Understanding invoice numbering, numbering series and the Draft/Ready status in SamBooks
7 min read
In SamBooks an invoice is born without a number, and only gets one the instant you transmit it to SDI: not before, not at creation, not when it becomes "Ready." This isn't a delay or a bug: it's the choice that guarantees a gap-free sequence.
What this is for
An invoice number is a fiscal figure that can't be assigned "provisionally": once given, it must never skip or duplicate. That's why SamBooks assigns it at exactly one point — the actual transmission to SDI — and never before. Until you send it, the invoice is identified only by its internal id: you can see it in the list, edit it, delete it, but it doesn't have a number yet.
Before you start
Creating or editing a numbering series requires a role with write permissions on invoicing (Manager or Administrative); viewing an invoice's number and status doesn't require any special permission beyond access to the area.
How to do it, step by step
1. Recognize an invoice with no number
On the detail page of an invoice not yet transmitted, the title shows a dash instead of a number ("Invoice —"); in the list, the Number column is equally empty. It's not a loading error: it's the normal state of every invoice before it's sent.
2. Tell Draft apart from Ready: you don't choose either one
When you create or edit an invoice, SamBooks decides on its own whether the status is "Draft" or "Ready" (internally da_emettere), based on whether the data required for e-invoicing is complete — it isn't a switch you flip. If something's missing, the invoice stays "Draft"; once every required field is complete, it becomes "Ready" on its own, with no extra save step.
3. When creating, you see a preview, not the real number
In the "New invoice" form, above the customer fields, you'll find "Numbering series" and "Number at issuance." The number shown there is only a preview, with the explicit notice: "Preview: the series number is only assigned definitively at issuance." If other invoices get issued on the same series in the meantime, the real number at transmission can end up different from the one you saw in the preview — that's expected, and it's exactly why the interface calls it a preview, not a number.
4. The number is only assigned on "Confirm and send"
By pressing "Send to SDI" and then "Confirm and send" in the confirmation dialog, SamBooks assigns, at that very instant and atomically, the final progressive number — together with the general-ledger entry and the fulfillment of any linked orders/delivery notes. Before that instant, none of these effects exist yet, whatever status is shown in the list.
5. Understand what a numbering series is
A numbering series is a self-contained sequence: the progressive number is unique per (company, series, year), not global to the company. Every company starts with just one series with no letter code ("General"): you can add more from Company settings → Numbering series, each with its own name and, if you want, a letter code — added to the transmitted document number (e.g. "12/A") to tell the series apart. Only one series per company can be left without a letter code.
6. Some documents number themselves on a dedicated series
Credit and debit notes (TD04/TD05) always number on the "NC" series, created automatically as needed: you don't choose it, which is why the Numbering series field doesn't even appear when you create a credit or debit note. Reverse-charge self-invoices (TD16-TD21) number the same way on the "AF" series. In both cases, historical documents stay on whichever series they were already numbered on: there's no retroactive migration.
7. You can't choose or force the number
There's no field where you type in the number you want: SamBooks always calculates the first free progressive number for that series and year, under a lock that serializes concurrent sends on the same series — two invoices can never receive the same number, even if you send them at the exact same instant from two different tabs.
What happens to the number if the invoice is rejected
If SDI rejects the invoice — whether the problem surfaces before the real transmission or arrives afterward, at a later point — SamBooks always releases the number that had just been assigned: no gap is left in the series either way. The invoice goes back to being editable like a draft; once you fix it and resend it successfully, it gets the first free number at that moment, not necessarily the same one as before. The full path — reading the rejection reason, fixing it, resending — is covered in the dedicated guide on a rejected invoice.
If something goes wrong
- I have a gap in my invoice numbering: if a rejection genuinely happened, the number is always released automatically — a real gap in the sequence shouldn't occur through the normal reject/resend flow.
- I see a different number than the one I expected from the preview: that's normal if other invoices on the same series were issued before yours in the meantime; the real number is only fixed at transmission, never before.
- I want two different numbering sequences for two lines of business: create a second numbering series from Company settings → Numbering series, with its own letter code, and select it when creating the invoice.
- I can't find the Numbering series field on the credit note: that's correct, it doesn't appear — credit and debit notes always number automatically on the dedicated "NC" series.
- I see a dash instead of a number in the list: the invoice hasn't been transmitted to SDI yet; it's not an error, it's the "no number yet" state described in this guide.
Ask Sam
You can ask Sam to create an invoice on a specific numbering series, with the same result as the "Numbering series" field in the form. Assigning the number, however, is never something you or Sam decide on your behalf: it always happens at the actual transmission to SDI, with your explicit confirmation.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my invoice have a number? Because it hasn't been sent to SDI yet: SamBooks assigns the number only at transmission, never at creation.
When is the number assigned to the invoice? At the exact instant you confirm the send to SDI (the "Confirm and send" button), together with the general-ledger entry.
What does invoice status "Ready" mean? That every field required for e-invoicing is complete: SamBooks calculates the status itself, it isn't a manual switch.
What's the difference between Draft and Ready? Draft means at least one required field is missing (on the invoice or in the company data); Ready means everything is complete and the invoice can be sent. Neither one has a number yet.
What is a numbering series? A self-contained numbering sequence: the progressive number is unique per series and year, not global to the company. Every company starts with a "General" series with no letter code.
Can I have two different numbering sequences for my invoices? Yes: create a new numbering series from Company settings → Numbering series, with its own letter code, and select it when creating an invoice.
I have a gap in my invoice numbering, what do I do? It shouldn't happen through the normal flow: every rejection always releases the number. If you notice a real gap on invoices that were never rejected, check with your accountant before taking action.
If the invoice gets rejected, do I lose the number? The number it had is released right away; once resent successfully, it gets a new one, the first one free at that moment.
How do I change the numbering series? On the creation form, in the "Numbering series" field: you can pick any active series before saving. It can't be changed after issuance.
Why do I see a dash instead of a number in the list? Because the invoice hasn't been transmitted to SDI yet: the dash is the normal state of a number-less invoice, not an error.
Do credit notes have separate numbering? Yes: they always number automatically on the dedicated "NC" series, different from the one used for sales invoices.
Can I decide the invoice number myself? No: there's no field to type it in. SamBooks always assigns the first free progressive number of the chosen series, at the moment of sending.