> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.hoopai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Estimates — creating and converting quotes to invoices
> Send professional estimates and quotes to contacts, get approval, and convert them to invoices in one click.
Estimates let you send a formal quote to a potential customer before committing to billing them. The client can accept or decline the estimate online. Once accepted, you can convert it into a live invoice with a single click — all line items, pricing, and terms carry over automatically.
Estimates do not trigger a payment. No money is collected until you convert an accepted estimate to an invoice and the customer pays. This makes estimates ideal for projects, services, or any sale that requires approval before billing.
***
## Where to find estimates
Navigate to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates** and click the **Estimates** tab. This view shows all estimates across all statuses.
***
## Estimate statuses
Every estimate moves through a defined lifecycle. Understanding each status helps you manage your quoting pipeline.
| Status | What it means |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Draft** | Created but not yet sent to the customer |
| **Sent** | Delivered to the customer; awaiting their response |
| **Accepted** | The customer has clicked Accept on the estimate |
| **Declined** | The customer has clicked Decline on the estimate |
| **Expired** | The expiry date has passed with no response from the customer |
| **Converted** | The estimate has been converted to an invoice |
***
## Creating an estimate
The estimate editor is identical to the invoice editor, giving you the same line item builder, product catalog access, discount tools, and tax settings.
Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates**, click **+ New**, and select **New Estimate**.
Enter a descriptive name for the estimate. This name appears in your estimate list and in the email or SMS the customer receives.
* Click **Select customer** to attach a contact from your CRM.
* Add your business details using the pencil icon to pull them from your business profile.
* Set the **Estimate number** (auto-generated, but customizable) and **Issue date**.
Enter an **Expiry date**. After this date, the estimate automatically moves to **Expired** status and the customer can no longer accept or decline it. Expiry dates create urgency and keep your pipeline current.
Click **+ Add more products** to pull items from your product catalog, or enter a custom line item with a name, quantity, and price. You can:
* Edit price and quantity inline
* Add a description below each line item for additional detail
* Reorder line items by dragging
From the totals area, add a **discount** (fixed amount or percentage) and apply any applicable **tax rates**. Tax rates must be created first in **Payments → Payment Settings → Taxes**.
Enter your **Terms & Conditions** in the designated field. This is the place to outline payment terms, project scope, acceptance policies, and any legal provisions. Terms appear on the customer-facing estimate page.
Attach supporting documents using **Add attachment**. You can attach up to **10 files** with a combined maximum size of **20 MB**. Useful for attaching scope-of-work documents, spec sheets, or portfolio samples.
Click **Save as Draft** to save without sending, or click **Send** to deliver the estimate to the customer.
***
## Sending an estimate
From the estimate editor or the estimate list (three-dot menu → **Send**), click **Send**.
Select **Email**, **SMS**, or both. If sending by email, you can add CC and BCC recipients.
Review the message and click **Send**. The estimate status changes from **Draft** to **Sent**.
The customer receives a notification containing a link to the estimate page. On that page they can:
* Review all line items, pricing, taxes, and terms
* Click **Accept** to approve the estimate
* Click **Decline** to reject it
The system logs when the estimate link is opened. You can see whether the customer has viewed the estimate from the estimate's detail page. Use this to time your follow-up communications.
***
## What happens when a client accepts
When a customer clicks **Accept** on the estimate:
1. The estimate status changes to **Accepted**.
2. You receive a notification.
3. A workflow trigger fires if you have an automation set up for estimate acceptance.
4. The estimate is now eligible to be converted to an invoice.
No payment is collected at this point. Acceptance is only an approval — the invoice is what triggers billing.
***
## Converting an estimate to an invoice
Go to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Estimates** and find the estimate with **Accepted** status.
Click the three-dot menu and select **Convert to Invoice** — or open the estimate and click the **Convert to Invoice** button.
A new invoice is created with all line items, pricing, taxes, discounts, terms, and attachments pre-filled from the estimate. Review and adjust the **Due date** and any other invoice-specific fields.
Click **Send** to deliver the invoice to the customer for payment. The original estimate is marked **Converted** and remains in your records for reference.
Converting an estimate creates a brand new invoice — it does not modify the original estimate. Both the estimate and the resulting invoice remain in your records independently.
***
## Voiding and archiving estimates
To manage estimates you no longer need:
* **Void**: Click the three-dot menu on any estimate and select **Void**. This marks it as non-collectible and removes it from active pipeline views.
* **Archive**: Use the three-dot menu to archive estimates you want to keep for reference without cluttering your active list.
Voiding an estimate is irreversible. If you need to reactivate a quote after voiding, you will need to create a new estimate.
***
## Estimate templates
If you frequently send similar quotes — for example, a standard service package or a recurring project type — save the estimate as a template to avoid rebuilding it each time.
Create an estimate with all the standard line items, terms, and settings you want to reuse.
Click the three-dot menu in the estimate editor and select **Convert to Template**. Give the template a descriptive name.
When creating a new estimate, click **+ New → New from Template** and select your saved template. All fields are pre-filled and ready for you to customize for the specific customer.
***
## Estimate settings
Customize how estimates appear and are numbered by going to **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Settings → Estimate Settings**.
| Setting | Description |
| -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Estimate title** | The heading that appears at the top of the customer-facing estimate document. Default is `ESTIMATE`. You can change this to `QUOTE`, `PROPOSAL`, or any custom label. |
| **Estimate number prefix** | A custom prefix added before the auto-generated estimate number. For example, setting the prefix to `EST-` produces numbers like `EST-0001`. |
| **Default expiry period** | Set a default number of days until expiry so you do not have to enter it manually on every estimate. |
***
## Frequently asked questions
No. Estimates do not have a payment option. The customer can only accept or decline. Once you convert an accepted estimate to an invoice, the invoice has a payment link that the customer can use to pay.
When the expiry date passes, the estimate status changes to **Expired** automatically. The customer can no longer accept or decline it. The estimate link still opens but shows an expired message. You can resend the estimate (which resets it to **Sent**) or create a new one with a revised expiry date.
No. Estimates are one-time documents. They are not designed for recurring billing. If you need to bill a customer on a regular schedule, use **Recurring Invoices** under **Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Recurring Invoices**.
No. When you convert an estimate to an invoice, the entire estimate converts — all line items, taxes, and discounts are carried over. You cannot selectively convert individual line items. If you need to bill only part of the quoted scope, edit the resulting invoice after conversion to remove or adjust items before sending it.
Yes. The platform logs when the estimate link is opened. Open the estimate's detail view to see the last-viewed timestamp. This is useful for knowing whether to follow up — if the estimate was opened but not acted upon, a personal follow-up may prompt a response.
Yes. The estimate editor uses the same product picker as the invoice editor. Click **+ Add more products** and select any item from your product catalog. Pricing, descriptions, and tax settings from the product carry over automatically.
Yes. Use the **Add attachment** option in the estimate editor to attach up to 10 files with a combined size of 20 MB. Attachments are delivered to the customer along with the estimate notification and are visible on the estimate page.
Yes. You can include a payment plan on an estimate to show the customer how billing will be structured after acceptance. When converted to an invoice, the payment schedule carries over automatically.
The estimate status changes to **Converted** and it remains in your estimates list as a read-only record. You can open it to view the original quoted amounts and terms. The resulting invoice is independent and can be modified before sending.