---
title: How to Create and Manage PDF Invoices for WooCommerce Orders
description: Create WooCommerce PDF invoices automatically or manually, then view, download, print or delete them.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/create-manage-woocommerce-pdf-invoices/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# How to Create and Manage PDF Invoices for WooCommerce Orders

To create a PDF invoice with PDF Invoices & Packing Slips Generator for WooCommerce, either set the document's Create option to a trigger such as On payment complete, or leave it on Manually and click the Create icon in the PDF Invoicing meta box on the order. You can then view, download, print, or delete it there.

### Before you start

- WooCommerce, active, with at least one order.
- The Invoice document enabled under **WPFactory > PDF Invoicing** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > PDF Invoicing**), see Document-Specific Configuration.

### Create a document automatically

In the document settings, set the **Create** option to one or more triggers, for example **On payment complete** or an order status. From then on, PDF Invoicing generates the document the first time that event happens for an order. A document is created only once per order, so the same trigger firing again will not duplicate it.

### Create a document manually

Leave **Manually** selected in the **Create** option (this is the default). Then:

1. Open the order in **WooCommerce > Orders**.
2. In the **PDF Invoicing** meta box on the right, click the **Create** icon next to the document name and confirm.

You can also create documents straight from the orders list: the plugin adds a column named after the document (for example "Invoice") with the same action icons.

### View, download, print, and delete

After a document exists, the meta box and the orders-list column show its number and four actions:

| Action | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| View (the document number link) | Opens the PDF in a new browser tab. |
| Download (PDF icon) | Downloads the PDF file. |
| Print (printer icon) | Sends the PDF to the print dialog (using Print.js when enabled). |
| Delete (trash icon) | Removes the document from the order after a confirmation prompt. |

**Note:** deleting a document does not roll the counter back. If you recreate it, the next counter value is used. Creating and deleting are logged as order notes, unless a developer disables that with the `alg_wc_pdf_invoicing_add_order_notes` filter.

### Use cases

- Auto-issue an invoice the moment payment completes, and print it with one click when packing.
- Generate documents manually for wholesale orders that need review first.
- Delete and recreate a document after correcting a billing address.

### Get more control

Creating one document type is free. [PDF Invoices & Packing Slips Generator for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/pdf-invoicing-for-woocommerce/) Pro lets you create several document types per order, each with its own actions. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/pdf-invoicing-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [How to Create Multilingual PDF Invoices](https://wpfactory.com/docs/multilingual-pdf-invoices/)
- [Let Customers Download PDF Invoices from My Account](https://wpfactory.com/docs/woocommerce-pdf-invoices-my-account/)
- [How to Add a Page Background or Watermark to PDF Invoices](https://wpfactory.com/docs/pdf-page-background-and-watermark/)
- [How to Add Conditional Content and Item Loops to PDF Invoices](https://wpfactory.com/docs/conditional-content-in-pdf-invoices/)
- [How to Bulk View and Download PDF Invoices](https://wpfactory.com/docs/bulk-view-download-pdf-invoices/)