Configure PDF templates for estimates, invoices, purchase orders, slips, and other customer- or supplier-facing documents.
Last updated: May 29, 2026
This guide explains how to configure document templates in Sanka, preview them with real records, and troubleshoot cases where a PDF does not show the expected customer, line item, tax, logo, or payment information.Document templates sit between object records and the PDF files your team sends to customers, suppliers, warehouses, or internal reviewers. Before changing a template, confirm which object uses it, which records will be affected, and whether the output is only a preview or will be sent outside your workspace.
Review the change with AI
Use AI to review the template plan first, especially when the PDF affects invoices, purchase orders, delivery slips, receipts, or other external documents. Ask for a checklist, not an immediate update.
Sample prompt
/sanka Review this Sanka PDF template change before I update it. Check the object, affected document type, required fields, customer or supplier information, line item columns, tax columns, logo or seal, payment terms, language, and whether any already-sent documents would need a correction. Do not update the template yet.
What a document template controls
A document template controls how record data appears in a PDF. It can be used for documents such as estimates, invoices, purchase orders, delivery slips, shipping slips, receipts, and other workspace-specific forms.Templates commonly control:
The document title and base layout
Header fields such as record ID, issue date, due date, owner, or status
Recipient and sender information
Payment terms, billing address, or bank transfer details
Notes, remarks, and fixed text
Line item columns such as item name, SKU, quantity, unit price, tax, discount, and amount
Logo, seal, color, font, footer, and page number display
Which real record is used for preview and PDF download
Changing a template changes future previews and downloads that use that template. It does not automatically rewrite PDFs that were already downloaded, sent, or stored as files.
Open template settings
Open Workspace from the left menu.
Open Object Management.
Select the object whose document you want to configure, such as Invoice, Estimate, Purchase Order, or Slip.
Scroll to Document Template (PDF) in the property settings area.
Select the template you want to edit.
Use the object where the document is issued. For example, invoice PDFs should be configured from the Invoice object, while purchase order PDFs should be configured from the Purchase Order object.
Choose the base template
Choose a base template before editing fields. The base template defines the overall layout, available blocks, and where information appears on the PDF.Use Preview or Layout to compare template designs. Some objects may have fewer template choices than others, and some blocks appear only in specific template layouts.
Configure core blocks
Set the information that should appear in the document header, recipient area, sender area, payment area, remarks, and footer.Common blocks include:
Title: the title shown at the top of the PDF
Header block: record ID, issue date, due date, status, or other record fields
Recipient block: customer, supplier, billing contact, or shipping destination
Sender block: your company, owner, department, or workspace information
Payment block: payment terms, billing destination, bank details, or due date
Remarks block: notes, terms, delivery instructions, or internal-to-external messages
Footer template: page number format and footer text
Use record fields when the value should change per customer, supplier, or order. Use a fixed value only for text that should be the same on every PDF, such as a standard note or policy message.
Configure line item columns
Line item columns determine what appears in the detail table of the PDF. For invoices, estimates, and purchase orders, this area usually carries the most important financial information.Check these columns before saving:
Item or service name
SKU, item code, JAN code, or supplier code when needed
Quantity and unit
Unit price
Discount
Tax category, tax rate, and tax inclusive or exclusive display
Subtotal, tax amount, and total amount
Delivery date, shipping location, or notes when the document requires them
If a column is required for tax, approval, reconciliation, inventory, or customer review, keep it visible. Reordering columns affects the PDF layout but should not change the underlying record values.
Set style, logo, and seal
Use style settings to align the PDF with your team’s external document format.
Upload the company logo and seal on the relevant workspace or company fields before expecting them to appear.
Set background color, theme color, table text color, and font size according to the selected template.
Choose a footer style that matches your document policy.
Keep customer-facing documents readable when printed or downloaded as PDF.
If a logo or seal does not appear, check both the uploaded image and whether the selected template includes a logo or seal area.
Save and preview with real records
After changing the template, click Update. Then use Download preview or download a PDF from a real record to confirm the output.Preview with records that represent the cases your team actually uses:
One line item and many line items
Taxable and non-taxable lines
Discounted lines
Long customer or supplier names
Multi-page documents
Records with and without optional notes
Records created from CSV, integrations, actions, workflows, or AI
If the preview is correct, the template is ready for future PDF downloads. If the PDF will be sent to a customer or supplier, review the final record before sending.
Expected behavior
When a document template is configured correctly:
Future PDFs using that template show the selected layout and blocks
Record field values are copied into the PDF at download or preview time
Fixed values appear exactly as configured
Line item columns follow the selected order and labels
Logo, seal, colors, fonts, and footer settings follow the selected template
Existing record values are not changed just because the template layout changed
Already-sent or already-downloaded PDFs are not automatically corrected
Template settings do not bypass missing record data, permissions, send rules, approval rules, or object-specific lifecycle locks. If a value is missing from the record, the PDF may also show it as missing.
Troubleshooting
A field is blank in the PDF
Check whether the source record actually has a value, whether the template points to the correct field, and whether the selected object is the one that issues the document.
The customer, supplier, or address is wrong
Check the record association first. For example, an invoice should use the correct customer or billing contact, while a purchase order should use the correct supplier and sender information.
Line item amounts or tax columns look wrong
Compare the record line items with the template columns. Confirm quantity, unit price, discount, tax category, tax inclusive or exclusive display, currency, subtotal, and total amount.
The logo or seal does not appear
Confirm that the image is uploaded, the selected template supports the logo or seal area, and the image format is suitable for PDF output.
A generated PDF does not match the preview
Confirm that you previewed the same object, record, template, language, and latest saved settings. If an older file was already downloaded or attached, generate a new preview after saving the template.
AI cannot decide whether this is a bug
Ask AI to compare the template settings, source record values, selected object, line item columns, latest preview, action history, and audit trail. Treat it as a possible bug only after confirming the template and record data are correct.
Checkpoints
Before changing a template used for external documents, check the object, affected document type, selected base template, recipient and sender fields, line item columns, tax display, payment terms, logo or seal, preview record, language, and whether any previously sent document needs correction.
Search Sanka...
Review document template changes
Logs
Search logsAll actionsAll dates
ID / ActionDateTarget / ItemChangeActor
3Template draft reviewed2026/05/20 10:00Invoice PDF templateChecked fields, line items, tax display, and logoClaude / Codex
2Template updated2026/05/20 10:20Invoice PDF templateSaved revised customer and line item layoutWorkspace admin
1PDF preview checked2026/05/20 10:30Invoice 1233Confirmed preview before sendingFinance user
For customer- or supplier-facing PDFs, review both the template settings and a real record preview before sending or attaching the document.
