Does Shopify generate invoices automatically?

Q: What do generate, deliver, and store mean?

They are separate jobs. - Generate means creating a document after an order or refund event. - Deliver means putting the document or its link where the customer receives it. - Store means keeping the issued version so it can be reopened later without rebuilding it from current order or catalog data. Shopify's customer notifications handle delivery of order information. Shopify Tax can generate an eligible VAT invoice and display it on the order status page. A merchant who wants a PDF invoice created, delivered, and stored for each order needs to check that an invoice app covers all three jobs.

Shopify sends order confirmations automatically and can generate VAT invoices for eligible EU and UK orders. It does not email those VAT invoices. This guide separates generation, delivery, and storage.

Guides

Part of: Shopify invoices

Docket · 2026-08-27

Shopify automatically sends an order confirmation after a customer orders. It does not create a general-purpose PDF invoice for every sale. Shopify can generate VAT invoices for eligible orders shipped to the EU or UK, but it displays them on the order status page instead of emailing them. Automatic PDF generation and delivery for every order takes an app.

What does Shopify send after an order?

Shopify sends an order confirmation when a customer places an order. It can also send a shipping confirmation after fulfillment and an order refund notification after a refund. Shopify calls these customer notifications, and merchants can edit their templates with HTML and Liquid.

An order confirmation records the purchase and links to the order status page. Whether it meets your invoicing requirements depends on the sale and the rules that apply to your business. Check with your accountant or the relevant authority before treating a confirmation as an invoice.

When can Shopify generate a VAT invoice?

Shopify can automatically generate VAT invoices for eligible orders shipped to the European Union or United Kingdom. You must activate the feature, complete the relevant VAT registrations, and meet Shopify’s order eligibility conditions.

The VAT invoice appears on the customer’s order status page. The customer can view, save, or print the PDF. Shopify says the feature does not currently support orders shipped to Portugal. The documented customization is a logo.

Shopify’s VAT invoice guide lists the current eligibility rules and setup steps.

Does Shopify email the VAT invoice?

No. Shopify states that its automatic VAT invoices are not automatically emailed to customers. A merchant can download the PDF from the order and email it manually.

That distinction matters. Shopify may generate the document, but generation does not mean the customer receives it in an email.

What do generate, deliver, and store mean?

They are separate jobs.

Generate means creating a document after an order or refund event.
Deliver means putting the document or its link where the customer receives it.
Store means keeping the issued version so it can be reopened later without rebuilding it from current order or catalog data.

Shopify’s customer notifications handle delivery of order information. Shopify Tax can generate an eligible VAT invoice and display it on the order status page. A merchant who wants a PDF invoice created, delivered, and stored for each order needs to check that an invoice app covers all three jobs.

How does Docket automate invoices?

Docket generates supported documents from Shopify events and stores each version as PDF and HTML. For delivery, you paste a Docket snippet into a Shopify notification template once.

The order confirmation snippet adds an invoice link. A fulfillment notification can link to the invoice or packing slip. A refund notification can link to the credit note. Shopify sends the email. Docket hosts the stored PDF, so Docket does not need a separate sender service or domain.

The notification link can resolve to the latest stored version. A version-specific link inside Docket continues to point to that exact PDF. Records remain available while Docket stays installed. Uninstalling Docket deletes the archive and ends access through public links.

The auto-delivery guide explains the notification snippets. The document storage guide explains version history and retention.

What still needs manual work?

Quotes do. Docket creates quotes from draft orders, but quotes are not included in the notification snippets. You share a quote’s hosted link yourself.

Setup also needs one pass. Install Docket, choose monthly or annual billing, configure the document details, enable the document types you need, and add the relevant snippets. The getting-started guide covers the path to the first stored document.

Docket Unlimited is $9.99 USD monthly or $99.99 USD annually after a Shopify-native 14-day trial. There are no order allowances or document quotas. Read the invoice delivery guide before editing your Shopify notification templates.