Converter templates are the basis for local invoice conversion with a template. They define where Billance should look inside a document for specific values, so recurring invoice layouts can be recognized automatically.
What Converter Templates Are For
A converter template is useful when you regularly process documents with a similar structure.
With a template, Billance can look specifically for information such as:
- Invoice number and invoice date
- Seller and recipient details
- Payment data such as IBAN or BIC
- Line items and totals
- Tax fields and summary amounts
The better the template matches the document layout, the more reliable the local extraction becomes.
Create a New Template
- Click "New Template"
- Enter a name for the template
- Upload a suitable reference document
- That document then becomes the basis for field mapping
You can currently use PDF, DOCX, ODT, XLSX, or XLSM files as the reference.
Assigning Fields
When editing a template, you work with two main modes:
- Draw area: Mark a fixed region inside the document
- Select text: Highlight existing text and assign it to a field
Before that, choose the matching field type. Billance groups the fields into areas such as:
- Seller
- Recipient
- Delivery recipient
- Invoice information
- Payment information
- Line item description
- Amounts
For delivery address and service date, Billance also includes helper options when those values should match the recipient or invoice date.
Working in the Preview
Inside the document preview, you can:
- Switch pages
- Zoom in and out
- Replace the reference document
- Review existing fields page by page
- Remove incorrect mappings again
This makes it easy to see whether the field markers are placed correctly or still need adjustment.
Managing the Template List
The overview shows all existing converter templates.
From there, you can:
- Search templates
- Open and continue editing them
- Delete templates you no longer need
- See directly how many fields are already configured in a template
When You Should Update a Template
Update a converter template or create a new one when the source document changes noticeably, for example because of:
- a new layout
- moved text blocks
- a different table structure
- changed totals or address sections
Even smaller layout changes can be enough for an older template to stop matching cleanly.
Practical Tips
- Use a representative sample document as your reference
- It is usually better to create multiple clear templates for different layouts instead of one generic template for everything
- After the first run, briefly review the extracted data before continuing with invoice creation