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What it does

The Create Invoice step takes one of your invoice templates and generates a PDF with all variable placeholders replaced by real values from previous steps. The resulting PDF can then be:
  • Attached to an email in a subsequent Send Email step
  • Saved to a Google Drive folder

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When to use it

  • Generating affiliate payout invoices at the end of each month
  • Creating automated billing documents with live revenue data
  • Producing branded payment records to send alongside performance emails

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Template Types

AffZero supports two types of invoice templates:

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HTML Templates

Custom HTML and CSS that you design in the invoice template editor. Variables like {affiliate_name_1_stats_1} are placed directly in the HTML and are substituted at generation time. HTML templates offer full design control — custom fonts, colors, tables, and layouts. See HTML Invoice Templates for how to build one.

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Google Doc Templates

A Google Doc connected to your Google account. AffZero substitutes variable placeholders in the document and exports it as a PDF. Google Doc templates are useful if your team already manages invoice layouts in Google Docs or prefers a word-processor-style editing experience. See Google Doc Templates for setup instructions.

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Configuration

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Template

Select the invoice template to use. All templates you’ve created under Invoices appear here.

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Invoice Filename

Enter a filename for the generated PDF. You can use variables to create dynamic filenames: 
Invoice_{affiliate_name_1_stats_1}_{invoice_number}
This produces a file like Invoice_Acme Media_INV-2026-047.pdf.

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Save to Google Drive (optional)

Toggle this on to save the generated PDF to a specified Google Drive folder. You’ll need a Google Drive connection set up first. Enter the folder name or path where the file should be saved.

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Using Variables in Invoice Templates

Any variable available at the point the Create Invoice step runs can be used inside the template. This includes:
  • Pull Stats variables: {affiliate_name_1_stats_1}, {revenue_1_stats_1}, etc.
  • AI Analyze variables: {top_affiliate}, {total_payout}, etc.
  • Invoice number: {invoice_number} from a Generate Invoice Number step
Place the variable exactly as written (with curly braces) in your HTML or Google Doc template, and AffZero will substitute it at generation time.

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Attaching the Invoice to an Email

After the Create Invoice step runs, the PDF is available to a subsequent Send Email step. In the Send Email step, toggle Attach Invoice and select the Create Invoice step — the generated PDF will be attached automatically.

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Generated Invoices List

All generated PDFs are stored and viewable under Invoices → Generated in the main menu. You can view, download, or delete them from there.