Overview

Use this guide to create a custom Word (.docx) template for Enhanced PDF Formats, such as an invoice or Billing PDF with your own layout and branding. You add merge tags, sometimes called merge fields, to the document, and Accounting Seed replaces them with Salesforce data each time it generates a PDF. The fastest way to start is to download an Accounting Seed template and edit it.

In this article:

• Before You Begin
• Step 1: Start Your Document
• Step 2: Add Merge Tags for Single Values
• Step 3: Add Line Items
• Step 4: Hide Empty Fields (Optional)
• Step 5: Upload and Test
• Master Billing Templates
• Formatting Behavior
• Map Tags (Salesforce Administrator)
• Troubleshoot Template Issues
• Tag Reference
• Related Articles

Before You Begin

• File type. Templates must be Word .docx files. PDF, .doc, and Google Docs links are not supported.
• Who does what. Anyone who can edit a Word document can build a template. A System Administrator, or a user with the Accounting Seed Full Admin or Accounting Manager permission set, uploads it to a PDF Format record and maps the tags. If the Templates tab or Generate PDF button does not appear in your org, a Salesforce Administrator must first complete the setup in Enhanced PDF Formats Configuration.
• Target Object. Confirm the PDF Format's Target Object before you upload a template. To change it later, you must remove all templates from the PDF Format, including their tag mappings.

Step 1: Start Your Document

Option A: Download an Accounting Seed template (recommended)

Use this option for Billing and Master Billing PDFs. The template already contains mapped tags, so you only change what you need.

1. Navigate to PDF Formats and open a Billing or Master Billing PDF Format that uses a standard Accounting Seed Visualforce page, such as Billing Product or Billing Service.
2. Click Create Document Format.
3. Enter a Name, or keep the default, and click Save. The new PDF Format opens. For details, see Step 1 in Enhanced PDF Formats.
4. Click the Templates tab, then click the active template's file name.
5. In the file preview, click Download. You can also download the .docx file from the record's Files related list.
6. Open the file in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
7. Change the logo, colors, fonts, table headers, and wording as needed. Keep the existing tags in place.

To add data that is not in the template, continue with Step 2. If you changed only the design, go to Step 5.

Note: The Create Document Format button does not appear on formats that use a custom Visualforce page, on Outstanding Statement or Activity Statement formats, or on formats already set to Document. In upgraded orgs, a Salesforce Administrator must first complete the setup in Enhanced PDF Formats Configuration.

Option B: Start from your own document

Use this option for a completely custom layout, or for objects that do not have an Accounting Seed template, such as Cash Receipt or a custom object.

1. Open your current invoice or a blank document in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
2. Design the layout, including your logo, fonts, and table columns.
3. Continue with Step 2 to replace sample data with tags.

If you work in Google Docs, click File > Download > Microsoft Word (.docx) when you finish, then open the downloaded file to confirm each tag still reads as plain {{...}} text.

Step 2: Add Merge Tags for Single Values

A merge tag is text wrapped in double curly braces, such as {{billing.customerName}}. When Accounting Seed generates a PDF, it replaces the tag with data from the record. Tags use a group.field format: the group, such as billing, says where the data comes from, and the field, such as customerName, says which value to print.

A simple field tag prints one value. Place it anywhere you would type data, such as a sentence, table cell, header, or footer.

1. Find a piece of sample data in the document, such as a customer name.
2. Replace it with a tag, such as {{billing.customerName}}. For Billing templates, use the names in the Tag Reference.
3. Keep any labels and punctuation you typed. The tag supplies only the value.
4. Repeat for each value.

Template:

{{billing.customerName}}
{{billing.billingStreet}}
{{billing.billingCity}}, {{billing.billingState}}  {{billing.billingPostalCode}}

Prints as:

Acme Corporation
1400 Market Street
San Francisco, CA  94103

Keep these rules in mind:

• Use one dot at most, such as {{billing.customerName}}. Tags with more than one dot are rejected at upload.
• Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and a period, with no spaces in the tag name.
• You can name a tag anything that follows these rules. A tag prints blank until it is mapped, so list any new tag names for the person who maps the template.

Important: Type each tag in one pass, from {{ to }}, with the same formatting throughout. If you edit the middle of a tag, restyle part of it, or paste it from an email, Word can split it behind the scenes, and the raw {{...}} text prints on the PDF. If that happens, delete the tag and retype it. For all rules, see Tag rules.

Step 3: Add Line Items

A list repeats one table row for each line item, such as each Billing Line. You build one row, and the system creates the rest.

1. Insert a table with a header row and one data row.
2. Add a field tag to each cell of the data row, such as {{lines.productName}} and {{lines.total}}.
3. In the first cell of the data row, type {{#lines}} directly before the field tag. The # means "start repeating here."
4. In the last cell of the data row, type {{/lines}} directly after the field tag. The / means "stop repeating here."
5. Delete any other data rows in the table.

Template:

Product	Qty	Unit Price	Total
{{#lines}}{{lines.productName}}	{{lines.quantity}}	{{lines.unitPrice}}	{{lines.total}}{{/lines}}

Prints as (three Billing Lines produce three rows):

Product	Qty	Unit Price	Total
Consulting Package	10	$150.00	$1,500.00
Onboarding Setup	1	$2,000.00	$2,000.00
Support Retainer	5	$150.00	$750.00

Important: A list cannot be placed inside another list. Use # only to start a list. A tag such as {{#billing.poNumber}} is treated as a list, and the other tags in that group stop printing correctly. To show content only when a field has a value, use a hide-if-blank tag, as described in Step 4.

Step 4: Hide Empty Fields (Optional)

A hide-if-blank tag removes content when a field is empty, so the PDF does not show a label with no value. Use it for optional details such as a PO Number, payment terms, or a comment.

1. Type the label and field tag, such as PO Number: {{billing.poNumber}}.
2. Before the label, type an opening marker: a caret ^, the field name, and the word Blank, such as {{^billing.poNumberBlank}}.
3. After the field tag, type the matching closing marker, starting with /, such as {{/billing.poNumberBlank}}.

Template:

{{^billing.poNumberBlank}}PO Number: {{billing.poNumber}}{{/billing.poNumberBlank}}

When the PO Number has a value	When the PO Number is empty
PO Number: 4501-88213	The entire line is removed

To hide a table row, place the opening marker at the start of the first cell and the closing marker at the end of the last cell.

Note: Hide-if-blank markers do not need to be mapped, and they work with simple field tags only, not with lists. A value of 0 or an unchecked checkbox is not empty, so the content still prints.

Step 5: Upload and Test

Before you upload, confirm the following:

• The file is saved as a Word .docx file.
• All tracked changes are accepted, and Track Changes is turned off.
• The line items table has one data row, with {{#lines}} in its first cell and {{/lines}} in its last cell.
• Every {{#...}} and {{^...}} marker has a matching {{/...}} marker with the same name.

If you do not have permission to upload templates, send the file to your Salesforce Administrator, along with a list of any new tags and the field each one should display.

To upload and test the template:

1. On the PDF Format record, click the Templates tab.
2. Click Upload Template and select your .docx file. The system lists every tag it finds.
3. If you started from an existing template, click Copy Mappings to reuse its mappings.
4. Map any new tags, as described in Map Tags (Salesforce Administrator).
5. Click Save.
6. Confirm the new template is marked Active. Accounting Seed uses the Active template to generate PDFs.
7. Open a record with several lines and some blank optional fields, and click Generate PDF.
8. Review the preview. If anything looks wrong, see Troubleshoot Template Issues.

For the full upload and mapping procedure, see Step 2 in Enhanced PDF Formats.

Master Billing Templates

A Master Billing PDF combines a cover page with each included Billing:

• The cover template prints the Master Billing header, customer, summary, and a table of included Billings. Use a {{#billings}} ... {{/billings}} list for that table.
• Each included Billing is rendered through its own Billing PDF Format and template, and the pages are combined into one PDF.
• Page numbers come from the Master Billing PDF Format and count continuously across the combined PDF.

Important: A Master Billing and every Billing included on it must use the same kind of PDF Format. If the Master Billing uses an Enhanced PDF Format, every included Billing must use an Enhanced PDF Format with a template attached. Otherwise, Accounting Seed does not generate the PDF and displays an error that lists the Billings to fix. See Troubleshoot Template Issues.

Formatting Behavior

Values arrive already formatted, so you type only the tag:

• Design: Fonts, colors, spacing, borders, margins, headers, and footers come from the Word document. Formatting applied to a tag, such as bold, carries through to its value.
• Currency and numbers: Follow the Currency Format and Numeric Format fields on the PDF Format record. If those fields are blank, the PDF uses the locale of the user who generates it.
• Currency symbol: Comes from the record's currency, not the template. A USD Billing prints $ and a EUR Billing prints €.
• Dates: Always use the locale of the user generating the PDF, for example 3/15/2026 or 15/03/2026.
• Negative amounts: Print in parentheses, for example ($120.00).
• Logo: Insert your logo like any image, usually in the header. There is no logo tag.
• Page numbers: Use Word's standard page number field in the footer.

Important: For Billings emailed by the Automated Email Billing job, the user who scheduled the job is the user generating the PDF, so that user's locale controls dates. For consistent automated invoices, set Currency Format and Numeric Format on the PDF Format record. For other automated email requirements, see Enhanced PDF Formats Configuration.

Map Tags (Salesforce Administrator)

When a template is uploaded, the system lists every tag it finds. Map each tag to Salesforce data using one of the following Bind As options:

Bind As	Used for	How it works
Field	Simple field tags	Maps the tag to a field on the Target Object or a related record, such as AcctSeed__Accounting_Period__r.Name. Add fallback fields to use the next field when the first one is blank.
List	Start markers such as {{#lines}}	Maps the list to a child object, such as Billing Line. Tags inside the list then map to fields on that child object.
Expression	Calculated or combined values	Calculates or combines values from fields, such as Hours/Units multiplied by Rate. Inside a list, an expression uses fields on the child records.

You can map tags that start with # only as a List. If a tag is left unmapped, the mapping wizard displays a warning during review. PDFs still generate, and the unmapped tag prints blank.

Write an expression

Use field API names and standard Salesforce formula-style operators. Use + to join fields and text, put literal text in single quotes, and use operators such as * to calculate values. Fields from managed packages, including Accounting Seed, must include their full namespace prefix, such as AcctSeed__Billing_City__c. Standard Salesforce fields have no prefix, such as BillingCity on Account.

Purpose	Expression
Calculate a line amount	AcctSeed__Hours_Units__c * AcctSeed__Rate__c
Join an address into one line	AcctSeed__Billing_Street__c + ', ' + AcctSeed__Billing_City__c + ', ' + AcctSeed__Billing_State__c + ' ' + AcctSeed__Billing_PostalCode__c
Combine a related field with text	AcctSeed__Customer__r.Name + ' (Acct #' + AcctSeed__Customer__r.AccountNumber + ')'

Note: If you need the same calculation in several PDF Formats or reports, create a formula field on the object and map the tag to it as a Field.

Filter the rows in a list

A List mapping includes an optional Filter condition that limits which child records appear. Enter the condition in Salesforce query (SOQL) format, without the word WHERE, using API names of fields on the child object. To find an API name, navigate to Setup > Object Manager > [object] > Fields & Relationships and use the Field Name column. For example, this condition excludes tax lines:

AcctSeed__Tax_Line__c = false

Troubleshoot Template Issues

What you see	Likely cause	How to fix it
Raw {{...}} text prints on the PDF	The tag was split when part of it was edited, restyled, pasted, or changed with Track Changes on	Accept all tracked changes, delete the tag, and retype it in one pass
An error appears when you upload the template	One or more tags break the tag rules	Find the message in Upload error messages, fix each tag it names, and upload again
A value is blank even though the field has data	The tag has not been mapped	Map the tag on the Templates tab
Line items do not repeat correctly, or tags stop printing after a # tag	The list markers are not in the same table row, or # was used as a condition	Place {{#lines}} and {{/lines}} in the first and last cells of one row. Use a hide-if-blank tag for conditions
An optional label still prints when its field is empty	The hide-if-blank marker name does not match the field name plus Blank	Confirm the markers read {{^group.fieldBlank}} and {{/group.fieldBlank}}
Mapping error: "Fix the invalid expression for the following tag(s)..."	The expression is incomplete or uses a field API name that does not exist	Check the field API names and operators in Write an expression
Master Billing PDF does not generate, and an error lists Billings to fix	The Master Billing and its Billings use different kinds of PDF Formats, or an included Billing has no template	Use Enhanced PDF Formats with templates on the Master Billing and all of its Billings, or remove the listed Billings
Changes to the template do not appear on the PDF	The corrected template is not the Active template	On the Templates tab, confirm the corrected template is marked Active

Upload error messages

Error message	How to fix it
"This template has one or more merge tags with too many segments: [tag name]. Merge tags may be at most two levels deep (for example, billing.name). Simplify them and upload the template again."	Rename the tag with one dot, such as {{billing.customerName}} instead of {{billing.customer.name}}. To show a related record's field, map the single-dot tag to that field, as described in Map Tags
"This template has one or more merge tags with invalid characters: [tag name]. Merge tags may only contain letters, numbers, underscores, and periods. Fix them and upload the template again."	Remove spaces and special characters from the tag name
"This template has a section tag that is not correctly opened and closed: [tag name]. Every section opener (#tag or ^tag) must have a matching closer (/tag) in the correct order. Fix it and upload the template again."	Add the missing closing marker, such as {{/lines}} in the last cell of the row, or correct the spelling so the opening and closing markers match

For setup issues, such as a missing Templates tab or a "Generation failed" error, see Enhanced PDF Formats Configuration. If an issue persists, contact Accounting Seed Support.

Tag Reference

Tag rules

• Use one dot at most, such as {{billing.customerName}}. A tag such as {{billing.customer.name}} is rejected at upload.
• Use only letters, numbers, underscores, and a period. Spaces inside a tag name are rejected at upload. Spaces between the braces and the tag name are ignored.
• Opening and closing markers must match exactly, including spelling and capitalization.
• You can use the same tag more than once in a template.
• For objects other than Billing, choose group names that describe your data, such as {{receipt.receiptDate}} on a Cash Receipt template.

Standard Billing tags

The Billing and Master Billing templates created by Create Document Format use the following tag names. Reuse them when you build Billing templates.

Your company (from the PDF Format record)

Tag	Prints
{{format.name}}	Company name
{{format.street}}	Company street
{{format.city}}	Company city
{{format.state}}	Company state
{{format.postalCode}}	Company ZIP or postal code

The Billing and its customer

Tag	Prints
{{billing.Name}}	Billing (invoice) number
{{billing.billingDate}}	Billing date
{{billing.dueDate}}	Due date
{{billing.poNumber}}	PO Number
{{billing.terms}}	Payment terms
{{billing.comment}}	Billing comment
{{billing.customerName}}	Customer name
{{billing.billingContactName}}	Billing contact name
{{billing.billingStreet}}	Bill-to street (also billingCity, billingState, and billingPostalCode)
{{billing.shippingStreet}}	Ship-to street (also shippingCity, shippingState, and shippingPostalCode)

Line items (only inside {{#lines}} ... {{/lines}})

Tag	Prints
{{lines.productName}}	Product name (product invoices). Uses the line comment when the line has no Product
{{lines.description}}	Line description (service invoices and lines without a Product)
{{lines.comment}}	Line comment
{{lines.quantity}}	Quantity
{{lines.unitPrice}}	Unit price
{{lines.hoursUnits}}	Hours or units (service invoices)
{{lines.rate}}	Rate (service invoices)
{{lines.total}}	Line total

Totals

Tag	Prints
{{totals.subTotal}}	Subtotal
{{totals.salesTax}}	Sales tax
{{totals.total}}	Total
{{totals.amountPaid}}	Amount paid
{{totals.amountDue}}	Amount due

Related Articles

• Enhanced PDF Formats
• Enhanced PDF Formats Configuration
• Create a Custom PDF Format
• Configure Standard PDF Formats
• Automated Jobs

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