How to Automate Proposal and Invoice Creation (with PandaDoc, Stripe, Airtable & n8n)
Imagine landing a new client and having the proposal, contract, and invoice go out automatically—with no paperwork shuffle or clunky copy-pasting. In this post, I’ll show you how to set up a seamless automation for proposals and invoices using PandaDoc, Stripe, Airtable, and n8n. This workflow can save you hours with every new deal, shrink admin costs, and make your client experience feel slick and modern!
Why Automate This?
Running your own business is tough enough—the last thing you need is repetitive admin tasks stealing your precious time (or causing mistakes). Automating proposal and invoice creation means:
- No more forgetting to send docs or invoices
- Consistent, accurate info in every contract
- Instant payment links for clients (no separate invoice emails)
- Your whole process runs even if you’re out with a client, or at home catching up on your favorite show
Step-by-Step Setup
Step 1: Store New Lead or Deal Info in Airtable
What’s Happening: You or your team add a new row to an Airtable base. This row might include client details, project info, and deal amount. Airtable acts as the source of truth for all client records.
Visual: Think of Airtable as a super-powered spreadsheet where each row is a new customer or project.
{
"client_name": "Jane Smith",
"email": "jane@prettyplans.com",
"project": "Website Redesign",
"amount": 2800
}Tips to Customize: Add more columns for contract start dates, custom project details, or even notes for your team. You can use Airtable forms to easily collect info from your website or sales team.
Step 2: n8n Listens for New Rows in Airtable
What’s Happening: n8n (your workflow automator) monitors Airtable. Whenever a new row pops in, n8n grabs all the details and gets ready to kick off the document and invoice automation.
Visual: Picture n8n as a digital assistant, always watching Airtable and asking, “Has someone added a new client? If so, what should I do for them?”
{
"airtable_record_id": "rec123ABC",
"fields": {
"client_name": "Jane Smith",
"email": "jane@prettyplans.com",
"project": "Website Redesign",
"amount": 2800
}
}Tips to Customize: Use n8n’s “polling” or “webhook” trigger depending on whether you want instant or scheduled syncs. Filter records by status (e.g., trigger only for ‘New’ deals).
Step 3: Auto-Create Proposal/Contract in PandaDoc
What’s Happening: n8n connects to PandaDoc’s API and fills out a pre-made proposal or contract template, plugging in the customer’s info from Airtable.
Visual: Imagine all the client info from Airtable being automatically merged into a slick, branded PDF.
{
"template_id": "AbcPandaTemplate123",
"recipients": [
{
"email": "jane@prettyplans.com",
"name": "Jane Smith",
"role": "Client"
}
],
"fields": {
"ProjectName": "Website Redesign",
"Amount": "$2,800"
}
}Tips to Customize: Design your PandaDoc template so it’s ready for field merges. You can add eSignature fields or even embed payment buttons (more on that in a moment).
Step 4: Generate and Send Stripe Invoice (via n8n)
What’s Happening: At the same time (or after the proposal is signed), n8n uses Stripe’s API to check if the customer already exists. If not, it creates them, then generates an invoice for the agreed amount—and emails it to the client.
Visual: Stripe takes all the details and builds a professional invoice with a “Pay Now” button.
{
"customer": {
"email": "jane@prettyplans.com",
"name": "Jane Smith"
},
"invoice": {
"amount_due": 2800,
"currency": "usd",
"description": "Website Redesign — per proposal"
}
}Tips to Customize: Add line items, taxes, or due dates based on what’s in Airtable. Set automated reminders for unpaid invoices.
Step 5: Sync Status (and Automate Next Steps!)
What’s Happening: As actions happen—proposal created, signed, or invoice paid—n8n listens for “webhooks” from PandaDoc and Stripe. It updates your Airtable row and can trigger any next step (like sending onboarding docs or a welcome email).
Visual: All status changes update instantly, so you always know where each client is in the process, without clicking around different apps.
{
"airtable_record_id": "rec123ABC",
"proposal_status": "Completed",
"invoice_status": "Paid"
}Tips to Customize: Trigger Slack or email notifications, auto-send onboarding instructions, or even assign new tasks to your team as things move ahead.
Real Example: A Design Agency Signs a New Client
Let’s say your small creative agency lands a new website project. Here’s the journey after you plug the client’s info into Airtable:
- Airtable kicks off the workflow: The second you add “Jane Smith” and project details, n8n notices.
- PandaDoc creates + sends the contract: Jane gets a personalized proposal in her inbox. She e-signs it on any device.
- Stripe invoice sent automatically: As soon as the contract’s signed, an invoice for $2,800 lands in Jane’s email—complete with a payment link.
- Airtable updates in real-time: When Jane pays, her Airtable record is updated to “Paid” and your team gets notified.
- Onboarding begins automatically: A welcome email (and maybe access to your project dashboard) is sent right away.
This entire process might take seconds—and you never have to double-enter anything.
Tools You’ll Need
- Airtable — For capturing leads and storing project details
- n8n — Your central automation hub (connects all the tools and handles the workflows)
- PandaDoc — For creating beautiful, branded proposals and contracts (with eSignature support)
- Stripe — For generating and managing invoices, taking payments, and tracking who paid what
Related Articles
- How Proposal Automation Works
- n8n + PandaDoc Integration Docs
- n8n + Stripe Integration Docs
- Airtable Sales Template
Final Thoughts
With these automations, you’re not just saving time—you’re making your entire client onboarding experience smooth, accurate, and way less stressful. Use this workflow as a starting point, and tweak it until it fits your unique business. The best part? Once it’s set up, it runs quietly in the background, so you can focus on what you do best.
