 1st of each month. No credit card required. Most freelancers invoice 2-4 times per month, so the free tier covers typical usage.

What if my invoice hits the monthly limit?▼

You'll see a message indicating you've used all 5 free invoices. Your quota resets on the 1st of next month. (Paid tiers coming soon for higher volume users.)

What's Next?

Now that you've created your first invoice, explore these guides:

Invoice for Expenses

Detailed guide on reimbursement invoicing

Attach Receipts

How to include receipts in your PDF

Edit Before Generating

Using the JSON editor to modify data

Troubleshooting

Common issues and solutions

Ready to Create Your First Invoice?

Follow this guide and you'll have a professional invoice in 5 minutes.

Start Now - It's Free