Invoice and vendor document examples
Rename and organize invoices and vendor documents on Mac
Vendor invoices, bills, purchase orders, and tax forms arrive named scan_001.pdf, invoice.pdf, or rechnung.pdf. NameQuick reads each document and builds a consistent filename from the date, vendor, document number, and amount.
Use this workflow for vendor invoices, supplier bills, purchase orders, credit notes, tax forms, and German cost documents. NameQuick reads each PDF, pulls the date, vendor, document number, and amount off the page, and builds the filename from those fields before filing, handoff, import, or archive. It does not approve, pay, or post anything to your accounting system.
For example, scan_001.pdf can become 2026-01-14_Sample-Office-Supply_INV-1182_246.90-USD.pdf.
What arrives in a vendor folder
Invoices and statements downloaded from supplier and SaaS billing portals, often named invoice.pdf or download (3).pdf.
Bills and POs forwarded to an accounts inbox and saved with generic names.
Paper invoices and delivery notes scanned to PDF, often named scan_001.pdf.
Purchase orders and order confirmations exported from a procurement or ERP tool.
Start with the invoice template
Lead with a template, not a one-off prompt. A template fixes the field order so every file is named the same way. Go to Presets > New Preset > Template and use this spec.
Fields - Invoice date - Vendor name - Invoice number - Total amount - Currency Pattern {invoice_date}_{vendor_name}_INV-{invoice_number}_{total_amount}-{currency} Field rules - Format the invoice date as YYYY-MM-DD. - Use the issuing vendor or supplier name. - Use the invoice number, bill number, or reference number when visible. - Format the amount with two decimals. - Use the ISO currency code when visible. - Omit missing fields. Do not guess. Do not include - tax IDs - IBANs - full account numbers - card numbers - addresses - phone numbers
German cost documents (Anbieter, Gewerk, Kostenart)
For German Handwerker, Dienstleister, and Lieferanten documents, use this cost-document template. It sorts by Gewerk and Kostenart and keeps Steuernummern, IBANs, and Kontonummern out of the filename. Paste it into Presets > New Preset > Template.
Felder - Rechnungsdatum - Anbietername - Gewerk - Kostenart - Gesamtbetrag - Währung Muster {rechnungsdatum}_{anbietername}_{gewerk}_{kostenart}_{gesamtbetrag}-{waehrung} Feldregeln - Datum als YYYY-MM-DD formatieren. - Anbieter ist Lieferant, Absender oder Dienstleister. - Gewerk kurz halten, zum Beispiel Elektro, Sanitaer, Reinigung, Software, Beratung. - Kostenart kurz halten, zum Beispiel Material, Dienstleistung, Wartung, Miete. - Fehlende Felder weglassen, nicht raten. Nicht aufnehmen - Steuernummern - IBANs - vollstaendige Kontonummern - Kartennummern
Template variants
Pick the variant that matches how you sort these files. Each keeps the same structured pattern.
For vendor invoices, supplier bills, SaaS invoices, and utilities.
- •Put the date first so invoices sort by month.
- •Use the invoice, bill, or reference number when one is visible.
- •Use the ISO currency code shown on the document.
Fields NameQuick reads from a vendor document
| Field | Useful for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice date | Sorting vendor documents chronologically | 2026-01-14 |
| Vendor or supplier | Finding documents by who issued them | Sample-Office-Supply |
| Document number | Matching invoices, bills, or POs to records | INV-1182, PO-4509 |
| Total amount | Locating a document by value | 246.90 |
| Currency | Separating documents across regions | USD, EUR, BRL |
| Document type | Keeping the file understandable at a glance | Invoice, Bill, Purchase-Order, Tax-Form |
| Recipient or bill-to entity | Routing documents when you keep books for more than one entity | Entity-A |
Keep sensitive data out of filenames
These details should never appear in a filename. The template and prompt exclude them by default.
- personal or business tax IDs
- IBANs and BIC or SWIFT codes
- full or partial bank account numbers
- card numbers
- home or billing addresses
- phone numbers
A practical workflow
Collect vendor documents in one folder
Put new invoices, bills, purchase orders, and tax forms into a single review folder, such as ~/Documents/Vendor Inbox/. It can hold portal downloads, email attachments, and scanned paper documents.
Apply the invoice template
Use the invoice template so every document follows the same pattern. For German trade and cost documents, use the cost-document template with Gewerk and Kostenart.
Preview the suggested names
Check the date, a clean vendor name, the invoice or PO number, the total, and the currency. Confirm no tax ID, IBAN, or account number appears in the name.
Rename the batch
Apply the renames together so Finder search, Spotlight, and backups see consistent, sortable vendor-document names.
Route by vendor, type, or year
Use rules or a watch folder to move renamed documents into vendor, type, or year folders. Send purchase orders to procurement and tax forms to the tax folder.
Hand off to accounting
Readable documents are easier to attach to a bookkeeping entry, upload to an AP tool, or share with an accountant. Keep your accounting, AP, and ERP tools as the system of record.
Optional: a quick custom prompt
If you prefer a freeform prompt over a template, paste this into Presets > New Preset > Custom Prompt. The template is still the more consistent starting point.
Rename this vendor document based on its visible contents. The file is a vendor invoice, supplier bill, purchase order, credit note, or tax form. Create a concise, safe macOS filename. Preferred patterns: - Invoice: {date}_{vendor}_INV-{invoiceNumber}_{amount}-{currency} - Purchase order or bill: {date}_{vendor}_PO-{poNumber}_{amount}-{currency} - Tax form: {taxYear}_{formType}_{issuer} Rules: - Use the invoice, bill, or document date. Format it as YYYY-MM-DD. Use YYYY for tax-year documents. - Use the issuing vendor, supplier, or payer name. Clean suffixes like Inc., LLC, Ltd., or GmbH when they are not needed. - Use the invoice number as INV-{number}, the purchase order as PO-{number}, or the bill number as Bill-{number}, based on the label on the document. - Format the amount with two decimals, for example 246.90-USD or 842.50-EUR. Use the currency shown on the document. - Use a document type label when the exact type is clear: Invoice, Bill, Purchase-Order, Credit-Note, Tax-Form. - Omit any field you cannot read. Do not guess. - Do not include tax IDs, IBANs, account numbers, card numbers, addresses, or phone numbers. - Remove unsafe filename characters: / \ : * ? " < > | and line breaks. - Preserve the original file extension. Fallback: - If only a date and vendor are reliable, use {date}_{vendor}_{documentType}. - If almost nothing is readable, use Needs-Review_{originalBaseName}. Return only the filename, with no explanation.
Rename first, then route
Once names are stable, rules can move and tag files. Keep the first rules narrow and send unreadable files to review.
Rename with the invoice or cost template
Build names from the date, vendor, document number, total, and currency.
Tag document type in Finder
Add Finder tags such as Invoice, Purchase-Order, or Tax after the filename is clear.
Route reliable documents
Move clear documents into vendor, type, or year folders. Keep unreadable scans in a review lane.
| Rule | Trigger or condition | Action | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoice archive | Filename contains _INV- or the document type is invoice | Move to Vendors/{year}/Invoices/ and tag Invoice | 2026-01-14_Sample-Office-Supply_INV-1182_246.90-USD.pdf |
| Purchase orders | Filename contains _PO- | Move to Procurement/{year}/Purchase-Orders/ and tag PO | 2026-05-01_Sample-Parts-Co_PO-4509_1284.00-USD.pdf |
| Tax forms | Filename starts with a tax year and contains Tax-Form, W-9, 1099, or VAT | Move to Finance/{taxYear}/Tax/ and tag Tax | 2025_Tax-Form_1099-NEC_Sample-Client-Co.pdf |
| German cost docs | Filename contains a Gewerk value such as Elektro, Sanitaer, or Reinigung | Move to Kosten/{jahr}/{gewerk}/ and tag the Kostenart | 2026-03-14_Sample-Elektro_Elektro_Material_842.50-EUR.pdf |
| Needs review | Filename starts with Needs-Review or the vendor is missing | Keep in Vendor Inbox/Needs-Review and add a Finder tag | Needs-Review_scan_001.pdf |
Example Finder folder structures
Vendor documents grouped by supplier
Use this when you track documents per supplier.
Naming emphasis: {date}_{vendor}_{document_number}_{amount}-{currency}
What NameQuick does not do
NameQuick creates readable, consistent filenames for local Mac files. For these files it does not:
- approve, pay, or post invoices
- match POs to invoices or run three-way matching
- reconcile accounts payable
- decide deductibility or file taxes
- replace bookkeeping, accounting, AP, or ERP software
- guarantee OCR accuracy on low-quality scans
Common questions
Can NameQuick pull the invoice number and total from a vendor document?
Yes. NameQuick reads PDF text and OCR text, then proposes a filename from the date, vendor, invoice or PO number, total, and currency. Preview the results, since some vendors place the number or total in unusual positions.
How does it handle purchase orders and supplier bills?
Use the purchase orders and bills template. NameQuick labels the document number as PO-{number} or Bill-{number} based on what the document shows, and omits the segment when there is no number.
Does it work for German cost documents with Gewerk and Kostenart?
Yes. The German cost-document template builds names from Rechnungsdatum, Anbietername, Gewerk, Kostenart, Gesamtbetrag, and Waehrung. Keep Gewerk and Kostenart short, and leave out fields that are not visible.
Will tax IDs or IBANs end up in the filename?
No. The template and prompt exclude tax IDs, IBANs, account numbers, card numbers, addresses, and phone numbers. Always preview names before applying them to confirm no sensitive detail appears.
Does this replace my accounting software?
No. NameQuick makes vendor documents readable and consistent so they are easy to file, attach, or hand off. Keep your accounting, AP, or ERP system as the record for approvals, payments, and posting.
Organize one folder of vendor documents
Managed AI reads each vendor document and names it by date, vendor, number, and amount, with no API key to set up. Preview every name before applying, then route to accounting. Start with 50 free renames.