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What are Google Doc Templates?

Google Doc invoice templates let you design and manage your invoice layout directly in Google Docs. You add variable placeholders like {affiliate_name_1_stats_1} directly into the document, connect it to AffZero, and the system substitutes real values and exports the document as a PDF. This is a good choice if your team is already comfortable in Google Docs, or if you want a non-technical person to maintain the invoice design.

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Prerequisites

You need a Google account connected in AffZero:
  1. Go to Providers → Gmail & Drive
  2. Click Connect Google Account
  3. Sign in and grant AffZero permission to access your Google Drive
This gives AffZero the ability to read your template document and export the generated invoices.

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Creating a Google Doc Template

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Step 1 — Design the document in Google Docs

Open Google Docs and create your invoice layout. You can use tables, headers, images, and all standard Google Docs formatting.

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Step 2 — Add variable placeholders

In the document, type your variable names exactly where you want the data to appear: 
Invoice Number: {invoice_number}
Affiliate: {affiliate_name_1_stats_1}
Payout: {payout_1_stats_1}
Revenue: {revenue_1_stats_1}
Period: Last Month
Variable names are case-sensitive and must match exactly — copy them from the Variables Available panel in your automation.

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Step 3 — Connect the document to AffZero

  1. Go to Invoices → Templates
  2. Click New Template
  3. Select Google Doc Template
  4. Enter a template name
  5. Paste the Google Doc URL (or the Document ID from the URL)
  6. Click Connect — AffZero will verify it can access the document
  7. Click Save

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How Variable Substitution Works

When the Create Invoice step runs:
  1. AffZero makes a copy of your Google Doc
  2. Every instance of {variable_name} in the copy is replaced with the actual value
  3. The filled-in copy is exported as a PDF
  4. The original template document is not modified

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Saving to Google Drive

In the Create Invoice step, you can enable Save to Google Drive to store the generated PDF in a specific folder in your Drive. This is useful for keeping an organized archive of all generated invoices.

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Limitations

  • AffZero can only access Google Docs that are shared with the connected Google account or are owned by it
  • Complex formatting (multi-column layouts, text boxes) may not render perfectly in the PDF export — test with Run Now
  • Google Apps Scripts or embedded formulas in the template are not executed — only static text with variable placeholders is substituted

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Tips

  • Keep the design simple — clean table-based layouts convert best to PDF
  • Make a template copy for testing — keep your “production” template clean and test changes on a copy first
  • Share the template doc appropriately — if multiple team members need to edit the template, share the Google Doc with them directly; no need to reconnect in AffZero