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Tasks > Invoice numbering

Tasks

Invoice numbering

Time needed: About 5 minutes

Why numbering matters

Many countries require invoices to have unique, sequential numbers for tax compliance. BridgeSync automatically assigns sequential numbers to invoices, credit notes, and packing slips.

How numbering works

BridgeSync uses separate sequential counters for each document type:

Document Number format Example
Invoice INV-{YYYY}-{counter} INV-2026-0001
Credit note CRN-{YYYY}-{counter} CRN-2026-0001
Packing slip PS-{YYYY}-{counter} PS-2026-0001

Each counter increments independently. When you generate an invoice, only the invoice counter increases.

Configure filename patterns

Filename patterns control both the document number that appears on the PDF and the filename when the PDF is stored.

  1. Go to PDF Invoices → Storage in your WordPress sidebar
  2. Find the Filename patterns section on the right side
  3. Edit the patterns for each document type:
    • Invoice filename pattern
    • Credit note filename pattern
    • Packing slip filename pattern
  4. Watch the Live preview update as you type
  5. Click Save changes
Storage and filename pattern settings for PDF documents

Available tokens

Use these tokens to build your filename patterns:

Token What it shows Example
{invoice_number} Full invoice number INV-2026-0001
{credit_number} Full credit note number CRN-2026-0001
{packing_number} Full packing slip number PS-2026-0001
{order_number} WooCommerce order number 1234
{YYYY} 4-digit year 2026
{YY} 2-digit year 26
{MM} 2-digit month 01-12
{DD} 2-digit day 01-31

Example patterns

Goal Pattern Output
Simple with year invoice-{invoice_number}.pdf invoice-INV-2026-0001.pdf
Include order number invoice-{order_number}-{invoice_number}.pdf invoice-1234-INV-2026-0001.pdf
Year-month prefix {YYYY}-{MM}-{invoice_number}.pdf 2026-01-INV-2026-0001.pdf
Compact format INV{YY}{MM}{DD}-{order_number}.pdf INV260126-1234.pdf

Reset to defaults

If you want to restore the original filename patterns:

  1. Go to PDF Invoices → Storage
  2. Find the Filename patterns section
  3. For each pattern field, delete the current value and enter:
    • Invoice: invoice-{invoice_number}.pdf
    • Credit note: creditnote-{credit_number}.pdf
    • Packing slip: packing-slip-{packing_number}.pdf
  4. Click Save changes

Or, run the Setup Wizard again (PDF Invoices → Setup Wizard) and click "Restore defaults" on Step 5.

Verify it works

  1. Go to PDF Invoices → Dashboard
  2. Check the Next filenames (preview) section on the right
  3. You'll see previews of the next filename for each document type
  4. Generate a test invoice from any order to confirm

Verify

Success: New invoices get sequential numbers automatically, and filenames match your configured pattern.

Important notes

  • Don't change patterns mid-year if your accounting requires consistent numbering
  • Sequential numbers never reset unless you run database maintenance
  • Gaps in numbers can occur if documents are deleted (this is normal and legally acceptable in most jurisdictions)
  • If you need to reset or adjust counters, contact support