Set up document numbering (prefixes, format, carry-over)

What is numbering for?

Every invoice, quote, credit note, purchase order, delivery note, goods receipt, proforma invoice and expense gets a unique number. In Morocco, invoices must follow a continuous chronological series (art. 145 of the CGI, the General Tax Code): no gaps, no duplicates. Billora assigns these numbers automatically; the Paramètres → Numérotation (Settings → Numbering) page lets you choose how they look and, if you come from other software, the starting number.

Example. Hicham runs an air-conditioning company in Agadir. He invoiced in Excel until September and his last invoice was no. 87. When he moves to Billora, he sets the next invoice number to 88: his first Billora invoice continues his series, with no gap.

1. How is a number built?

A Billora number combines a prefix, the period (depending on the reset setting) and a counter, joined by a separator. By default: FA-2026-0001.

The Format de numérotation (Numbering format) card has three settings:

• Longueur du numéro (Number length): 3, 4, 5 or 6 digits (for example « 4 chiffres (0001) »).
• Remise à zéro (Reset): « Chaque année » (Every year, FA-2026-0001), « Chaque mois » (Every month, FA-2026-10-0001) or « Jamais (continu) » (Never, continuous, FA-0001).
• Séparateur (Separator): « Tiret (FA-2026-0001) » (Hyphen), « Underscore (FA_2026_0001) » or « Point (FA.2026.0001) » (Dot).

2. Change document prefixes

1. Open Paramètres → Numérotation (Settings → Numbering).
2. In Préfixes des documents (Document prefixes), change the prefix of each type (10 characters maximum). Default prefixes: invoices FA, quotes DE, proforma invoices FP, credit notes AV, purchase orders BC, delivery notes BL, goods receipts BR, expenses DEP.
3. Under each prefix, the preview shows the number as it will appear.
4. Click Enregistrer (Save). The message « Numérotation mise à jour. » (Numbering updated) confirms it.

3. Why is the reset setting locked?

As soon as a document has been issued in the current year (in Billora or imported), the Remise à zéro (Reset) choice is greyed out with a padlock: « Remise à zéro verrouillée pour l'exercice en cours (au moins un document déjà émis) — la modifier créerait une rupture de série (art. 145 CGI). Modifiable au 1er janvier. » (Reset locked for the current year — at least one document already issued — changing it would break the series. Can be changed on 1 January.)

Changing the period mid-year would restart the counter at 1 in the middle of the financial year. To change it, do so at the start of the year, before issuing your first document of the year.

4. When does a document get its number?

• An invoice in draft has no number yet. It gets one when first issued (sent, or switched to the sent status) or when the first payment is recorded.
• The number is the next one in the counter of its type and period.
• An assigned number is never reused, even if the document is later cancelled: an issued invoice is corrected with a credit note, not renumbered (see Create a credit note).
• That is why an invoice that received its number but stayed as a draft (issued without being sent, failed sending, recurring invoice not sent, rejected by the DGI…) can no longer be deleted: it offers « Annuler » (Cancel) instead of « Supprimer » (Delete), and the cancelled invoice keeps its number.

5. Continue the numbering from previous software

The Reprendre une numérotation existante (Continue an existing numbering) card lets you set the next number for each document type, to continue the series of your previous tool.

1. In the card, each type shows « Dernier émis : … » (Last issued) and a Prochain n° (Next no.) field, with a preview of the resulting number.
2. Enter the next number for the types you want to continue (for example 88 for invoices).
3. Optional: fill in Justification (for example « Ex. migration depuis Sage / dernière facture n°42 »). It is « Tracé dans le journal d'activité (utile en cas de contrôle) » (Recorded in the activity log — useful in case of an audit).
4. Click Appliquer (Apply). The message « Numérotation reprise. » (Numbering carried over) confirms it.

The Assistant de migration (Migration assistant) link opens a guided version, « Reprendre ma numérotation » (Continue my numbering), with two choices:

• Importer mes anciennes factures (Import my old invoices): you import a CSV file (see Import your data from a file); the invoices keep their original numbers and the next number is pre-filled.
• Fixer seulement le prochain numéro (Only set the next number): without importing the history.

6. Who can change the numbering?

The owner and administrators. Collaborators and viewers see the page read-only. The external accountant has no access to settings. See Team roles and access.

Frequently asked questions

Can I renumber an invoice that has already been issued?

No. An assigned number is final and never reused. To correct an issued invoice, create a credit note.

My drafts have no number, is that normal?

Yes. An invoice gets its number when first issued: a draft without a number can be deleted without leaving a gap in the series. A draft that has already received a number, however, cannot be deleted: it is cancelled and keeps its number.

I can no longer change the « Prochain n° » (Next no.).

A document of this type has already been issued (or documents have been imported): the starting point is locked to keep the series continuous. This is intended.

How can I check that my series has no gaps?

Use the Sequence continuity report, which flags missing numbers.

Next steps