Every quote and invoice has two kinds of notes: customer notes, which your customer sees, and internal notes, which only your team sees. This article explains where each one appears, when you can edit it, and how to choose between them.
At a glance
| Customer notes | Internal notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Who sees them | Your customer and your team | Your team only |
| Where they appear | On the document, the customer's secure link page, and the PDF | Only on the quote or invoice page in ATB Invoicing |
| Optional title | Yes | No |
| Editable after the document is final | No | Yes |
Customer notes
Customer notes print at the bottom of the quote or invoice. Use them for information your customer needs, such as:
- Thank-you messages or project details
- Instructions that relate to this job
- Terms you want the customer to read
You can give a customer note a title. If you leave the title blank, the section is headed Notes. On the quote or invoice page, the Customer Notes card is labelled Visible to your customer.
Warning. Customer notes go out on the document your customer receives. Never put private information, such as pricing decisions or comments about the customer, in a customer note.
Internal notes
Internal notes are private notes for you and your team. They never appear on the document, the customer's link page, the PDF, or any email or text message. On the quote or invoice page, the Internal Notes card is labelled Never shown to the customer.
Use them for context such as:
- A phone conversation about the job ("Called March 12, 2026, cheque is in the mail")
- Why you agreed to a price
- A follow-up you need to do later
Anyone in your organization with the View invoices permission can read internal notes.
Add or edit notes
While creating or editing a draft
In the builder, use the Customer notes section to add a title and text. Use the Internal notes section and click Add internal note for a private note.
On a saved quote or invoice
- Open the quote or invoice.
- Click the Customer Notes or Internal Notes card.
- Type your note.
- Click Save.
Notes are plain text. Line breaks are kept, but formatting such as bold or links is not.
Tip. If you use the same customer note often, save it as a saved item so you can reuse it. See Managing and using saved items.
When you can edit each kind
Customer notes stay editable after you send the document, so you can correct or add information. Your customer sees the change the next time they open the document. Customer notes lock when the document reaches a final status:
- Invoices: Paid, Void, Uncollectible, or Written off
- Quotes: Accepted, Rejected, Expired, or Void
Internal notes are always editable, even on paid, void, or accepted documents. This lets you keep a record after the work is done.
You need the Create and manage invoices permission to edit either kind of note.
Notes on converted quotes
When a quote is accepted and turned into an invoice, both the customer notes and the internal notes carry over to the new invoice. Review the customer notes before you send the invoice, in case they only made sense on the quote.
