---
key: choose-whether-billing-emails-attach-a-pdf
title: Choose whether billing emails attach a PDF
audience: staff
section: administration/billing-commerce
routes: ["/settings/org/billing/document-defaults"]
permissions: ["billing.document_templates.read"]
features: ["billing.setup"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Decide whether invoice, quote, statement and receipt emails carry a PDF attachment, a secure online link, or both, as the organization-wide default.
keywords: [pdf attachment, email invoice, pay online link, portal link, secure link, receipt email, attach]
related: [set-invoice-terms-and-quote-expiry-defaults, send-a-quote, send-a-statement, record-a-payment]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Document Defaults** under **Sales & Billing**. The page address is `/settings/org/billing/document-defaults`. Scroll to **Email delivery** near the bottom.

## Before you start

- This sets the default for every billing email the organization sends. Whoever sends a document can still change it on the send screen for that one email.
- Your role needs the billing document templates permission to open the page.

## Steps

1. Under **Email delivery**, set **Attach a PDF to billing emails** to **On** if invoices, quotes, statements and payment receipts should go out with a PDF attached. Set it to **Off** to send the message with a secure link only.
2. With the PDF on, choose whether **Include a secure link in quote and invoice emails** is **On**. The link lets the customer view, approve or pay online. When the PDF is off, the link is always included and this switch is greyed out.
3. Press **Save defaults**. The button reads **Saved** for a moment.

## What you see

- **Attach a PDF to billing emails** **On** and **Include a secure link in quote and invoice emails** **On**: the customer gets both the file and a link to act on it. This is the usual choice.
- PDF **On**, link **Off**: the customer gets only the file and has to reply or call to approve or pay.
- PDF **Off**: the customer gets a short email with the secure link and no attachment. Statements and receipts also lose their PDF.
- The send screen for each document shows what will go out, so you can check before pressing send. Invoice, quote and receipt review share **More options** for attaching the PDF and scheduling a send. Email starts with your organization’s PDF default; text starts with the secure link only when a linked document is available. Add the PDF to a text explicitly to send it through MMS.

## If something looks different

- **Include a secure link in quote and invoice emails** cannot be turned off: **Attach a PDF to billing emails** is **Off**, and a link-only email always needs the link.
- The page says you do not have access: your role cannot open billing document settings. Ask your admin.
- The date and save-button settings on the same page are covered in [[set-invoice-terms-and-quote-expiry-defaults]].

[[route:/settings/org/billing/document-defaults|Open Document Defaults]]