> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://guide.withvayu.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invoice PDF

> Generate, customize, and share PDF invoices with customers

## Overview

Invoice PDFs provide a finalized, shareable format for customer invoices. Unlike the dynamic view that shows detailed usage calculations, the PDF represents the official invoice document for sharing, sending, and record keeping.

## Dynamic view vs. PDF view

Vayu provides two ways to view invoices:

### Dynamic view

The dynamic view displays:

* How the invoice was calculated
* Usage consumption for each product over the invoice period
* Usage accumulation throughout the billing period
* Detailed charge breakdowns
* Usage growth patterns and spikes

Use the dynamic view to understand billing calculations and analyze customer consumption patterns.

### PDF view

The PDF view provides:

* Finalized invoice format for official records
* Clean, professional layout for customer sharing
* Printable and archivable document
* Optional clickable links (such as "Pay Now" buttons)
* Simplified line item display options

Use the PDF view for customer communication, payment collection, and accounting records.

## Generating invoice PDFs

Invoice PDFs are automatically generated when an invoice is finalized. You can:

1. Navigate to **Invoices**
2. Select an invoice
3. Select **Show Invoice**
4. Click **View PDF** or **Download PDF**
5. Share the PDF directly with customers or download for your records

## Customizing PDF appearance

Configure PDF formatting in **Invoice Preferences**:

1. **Line Item Visibility** — Decide whether or not to **Show zero-value line items** (displaying all line items, even those with zero totals), or **Hide zero-value line items** (removing items with no charges).

<Note>
  Hiding zero-value items reduces visual clutter and makes invoices easier to scan.
</Note>

2. **Line Item Detail Level** — Choose the level of detail for each line item, either with a **Full breakdown** (quantity, unit price, and total for each item), or **Total only** (only the total amount for each line item).
3. **Branding and Formatting** — Customize the PDF to match your brand's logo, info, color scheme, styling, custom footer text, instructions, and payment terms.

## Accessing PDFs via API

Retrieve invoice PDFs programmatically using the API:

```bash theme={null}
GET /invoices/{invoiceId}/payment-status
```

The response includes an `invoicePdfUrl` field with a direct link to the PDF:

```json theme={null}
{
  "invoiceId": "inv_123",
  "billingStatus": "Paid",
  "amountDue": 0,
  "amountPaid": 5000,
  "total": 5000,
  "dueDate": "2024-01-31T00:00:00Z",
  "paidAt": "2024-01-28T15:30:00Z",
  "invoicePdfUrl": "https://example.com/invoices/inv_123.pdf"
}
```

## **Interactive PDF features**

Digital PDFs can include clickable elements:

* **Pay Now links** - Direct customers to payment portals
* **Contact information** - Clickable email addresses and phone numbers
* **Support links** - Quick access to help resources
* **Customer portal** - Link to view invoice details online

These interactive elements improve the customer payment experience while maintaining a professional invoice format.

## **PDF storage and retrieval**

Invoice PDFs are:

* **Automatically stored** - Generated and saved when invoices are finalized
* **Permanently accessible** - Available for historical invoices
* **Version controlled** - Original PDFs preserved even if invoice data changes
* **Securely hosted** - Protected with authentication and access controls

## **Sharing invoice PDFs**

Send PDFs to customers through:

* **Email** - Attach PDF to invoice notification emails
* **Customer portal** - Make PDFs available for customer download
* **Direct download** - Generate download links for specific invoices
* **ERP sync** - Include PDF URLs when syncing to accounting systems

## **Best practices**

* **Review before sending** - Always preview the PDF to ensure accuracy before sharing with customers
* **Customize appropriately** - Balance detail with clarity based on your customer needs
* **Maintain consistency** - Use the same PDF format across all invoices for professional appearance
* **Archive systematically** - Store PDFs according to your record retention policies
* **Test interactive elements** - Verify that clickable links work correctly in the PDF