QTC-13Core CrmLeafUserNew

How to Evaluate Quoting and Invoicing in CrmLeaf: The Quote-to-Invoice Workflow

Quotes and invoices are available in all editions with no add-on. The automation stage of this workflow needs the WorkflowAutomation add-on module, which ships off and must be enabled by an Administrator.

Part 3 · Quote to Cash7 min read

Availability: Quotes and invoices are available in all editions with no add-on. The automation stage of this workflow needs the WorkflowAutomation add-on module, which ships off and must be enabled by an Administrator.

What's New NEW

R26.10 · Oct 2026New guide set for anyone trialling CrmLeaf for quoting and invoicing: this overview, a step-by-step quick start for a first quote, how client approval works, how to find out when a quote is approved, how an approved quote becomes an invoice, how to follow up on quotes that are waiting, and how to automate the hand-offs.

Overview

If you are evaluating CrmLeaf for quoting and invoicing, the fastest way to judge it is to run one complete cycle with a test client. The cycle has three stages: create and send a quote, get told when the client approves it and move on to the invoice, and automate the hand-offs so the follow-ups you do by hand today stop depending on someone remembering. This article is the map for that cycle and points to the detailed guide for each stage.

A Quote in CrmLeaf is a formal priced offer sent to a client for approval. The same record is called an Estimate in some editions and in older documentation. When the client approves it, CrmLeaf creates an unpaid invoice for you, so the figures the client approved are the figures you bill.

How It Works

Add client → Create quote → Send → Client approves on a link → Unpaid invoice created → Send invoice → Payment

Stage	What you do	What CrmLeaf does	Guide
1. Create and send	Add a client, create a quote with line items, and send it. The client gets a direct approval link.	Stores the quote as a draft, then marks it `waiting` when sent.	QTC-14, QTC-01
2. Approve and get notified	The client reviews and approves on the public link. You check the quote status and move to the invoice.	Records the signature, sets the status to `accepted` and creates the invoice.	QTC-15, QTC-16, QTC-17
3. Follow up	Chase quotes that are still waiting, and reissue expired ones.	Shows status, last viewed and valid-till date for each quote.	QTC-18
4. Automate	An Administrator builds rules so that hand-offs, such as a task for the next step or a notification, happen on their own.	Runs the rule when a supported record is created or updated and logs each run.	INT-15, INT-14

Who Can Use This Feature?

User

Create clients, quotes and invoices within the permissions your role allows.
Send quotes, track approval and open the invoice created on approval.

Administrator

Enable the Workflow Automation module and build the rules in INT-15.
Choose which notification types are sent by email, Slack and push (PLT-12).

Access depends on the modules and role assigned by your Administrator. Visibility of quotes and invoices follows the ownership-based permission scope set for your role.

Prerequisites

A CrmLeaf account on which you can create clients, quotes and invoices.
An email address you control to use as the test client, so you can receive the approval link and approve as the client yourself. See QTC-14.
Currency and tax rates configured under Settings → Tax if you want the quote to show tax.
For stage 4 only: an Administrator who can enable Workflow Automation.

For Users

Step 1: Send one quote end to end

What to do: Follow How to Send Your First Quote from adding the client to approving the quote on the public link.

What to verify: The quote shows status accepted and a matching invoice exists with status unpaid.

Step 2: Check how you would be told about an approval

What to do: Read How to Find Out When a Client Approves a Quote and decide which signal your team will rely on: the quote status, the invoice that appears, or an automation notification.

What to verify: You can name one place where your team will see approvals without anyone chasing the client.

Step 3: Take the invoice forward

What to do: Open the invoice created by the approval and send it, following How an Approved Quote Becomes an Invoice and QTC-05.

What to verify: The invoice carries the same line items and totals as the approved quote.

Step 4: Try the follow-up routine

What to do: Send a second quote and leave it unapproved. Use How to Follow Up on Quotes Waiting for Approval to find it, check whether the client has opened it, and decide whether to chase, cancel or reissue.

What to verify: You can see which quotes are waiting, which were opened and which are near their valid-till date.

Step 5: Automate the hand-offs

What to do: Ask an Administrator to enable Workflow Automation and build one or two rules from How to Automate the Quote-to-Cash Hand-offs.

What to verify: After you repeat the test cycle, the execution log shows the rule ran.

What Is Automatic and What Is Not

Moment	Automatic?	Notes
Recording the client's approval and signature	Yes	Happens when the client approves on the public link.
Creating the invoice from an approved quote	Yes	An unpaid invoice is created once, even if the approval is submitted twice.
Sending the quote	No	You send it, from the list row or from the quote's Action menu.
Sending the invoice to the client	Treat as your step	Review the invoice and send it, as described in QTC-05. Whether CrmLeaf also emails it on creation is not confirmed.
Telling you the quote was approved	Not confirmed	See QTC-16. Use the status and the new invoice as the reliable signals.
Chasing a quote that has not been answered	No	Workflow Automation has no time-based trigger, so it cannot chase on a date.

Expected Result

You have sent one quote, approved it as the client, found the unpaid invoice it created, and know which signal tells your team about approvals and which hand-offs can be automated.

Important Notes

Menu names and their position can differ between product editions and can be customised for your account, so your sidebar may not match these paths exactly. Use Search or your Quick Access items if you cannot find a screen.
CrmLeaf calls the document a Quote on screen in current editions (the list is under Sales & CRM, with a Create Quote button). Older guides, the data model and some editions call the same document an Estimate. They are the same record.
Only quotes create an invoice on approval. An approved proposal does not.
Workflow Automation cannot be built directly on a quote record. It covers Lead, Deal, Client, Task, Ticket, Proposal, Invoice and Project, so quote-related automation is built on the records around the quote. See INT-15.

Common Scenarios

Example: a one-hour trial. An evaluator adds a test client with their own second email address, sends a quote, approves it from that mailbox, finds the invoice, and then asks an Administrator to switch on one automation. That sequence covers all three stages without touching real customer data.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Possible Cause	Resolution
You cannot find the quotes screen	The menu is labelled Quotes or Estimates, or your role does not include it	Search for it, and ask your Administrator to check your role's permissions.
The quote is approved but no notification arrived	A built-in approval notification is not confirmed	Use the quote status and the new invoice, or set up an automation. See QTC-16.
Workflow Automation is missing	The add-on module ships off	Ask an Administrator to enable it. See How to Enable and Manage Add-On Modules.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a Quote and an Estimate in CrmLeaf?

There is no difference in function. Quote is the label on screen in current editions; Estimate is the name used in older documentation and in the data model.

Does approving a quote create an invoice?

Yes. When the client approves the quote on the public link, CrmLeaf records the signature and creates an unpaid invoice automatically.

Do I need Workflow Automation to evaluate quoting and invoicing?

No. Stages 1 to 3 work without it. Workflow Automation is the optional fourth stage that reduces manual follow-up.

Can I trial this without a real client?

Yes. Add a test client with an email address you control, send the quote to it, and approve it yourself on the link. Cancel the test quote and invoice afterwards.

No. The quote is shared on a signed public link, so the client can approve it without a portal login.

Still need a hand?

Our support team answers on business days. Reference QTC-13 so we can jump straight in.

Contact support