Quotations10 min

Quotation Lifecycle Statuses Explained

A complete guide to every quotation status — what it means, how you get there, and what actions are available next.

Step 1

The big picture

Every quotation moves through a lifecycle from internal drafting to customer response and (optionally) invoice conversion. Invoism uses ten statuses: Draft, Pending approval, Approved, Sent, Viewed, Accepted, Converted, Rejected, Expired, and Cancelled. Most happy-path quotes follow Draft → Approved → Sent → Accepted → Converted. Approval and rejection branches depend on your org settings and customer response.

Step 2

Draft — work in progress

Draft is the starting status when you save a new quotation. You can edit line items, customer, template, validity date, notes, and terms. Only drafts can be deleted. From Draft you either submit for approval (when approval is required) or mark ready to move directly to Approved (when approval is off).

Step 3

Pending approval — internal review

When Settings → Quotations has “Require approval” turned on, submitting a draft moves it to Pending approval. The quotation is locked for editing while reviewers decide. An approver can approve (→ Approved) or reject internally (→ Rejected). Makers normally cannot approve their own quote unless they are the only approver in the organization — Invoism records that as self-approved for audit.

Step 4

Approved — ready to send

Approved means the quote passed internal checks and is ready to email to the customer. With approval off, Mark ready on a draft also lands here. Only Approved quotations can be sent for the first time. Who may send depends on your send policy: approver only, or maker after approval (creator may send once approved).

Step 5

Sent — shared with the customer

Send emails the quotation PDF to the customer and sets status to Sent. The PDF snapshot is stored so later edits do not change what was shared. You can resend from Sent (also from Viewed or Accepted) to deliver another copy without changing amounts. From Sent you can mark the quote Accepted or Rejected based on the customer’s response.

Step 6

Viewed — customer opened the quote

Viewed indicates the customer opened the quotation (for example via a tracked link). It sits between Sent and Accepted in the sales funnel. You can still accept, reject, resend, or cancel while in Sent or Viewed. Automatic “viewed” tracking may not be enabled for every delivery method yet — your quote can stay on Sent even after the customer reads the email attachment.

Step 7

Accepted — ready to convert

Accepted means the customer agreed to the quote. Only Accepted quotations can be converted to an invoice. Conversion snapshots quoted values into a new invoice draft and moves the quotation to Converted. Accept is available from Sent or Viewed.

Step 8

Converted — invoice created

Converted is a terminal success state: one quotation maps to one invoice. The quotation detail shows a link to the invoice. If that invoice is later cancelled, the quotation stays Converted for audit — you cannot convert again; create a new invoice manually if you still need to bill.

Step 9

Rejected — closed without sale

Rejected closes the quote without conversion. Internal rejection happens from Pending approval when an approver declines it. Customer rejection happens from Sent or Viewed when you record that the customer declined (optional reason is stored). Rejected quotations are kept for reporting but cannot be sent or converted.

Step 10

Expired — past the validity date

Expired means the quotation is past its Valid until date. Sent or Viewed quotes that outlive their validity should move here. Today the list and detail pages also show a “Past due” hint when valid until has passed, even before a system expiry job runs. Set realistic validity dates when creating quotes so customers know how long pricing holds.

Step 11

Cancelled — withdrawn by you

Cancelled means your team withdrew the quotation before it finished the sales process. You can cancel from Draft, Pending approval, Approved, Sent, Viewed, or Accepted — but not from Converted, Rejected, or Expired. Cancelled quotes remain in the list for audit.

Step 12

Two paths to Sent (cheat sheet)

Approval OFF: Draft → Mark ready → Approved → Send → Sent. Approval ON: Draft → Submit → Pending approval → Approve → Approved → Send → Sent. After Sent: optionally Viewed → Accepted → Converted. Side exits: Rejected (internal or customer), Cancelled (your team), Expired (past valid until).

Expected outcomes

You can read any quotation status badge and know what it means
You understand the approval-on vs approval-off paths to Sent
You know which statuses allow edit, send, accept, convert, or cancel