From time entries to a client-ready invoice

An invoice should not be the first place where time is reviewed. Check dates, descriptions, client and project assignment, billable status, and privacy in the saved time record before generating a billing draft.

Pricing is configured separately. Verify the workspace, client, or project rate that applies to the period, especially after a contract change. An entry can be billable yet still ineligible for an invoice when no valid rate applies, when it has already been invoiced, or when it falls outside the selected period.

This separation protects the source record. Correct the time entry when the underlying work is wrong; edit the invoice line when the document needs a clearer presentation. Do not hide a time-record problem by changing only the final PDF.

Choose one client, the agreed billing period, and the grouping that matches the engagement. Timegeist then pulls eligible billable, priced, uninvoiced entries into an editable draft. It does not begin with a manual checklist where you select arbitrary entries one by one.

Review the boundary before editing lines. Confirm that the opening and closing dates match the contract, that no uninvoiced time from the prior period is missing, and that entries already billed are not duplicated. If work spans currencies or legal entities, separate the documents according to the commercial arrangement.

Grouping changes how the client reads the work. Daily detail can support transparent time-and-materials billing; project or activity grouping may suit a summary invoice. Choose deliberately, then keep enough underlying detail to answer a later question.

• Check that the invoice recipient is correct.
• Confirm issue and due dates.
• Review currency and tax treatment.
• Check the configured rate and grouping.
• Look for previously invoiced or out-of-period time.

A client needs enough detail to recognize the work without receiving private notes. Combine or rewrite lines when the engagement calls for a higher-level description, and use custom lines for fixed fees or agreed extras.

Preserve the connection to the work even when you simplify the wording. A line such as “Discovery and stakeholder interviews” is more useful than a list of internal reminders, but the underlying entries should still explain how the quantity was formed.

Custom lines are appropriate for a fixed fee, expense, credit, or agreed extra that is not represented by time. Label them clearly and avoid using them to compensate silently for missing or incorrectly priced entries. The document should be understandable without private workspace context.

Read quantity, unit price, subtotal, VAT, and grand total together. A correct-looking total can still be built from the wrong hours or rate. Compare the draft with the contract and with the saved report for the same client and period.

Check seller identity, client legal name, invoice number, currency, issue date, due date, payment instructions, and tax treatment. Timegeist can help produce the document, but it does not replace accounting or tax advice for your jurisdiction.

If a correction changes the commercial amount, make the reason explicit before sending. A short internal note about a rate change, credit, or excluded block will save time when the client replies or when the period is reviewed later.

Check seller and client details, numbering, totals, VAT, payment instructions, dates, and the PDF itself. Sending is a separate decision from drafting.

Timegeist can generate and email the invoice and record delivery or public-view state. Payment collection and bookkeeping reconciliation remain outside that workflow.

Open the generated PDF rather than assuming the editor and document are identical. Look for wrapped descriptions, unexpected page breaks, missing branding, and totals that are hard to scan. Send a test to yourself when the template or company details have changed.

After delivery, keep the invoice state aligned with what actually happened. A sent or viewed state confirms document activity, not payment. Record settlement in the accounting or banking workflow responsible for it, and preserve any replacement or credit-note process required by your business.