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API Integration7 min read

How to Use APIs to Automate Your Invoicing Process

By Invoroo Team

How to Use APIs to Automate Your Invoicing Process

As your business grows, manually creating and sending invoices becomes time-consuming and error-prone. API integration offers a powerful solution to automate your invoicing process, seamlessly connecting your existing systems with professional invoicing capabilities.

What is Invoice API Integration?

An invoice API (Application Programming Interface) allows your software applications to communicate directly with invoicing systems. Instead of manually entering data into multiple platforms, you can automate the entire process from order completion to payment tracking.

Benefits of API-Driven Invoicing

  • Eliminate manual data entry and reduce human errors
  • Instant invoice generation when orders are completed
  • Automatic client information synchronization across platforms
  • Real-time payment status updates in your main system
  • Scalable solution that grows with your business

Common Use Cases for Invoice APIs

E-commerce Integration

Automatically generate invoices when customers complete purchases on your online store:

// Example: Auto-invoice after successful payment
const createInvoiceAfterPayment = async (orderData, clientId) => {
  const invoiceData = {
    clientId: clientId,
    currency: orderData.currency || "USD",
    dueDate: "immediate", // or calculate future date
    items: orderData.items.map(item => ({
      description: item.name,
      quantity: item.quantity,
      unitPrice: item.price
    })),
    vat: orderData.vatPercentage || 0,
    discount: {
      total: orderData.discountAmount || 0,
      isPercentage: false
    },
    status: "paid", // Since payment is already completed
    language: "en",
    paymentLink: orderData.paymentConfirmationUrl
  };
  
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(invoiceData)
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

CRM Integration

Sync client data and project information directly from your CRM to create accurate invoices:

  • Automatically pull client contact information
  • Include project details and time tracking data
  • Generate recurring invoices for subscription clients
  • Update invoice status back to your CRM

Project Management Tools

Connect your project management platform to invoice clients when milestones are completed:

  • Track billable hours automatically
  • Generate invoices when project phases complete
  • Include detailed work descriptions from project logs
  • Send invoices to multiple stakeholders

Getting Started with Invoroo's API

Invoroo provides a comprehensive REST API that makes integration straightforward. The API follows RESTful principles and uses standard HTTP methods.

Step 1: Authentication

First, obtain your API credentials from your Invoroo dashboard and generate access tokens:

curl -X POST https://invoroo.io/api/v1/token/generate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "client_id": "your_client_id",
    "client_secret": "your_client_secret"
  }'

Response:

{
  "access_token": {
    "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
    "expiresIn": 86400
  },
  "refresh_token": {
    "token": "eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
    "expiresIn": 604800
  },
  "token_type": "Bearer"
}

Step 2: Create a Client

Before creating invoices, you'll need to set up clients in your system:

const createClient = async () => {
  const clientData = {
    companyName: "Acme Corporation",
    taxId: "123456789",
    country: "United States",
    state: "California",
    city: "San Francisco",
    address: "123 Business Street",
    postalCode: "94105",
    email: "billing@acme.com"
  };

  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/client/create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(clientData)
  });

  return response.json();
};

Step 3: Create Your First Invoice

Use the API to create a professional invoice programmatically:

const createInvoice = async (clientId) => {
  const invoiceData = {
    clientId: clientId,
    currency: "USD",
    dueDate: "02/23/2025",
    items: [
      {
        description: "Website Development",
        quantity: 1,
        unitPrice: 2500.00
      },
      {
        description: "SEO Optimization",
        quantity: 1,
        unitPrice: 750.00
      }
    ],
    vat: 0, // VAT percentage (0 for US, adjust for other countries)
    discount: {
      total: 0,
      isPercentage: false
    },
    status: "unpaid",
    language: "en",
    paymentLink: "https://your-payment-processor.com/invoice-123",
    footerNote: "Thank you for your business!"
  };

  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(invoiceData)
  });

  return response.json();
};

Step 4: Retrieve and Manage Invoices

Get invoice details and track payment status:

// Get all invoices
const getInvoices = async () => {
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/get', {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
    }
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

// Get specific invoice
const getInvoice = async (invoiceId) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/get/${invoiceId}`, {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
    }
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

// Update invoice status
const updateInvoice = async (invoiceId, updateData) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/update/${invoiceId}`, {
    method: 'PUT',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(updateData)
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Advanced API Features

Token Refresh

Keep your API sessions active with refresh tokens:

const refreshAccessToken = async (refreshToken) => {
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/token/refresh', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      refresh_token: refreshToken
    })
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Client Management

Manage your client database programmatically:

// Get all clients
const getClients = async () => {
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/client/get', {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
    }
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

// Update client information
const updateClient = async (clientId, updateData) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://invoroo.io/api/v1/client/update/${clientId}`, {
    method: 'PUT',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(updateData)
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Invoice Status Management

Track and update invoice payment status:

// Mark invoice as paid
const markInvoiceAsPaid = async (invoiceId) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/update/${invoiceId}`, {
    method: 'PUT',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      status: 'paid'
    })
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

// Get invoice payment status
const getInvoiceStatus = async (invoiceId) => {
  const response = await fetch(`https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/get/${invoiceId}`, {
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN'
    }
  });
  
  const invoice = await response.json();
  return invoice.status; // 'paid', 'unpaid', 'overdue', etc.
};

Best Practices for API Integration

Error Handling

Always implement robust error handling for the Invoroo API:

const createInvoiceWithErrorHandling = async (invoiceData) => {
  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/create', {
      method: 'POST',
      headers: {
        'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      body: JSON.stringify(invoiceData)
    });
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      const errorData = await response.json();
      throw new Error(`API Error: ${response.status} - ${errorData.error || 'Unknown error'}`);
    }
    
    return await response.json();
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to create invoice:', error);
    
    // Handle specific error cases
    if (error.message.includes('401')) {
      // Token expired - refresh and retry
      await refreshAccessToken();
      return createInvoiceWithErrorHandling(invoiceData);
    }
    
    throw error;
  }
};

Rate Limiting

Respect API rate limits to ensure reliable service:

  • Implement exponential backoff for failed requests
  • Cache frequently accessed data when possible
  • Monitor your API usage through the Invoroo dashboard
  • Consider upgrading your API plan for higher rate limits

Security

Protect your API credentials and data:

  • Store API keys securely (environment variables, not in code)
  • Use HTTPS for all API communications
  • Implement proper authentication token refresh logic
  • Regularly rotate your client credentials
  • Validate all input data before sending to the API

Measuring Success

Track these metrics to measure the impact of API automation:

  • Time savings: Compare manual vs. automated invoice creation times
  • Error reduction: Monitor decreases in invoice errors and corrections
  • Payment speed: Track improvements in average payment time
  • Scale efficiency: Measure your ability to handle increased invoice volume

Common Integration Patterns

Subscription Billing

For SaaS or subscription businesses:

const createRecurringInvoice = async (clientId, subscriptionData) => {
  const invoiceData = {
    clientId: clientId,
    currency: subscriptionData.currency,
    dueDate: subscriptionData.nextBillingDate,
    items: [
      {
        description: `${subscriptionData.planName} - Monthly Subscription`,
        quantity: 1,
        unitPrice: subscriptionData.monthlyAmount
      }
    ],
    vat: subscriptionData.vatPercentage || 0,
    discount: {
      total: 0,
      isPercentage: false
    },
    status: "unpaid",
    language: "en",
    footerNote: "Subscription billing - thank you for your continued business"
  };
  
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(invoiceData)
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Milestone-Based Billing

For project-based businesses:

const createMilestoneInvoice = async (clientId, milestoneData) => {
  const invoiceData = {
    clientId: clientId,
    currency: milestoneData.currency,
    dueDate: milestoneData.dueDate,
    items: milestoneData.deliverables.map(item => ({
      description: item.description,
      quantity: item.quantity || 1,
      unitPrice: item.amount
    })),
    vat: milestoneData.vatPercentage || 0,
    discount: {
      total: milestoneData.discountAmount || 0,
      isPercentage: false
    },
    status: "unpaid",
    language: "en",
    footerNote: `Invoice for ${milestoneData.milestoneName} completion`
  };
  
  const response = await fetch('https://invoroo.io/api/v1/invoice/create', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(invoiceData)
  });
  
  return response.json();
};

Conclusion

API-driven invoicing automation transforms how businesses handle billing, reducing manual work while improving accuracy and speed. Whether you're running an e-commerce store, managing client projects, or operating a subscription service, Invoroo's API provides the flexibility and power you need to streamline your invoicing process.

Ready to automate your invoicing? Explore Invoroo's comprehensive API documentation and start building your integration today. With robust features, excellent documentation, and responsive support, you'll have your automated invoicing system running in no time.

Visit the Invoroo API documentation to get started with your integration and see detailed examples of all available endpoints.

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