---
key: set-how-records-are-numbered
title: Set how your records are numbered
audience: staff
section: administration
routes: ["/settings/org/record-numbering"]
permissions: ["org.settings.record_numbering.read"]
features: ["settings.org.record-numbering"]
since: 0.0.1
updated: 0.0.1
status: published
summary: Choose the prefix, separator, number length and next number for quote, invoice, work order and other record numbers, and give a branch its own series.
keywords: [invoice number, quote number, numbering, prefix, starting number, sequence, record id, continue numbering from old system, work order number]
related: [create-a-branch, update-your-company-details, create-an-invoice]
---

In the sidebar, open **Settings**, then choose **Record Numbering** under **Records & Fields**. The page address is `/settings/org/record-numbering`.

Every quote, invoice, work order, ticket and so on gets a human-readable number such as INV-000123. This page sets the pattern for each kind of record.

## Before you start

- Your admin has to give your role permission to change record numbering. Without it the fields are read-only.
- Do this before your team creates real records. A record gets its number when the draft is created, and the number locks once the record leaves draft or reaches a customer. Prefixes are always stored in capitals.

## Steps

1. Scroll to the group you want, for example **Billing & Commerce**, and find the card for the record type, such as **Invoices**.
2. Type the **Organization prefix**, for example INV or a code your old system used.
3. Choose a **Separator**: **Hyphen** or **None**.
4. Set **Padding**, the number of digits Nova pads the number to (6 gives 000123).
5. Set **Next number** if you are continuing from an old series. Nova gives out this number next and counts up from it.
6. Leave **Active** on **Yes**. A sequence set to **No** blocks new records of that type.
7. Press **Save** on the card. The **Preview** in the card's corner shows what the next number will look like.

To give one branch its own series, use **Branch overrides** at the bottom of the card: pick a branch from **Choose branch**, press **Add override**, then fill in that row's **Prefix**, **Separator**, **Padding**, **Next number** and **Active** and save it. Use a different prefix for every active override so two branches never give out the same number.

## What you see

- The four cards at the top count your **Tracks** (every sequence you can set up) and **Branch Overrides**, show how many sequences are **Recalc Needed**, and remind you that **Formatting** is **Uppercase only**.
- Each card is marked **Configured** once you have saved it, or **Seeded default** while it still uses Nova's starting values.
- **Reset** on a card returns it to the seeded default. **Recalculate** sets **Next number** from the highest number already in use, and the card shows the current and recommended next numbers.
- **Tickets** keep a fixed TKT- prefix so email replies match up; only their next number can change.

## If something looks different

- A card warns that the stored next number does not match live records: someone imported or renumbered records. Press **Recalculate**.
- A card shows a namespace conflict in red: two active sequences share a prefix. Change one of the prefixes.
- **Add override** is missing on a card: that record type does not support branch overrides. It is greyed out: every active branch already has an override on that card.

[[route:/settings/org/record-numbering|Open Record Numbering]]