WooCommerce PDF Invoices & Packing Slips plugin review and c

Go to WooCommerce → PDF Invoices → Documents → Invoice → Attach to. Verify the invoice is configured to attach to the correct email trigger (typically “Customer Processing Order” or “Customer Completed Order”). If it is configured correctly but not attaching: (1) check if PDF generation itself is working by manually generating a PDF from a specific order (WooCommerce → Orders → [order] → Invoice PDF button); (2) PDF generation failures may produce PHP errors — enable WP_DEBUG to check for errors; (3) ensure your server has adequate memory for PDF generation (128MB minimum) — low memory causes silent PDF generation failures; (4) clear any email caching plugins that may be sending cached emails without fresh attachments.

Invoice numbering gaps occur when orders are created (generating a reserved number) but the invoice PDF is never generated. To manage numbering: (1) go to WooCommerce → PDF Invoices → Documents → Invoice → Number Settings and review the configuration (start number, prefix, suffix, padding); (2) do not use “reset to start number” unless you are starting a new period; (3) for strict sequential numbering required for accounting, configure the plugin to generate invoices automatically on “Processing” status so every order immediately gets an invoice.

PDF rendering is handled by DOMPDF. Layout issues indicate CSS incompatibilities with DOMPDF’s limited CSS support: (1) DOMPDF does not fully support CSS flexbox or grid — use table-based layouts or simple CSS float/display:block; (2) long product names or addresses without word breaks can overflow table cells — add word-break: break-word; to affected CSS rules; (3) custom logo images may be too large — resize the logo to a smaller dimension (max 200px width recommended); (4) access WooCommerce → PDF Invoices → Status tab to check for DOMPDF-specific warnings.

Go to WooCommerce → PDF Invoices → Documents → Invoice → Template Settings. Upload your logo using the logo upload field and set the logo width. In the Shop Header section, enter your business name, address, VAT number, phone, email, and any other details that should appear on invoices. In the Shop Footer section, add payment terms, return policy text, or footer notes. Click Save Settings. Test by generating a PDF from a recent order — the logo and business details should appear in the header.

Go to WooCommerce → PDF Invoices → Documents → Invoice → Allow Customer to Download. Enable this setting. Customers will see a “PDF Invoice” download link in their Order Details page under My Account → Orders → [order]. Configure the “Download when” setting to specify whether customers can download immediately or only after payment is confirmed. Also verify the invoice has been generated for past orders — orders placed before enabling the plugin need manual invoice generation using the bulk action in WooCommerce → Orders.

The free version provides sequential numbering, business details display, and the required data fields for a valid EU invoice in most jurisdictions. However, EU invoicing compliance specifics vary by country. For strict VAT compliance including buyer VAT number on the invoice, reverse charge statements, and per-country formatting, the premium extensions from WP Overnight add these capabilities. Consult your local accounting requirements to determine if the free template satisfies your jurisdiction’s invoice format requirements.

Go to WooCommerce → Orders and select all historical orders using the bulk select checkbox. From the Bulk Actions dropdown, choose “Generate PDF invoices” and click Apply. The plugin generates invoices for all selected orders in batch. For very large order volumes, generate invoices in batches (filter by date range and process 500 orders at a time) to avoid PHP timeout issues. WP-CLI users can also run bulk generation via command line for large datasets.

Yes, that can happen, especially on older sites with many plugins. This usually happens when the plugin, theme, and add-ons are updated out of sequence. In most cases, testing on staging catches the issue before it reaches the live site. From experience, backups and changelog reviews save a lot of cleanup time.

Start by checking whether another plugin already does the same job. In most cases, overlap is what creates avoidable conflicts and performance issues. A common issue is installing a plugin because it looks convenient without checking the stack first. From experience, a short compatibility review avoids most of the pain later.