Invoice smart fields let you automatically display primary invoice details in your contracts. Add them to a contract template, and when the contract is applied to a project, the smart fields fill in with the details from the project's primary invoice -- details like invoice total, package names, payment plan, and other details.
Add invoice smart fields to a contract template
Invoice smart fields are inserted through the form builder's text editor. You can add them to any contract template — or create a new one if you haven't already. For a walkthrough of building a contract template from scratch, see Build a contract or sub-agreement template.
Navigate to Forms ➔ Form templates.
Open the contract template you want to edit.
Drag a Text Box element onto the form, or click it to add it.
Double-click the text box to open the text editor.
In the text editor toolbar, click Smart fields ➔ Invoice.
Select the invoice smart field you want to insert.
Click Save form.
You can insert multiple invoice smart fields into the same text box. Place your cursor where you want the next field and repeat the process.
Once you add the contract to a project that has an invoice, open the contract from the project's Forms tab to see the smart fields filled in. Select the contract from the All forms list and a preview appears alongside it. You can also click the contract's title in the Project info sidebar and select Open in new tab to view it in full.
Invoice smart fields
The Invoice category under Smart fields contains twelve fields, each pulling its data from the primary invoice on the project. The most commonly used ones are:
Invoice total (with tax) — The full invoice total including any applied tax. Use this when you want to confirm the complete amount the client owes.
Invoice subtotal — The invoice total before tax is applied.
Amount remaining — The unpaid balance on the invoice. Useful when partial payment has already been made.
Full invoice table — A table showing the name, description, quantity, price, and total for each line item.
Item names & descriptions — The name and description of each line item, without pricing columns.
Item names — Only the name of each line item.
Payment plan — A table showing each installment's due date and amount due.
A few additional fields you might find useful: Amount paid, Amount discounted, Total tax amount, Invoice number, and Invoice title.
For the complete list of all smart field categories available in Dubsado, see the smart field reference guide.
Show which packages were chosen
If you use proposals with package selections, invoice smart fields within the contract can automatically show which packages the client chose.
Full invoice table generates a table with the name, description, quantity, price, and total for each line item. This works well for custom quotes or invoices with multiple packages where you want the full picture reflected in the contract.
Item names & descriptions shows the name and description of each line item without the pricing columns. Use this when you want to reference what was selected without surfacing specific pricing in the contract body.
Item names shows only the name of each line item. This works well when there is a single line item or when you want a clean, minimal reference to the selected package.
If the language of your contract changes significantly based on the package selected, consider creating a separate proposal for each package so you can attach a dedicated contract to each one.
Show a payment plan breakdown
If your invoice includes a payment plan, it's common to reflect that schedule in the contract. The Payment plan smart field generates a table showing each installment's due date and amount due. Add it to a text box in your contract template and it will populate automatically when the contract is applied to a project with a payment plan on the primary invoice.
FAQ
I added invoice smart fields to my template, but they are not filling in.
Invoice smart fields pull from the primary invoice on the project. If the fields are blank after adding the contract to a project, check that the project has a primary invoice and that the relevant details — totals, line items, or a payment plan — are present on it.
What if I have more than one invoice on a project?
Invoice smart fields only pull from the primary invoice. If you have multiple invoices on the project, check the project's invoicing section to see which one is marked as primary.
When viewing all invoices within a project, a Primary tag is displayed next to the primary invoice's invoice number. If you need to change which invoice is marked as primary, head to the project's Invoicing tab, select any non-primary invoice, and click the three dots icon (...) ➔ Make this Invoice Primary.
How does this work if I attach the contract to a proposal?
When a proposal is added to a project, a primary invoice is created if one does not already exist. When the client submits the proposal, any packages they selected are added to the primary invoice immediately. The invoice details are ready before the client views the contract, so all smart fields fill in correctly.
What happens if I edit the primary invoice after adding the contract to a project?
So long as the contract has not been signed by the client or countersigned by you, the invoice smart fields contained within the contract should update to reflect any changes you've made to the primary invoice.
What if there are changes to the project after the contract is signed or countersigned?
The contract cannot be edited or updated once it has been signed or countersigned. To communicate and formalize changes with your client, use a sub-agreement.