Automated invoicing with Make.com
Automating your invoicing process with make.com lets you move from manual, error-prone billing to a streamlined, reliable workflow that saves time and scales with your business.
This how-to guide walks you through the key concepts, planning steps, and practical implementation details you need to build a complete automated invoicing workflow inspired by the official tutorial at make.com automated invoicing guide.
Why use Make.com for invoicing automation
Before you design your scenario, it helps to understand what makes make.com a strong fit for automated invoicing.
- No-code automation: Build workflows visually without writing code.
- Connect multiple apps: Link CRMs, ecommerce platforms, payment gateways, and accounting tools.
- Event-based triggers: Start workflows automatically when orders are created, updated, or paid.
- Error handling: Use routers, filters, and logging to manage exceptions gracefully.
With these capabilities, make.com can replace manual copy-paste tasks and reduce billing delays.
Plan your make.com invoicing workflow
Successful automation starts with clear planning. Map the current invoicing process and identify what you want make.com to handle for you.
Define your invoicing data sources
List where your billing data comes from. Common sources include:
- Ecommerce platforms (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce)
- Payment processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal)
- Subscription tools (e.g., Chargebee)
- CRM or order management systems
In make.com, each of these will typically become a trigger or data source module in your scenario.
Choose your destination for invoices
Next, decide where invoices will live and how they will be delivered. For example:
- Accounting tools (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks)
- PDF invoices stored in cloud drives
- Invoices generated in a billing platform
- Emails sent directly to customers
Make a list of required fields such as customer name, billing address, order lines, taxes, and due dates so you can map them cleanly in make.com.
Core building blocks in Make.com
The automated invoicing tutorial on make.com relies on a few recurring building blocks. Understanding these will help you adapt the example to your own stack.
Triggers in Make.com for invoice workflows
A trigger starts your scenario. Typical trigger choices include:
- Watch orders: When a new order is created in your ecommerce app.
- Watch payments: When a payment is captured or confirmed.
- Webhook triggers: When an external system sends order or invoice events to your webhook URL.
You configure the trigger module first in make.com so every new order or payment can launch your workflow automatically.
Transforming data with Make.com modules
Once the trigger fires, use data transformation features to prepare fields for your invoice system.
- Map customer and order details to invoice fields.
- Use text functions to format addresses or references.
- Apply number functions to calculate totals, taxes, or discounts.
- Use date functions to set invoice date and due date.
These transformations are handled with standard modules and built‑in functions in the make.com visual editor.
Routers and filters in Make.com
Invoices often require conditional logic. For example:
- Send B2B customers to your accounting tool.
- Send B2C customers a simplified invoice PDF.
- Apply special rules for recurring subscriptions.
In make.com, routers split the flow into branches, while filters define which records travel through each path based on conditions such as country, customer type, or payment status.
Step-by-step: build an automated invoicing scenario
Use the outline below to create a robust automated invoicing scenario in make.com from start to finish.
1. Create a new scenario in Make.com
- Log in to your make.com account.
- Click Create a new scenario.
- Add your first app module, typically the system where orders or payments originate.
- Choose a trigger such as “Watch orders” or “Watch events”.
Run a quick test to pull in sample data so you can see the structure you will map later.
2. Add data preparation steps in Make.com
- Insert one or more tools modules between the trigger and invoice destination.
- Use mapping to connect order data to variables such as line items, totals, and customer info.
- Normalize data (e.g., convert currency, set default terms, format dates).
- Combine or split text where needed for invoice references or item descriptions.
By keeping these steps explicit, you make your make.com scenario easier to maintain and update.
3. Create the invoice in your target system
- Add a module for your accounting or invoicing app.
- Select an action such as Create invoice or Create sales receipt.
- Map every required field from your prepared data to the invoice fields.
- Enable any options for tax rules, currency, or invoice numbering.
Most official connectors on make.com return the invoice ID, which you can use later for notifications or reconciliation.
4. Send the invoice to the customer
Once your invoice has been created, you can distribute it automatically:
- Send a transactional email with a link to the invoice or attached PDF.
- Post a message in your internal chat to notify the team.
- Update your CRM or project tool with the invoice reference.
Use an email or messaging module in make.com and map key invoice fields for a clear, professional notification.
5. Track payments and follow-ups in Make.com
To close the loop, add another scenario in make.com that listens for payment events.
- Set a trigger for new or updated payments.
- Search for the related invoice using the invoice ID or order ID.
- Mark the invoice as paid or update status in your tracking system.
- Optionally send a payment confirmation email or receipt.
This ensures your entire invoicing lifecycle is covered end to end.
Testing and optimizing your Make.com scenario
Before turning on your new workflow fully, test and refine it inside make.com.
- Use the scenario inspector: Inspect each execution to verify field values.
- Test with different order types: Try discounts, taxes, and multiple items.
- Add error handling: Configure notifications if invoice creation fails.
- Log key events: Store IDs and statuses in a tracking sheet or database.
Iterate on filters and routers in make.com until your invoicing behaves as expected for all standard and edge cases.
Scale your invoicing automation with Make.com
As your business grows, enhance your automation with more capabilities powered by make.com.
- Introduce currency-specific branches for global billing.
- Sync invoices and payments back to your CRM for better reporting.
- Trigger dunning emails for overdue invoices using scheduled runs.
- Feed invoice data into dashboards or BI tools for revenue analytics.
For strategic automation planning beyond invoicing, you can also consult specialists such as Consultevo, who help design scalable workflows on platforms like make.com.
Next steps with Make.com automated invoicing
Automating invoices with make.com frees your team from repetitive admin work, reduces errors, and shortens cash collection cycles. Start with a single, simple scenario based on your primary order source, then extend it to cover multiple systems, currencies, and customer segments.
Use the official step-by-step examples on the automated invoicing guide at make.com together with this structured overview to build a robust, future-proof automated invoicing system.
Need Help With Make.com?
If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your Make scenarios, work with ConsultEvo — certified workflow and automation specialists.
