QuickBooks Tip: Customize Email to Include Transaction # in Subject Line

October 16, 2012 · Posted in QuickBooks Consulting, Tips & Tricks 

Many people like to email forms (Invoices, Sales Receipts and others) from QuickBooks.  This QuickBooks tip demonstrates how to include the transaction number in the subject line when emailing from QuickBooks.

You can email from QuickBooks using a variety of methods:

  • QuickBooks E-mail (valid subscription required)
  • Outlook
  • Web Mail (New in 2011, you can email from QuickBooks using other web mail accounts from Google, Yahoo,  Hotmail/Live or Others (I set it up to email from my GoDaddy email).

You can email these forms (transactions) from QuickBooks:

  • Invoices
  • Estimates
  • Statements
  • Sales Orders
  • Sales Receipt
  • Credit Memo
  • Purchase Order

This tip shows how to insert the invoice number into the subject line of the email.  However, you can customize the emails for the other forms too.

Here’s how to customize the email preferences to include the transaction number in the subject line of the email:

  1. Edit > Preferences > Send Forms > Company Preferences tab
  2. Change Default for:  Select the form to customize (Invoices in this example)
  3. Insert <NUM> in the Subject Line (you can customize the text of the email as well)

Now, the invoice number will appear in the subject line of the invoice as shown below:

Wasn’t that easy?  Now you could customize other forms or the text of the emails too.

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About Michelle Long

Michelle L. Long, CPA is the owner of Long for Success, LLC specializing in QuickBooks consulting & training, coaching small business owners, speaking and writing. She was named one of '10 Women who Inspire a Profession' by Accounting Today and a Financial Services Champion of the Year by the SBA. She has been mentioned in the New York Times, Inc.com, Business Week, Investor's Business Daily, WebCPA and more. Michelle is the author of Successful QuickBooks Consulting and How to Start a Home Based Bookkeeping Business.

Comments

23 Responses to “QuickBooks Tip: Customize Email to Include Transaction # in Subject Line”

  1. Elizabeth Sawyer on October 17th, 2012 7:35 AM

    That is a really cool trick, and very good information to have. Thank you!

  2. Rachel on October 17th, 2012 8:09 AM

    Thanks so much for the post. It brings to mind a similar issue I hope you can assist with. For the subject line for reports, can we insert or something similar to have the name of the report automatically inserted? Thanks so much for your help.

  3. Diane Offutt on October 17th, 2012 8:21 AM

    What great information to have. So many of my clients utilize “emailing” their invoices. This is sure to be a welcomed tip. I will be passing it along to them.

    Thank you,

    Diane Offutt, Enrolled Agent (EA), MAcc

  4. Elizabeth Guy on October 17th, 2012 9:51 AM

    Thanks for sharing this. Can never have enough tips! I shared this info on twitter and also on my website!

  5. Michelle Long on October 17th, 2012 9:59 AM

    Great — thanks for sharing Elizabeth!

  6. Michelle Long on October 17th, 2012 10:04 AM

    Rachel – no only the field is available now.

  7. Nurit on October 17th, 2012 10:15 AM

    Are there other fields besides NUM that can be used? For example I have a customer where the bookkeeper creates the invoice and forwards this to the sales person who emails it to the client .The salesperson would like to see the customer’s name in the subject line. Is that possible?

  8. Michelle Long on October 17th, 2012 10:17 AM

    Nurit — The only field available now is Let Intuit know what you’d like — in QuickBooks, go to Help > Send Feedback Online > Product Suggestion

  9. Mindy on October 17th, 2012 8:31 PM

    I’ve been manually putting in the Invoice number in the subject line, so this is a great improvement!

    I still need the Date of the Invoice in the subject line as well.

    And while we are “pie in the sky” about it, whether it is Paid!

  10. HML on October 18th, 2012 11:54 AM

    Hi,

    What version of QuickBooks has this feature been made available?

    I tried it in our 2011 version and noticed that inserting in the subject line did not insert the invoice number when the email generated.

    Appreciate your feedback.

    Thank you,

  11. Michelle Long on October 18th, 2012 1:09 PM

    I’m not sure, but it worked in 2012.

  12. Jeff Cecchini on October 18th, 2012 1:40 PM

    I wish that Intuit would add a couple more fields for the subject line (and email body):

    for the total amount an attached sales transaction document like invoices, sales receipts, estimates, etc.

    and for the statement balance as of the statement period ending date.

  13. Michelle Long on October 18th, 2012 1:42 PM

    Jeff — Let Intuit know what you want — in QuickBooks, go to Help > Send Feedback Online > Product Suggestion

  14. HML on October 18th, 2012 3:56 PM

    Thanks Michelle. It sounds like it might only be a function in the 2012 version.

  15. Graceman on October 24th, 2012 5:02 PM

    That has been the default setting in QB 2012 for send forms for some time, create a new data file and its there by default.
    Well at least in Uk Version of Qb

  16. Graceman on October 24th, 2012 5:06 PM

    I have also created a new data field in QB 2013 and its the default setting there as well, again I speak for Uk versions.

  17. DArryll on November 8th, 2012 11:34 AM

    We have a few customers that are raising concerns about the lack of estimate or invoice number on the subject lines of their quotes. We use QB online version. I have tried to add the as directed but the Estimate number/Invoice number do not appear. The appears and then our name. Any other suggestions would greatly appreciated.

  18. Darryll on November 8th, 2012 11:36 AM

    Weird, the NUM was removed from each place that I added it on this comment line. I hope you knew what I was saying. Thanks

  19. Michelle Long on November 8th, 2012 12:20 PM

    This blog post is about the desktop products (QuickBooks Pro/Premier, etc) not QB Online. I’m not sure if you can do it or how to do it in QBO. Sorry. Post the question in my Linkedin group (links to it on my blog) and maybe someone can help.

  20. Laurie on November 15th, 2012 9:16 PM

    Excellent tip! Thanks Michelle!

  21. Butch on January 29th, 2013 9:00 AM

    Will this work in QB Enterprise 2011? I have tried it but does not work.

  22. Michelle Long on February 5th, 2013 5:37 PM

    I’m not sure. Make sure you’re typing it exactly as shown. Test it by sending an email to yourself.

  23. hthcomm on February 18th, 2013 10:22 AM

    this does not work with QB Enterprise 11.0 for me.

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