Every invoice carries a status that tells you exactly where it stands — whether it is still yours to edit, sitting in the client’s hands, or fully settled.
When you’d use this
Statuses are how you read your invoice list at a glance without opening anything. A column full of submitted means your work is done and the ball is with clients. A cluster of opened and viewed tells you people are looking, which is usually the moment before payment. Overdue is your follow-up list. Filter the list by status and you have a to-do list that maintains itself.
The statuses also drive what else happens. Reminders key off the due date and the overdue state, reports count only what has actually been paid, and the client’s portal timeline shows them the same progression you see, so there is never a “did you get my payment?” mismatch.
The statuses
- Drafted — a work in progress that is still fully editable. Nothing has been sent.
- Slated — scheduled to go out, but not sent yet.
- Submitted — sent to the client and now in their hands.
- Opened — the client has opened the invoice.
- Viewed — the client has viewed the invoice details.
- Overdue — past its due date without full payment.
- Paid — fully settled. This is the terminal status.
Tip: Submitted, opened, and viewed all mean the invoice is out of your hands and with the client — they just tell you how far along the client is in looking at it.
FAQ
Can I change a status by hand?
Mostly no, and that is the point: statuses reflect what actually happened. The exception is the editing stage. A drafted invoice can be scheduled or submitted, and an invoice that should not have gone out can be voided or cancelled.
What is the difference between opened and viewed?
Opened means the client opened the invoice from their email or portal list. Viewed means they went into the invoice details, line items and all. Both tell you the invoice has been seen.
When does an invoice become overdue?
The day after its due date, if the balance is not fully paid. A partial payment does not clear the overdue state; only a zero balance moves it to paid.
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