Invoice Preview and Test Send: What to Check
Source: https://www.getinvoiceagent.com/features/invoice-preview-and-test-send
Reviewed: 2026-09-14 | Owner: InvoiceAgent editorial team

Illustrative example; adapt to your agreement. Not a real client record or live integration test.

Example review record: invoice 1042
Scope and amount: September support $1,200 + approved migration work $180 = $1,380 USD.
Dates to check: Scheduled September 21, 2026; agreed due date October 5, 2026.
Draft test: Check logo, item descriptions, total, message, and payment link in your own inbox.
Saved-invoice test: Confirm the saved due date and recipient details; correct any discrepancy before processing begins.
Illustrative fixed-fee example with no tax or currency conversion. A due date missing from the draft PDF is not evidence that the saved invoice has no deadline.

YOUR REVIEW
Client / invoice number: ____________________
Reviewer / date: ____________________
Send date / due date: ____________________
Amount / currency: ____________________
Next action / owner: ____________________

[ ] Account email for owner test: ____________________
[ ] Client recipient checked against billing agreement
[ ] Service period, approved extras, amount, and currency verified
[ ] Draft email and actual PDF opened
[ ] Saved invoice due date checked separately from draft preview
[ ] Saved-invoice test inspected after final edits
[ ] Time-import and FX changes reviewed before send
[ ] Scheduled time leaves room for corrections; queue checked

Run a review you can finish before send time
1. Check the agreement before appearance
Compare the client name, recipient address, service period, approved work, and total with your billing notes. In the example, the $180 extra needs its own clear description. Confirm the account email where the test will arrive and give yourself enough time to correct the saved invoice.

2. Read the email and open its attachment
Send the draft to yourself while preparing the invoice. Read the subject and message, open the attached PDF, and inspect the logo, long descriptions, currency, and payment instructions. Confirm a payment link points to the intended destination without completing a payment.

3. Recheck the saved record
After saving, inspect the queued invoice and run its test send. Confirm October 5 appears as the deadline in this example. If you edit a Pending or Failed invoice, repeat the affected checks. Make corrections before Processing begins; do not use a test as a way to delay a scheduled send.

EXCEPTIONS AND LIMITS
Your inbox is not the client's inbox
Receiving a test checks delivery to your account and gives you a document to inspect. It does not prove the client's address is correct, that their email system will accept the message, or that they will open it.

Changing inputs can change the total
Tracked-time refresh and send-time currency conversion can change the dispatched amount after a test. Review the hours and currency agreement separately. An earlier preview is a point-in-time check, not a locked quote.

A test is separate from scheduling
The draft test is unsaved, and the saved test does not mark the invoice Sent or cancel its scheduled delivery. Inspect the queue after saving. If work must wait, address the queued invoice before it becomes eligible to send.

RELATED RESOURCES
Check the logo, template, and PDF readability: https://www.getinvoiceagent.com/features/invoice-branding
Follow the email through dispatch and status: https://www.getinvoiceagent.com/features/automated-pdf-invoice-email
Plan where the sent invoice PDF is archived: https://www.getinvoiceagent.com/features/google-drive-invoice-sync
Calculate the deadline to verify on the saved invoice: https://www.getinvoiceagent.com/tools/invoice-due-date-calculator