How documents work

Last updated: June 20, 2026

Learn the concept
This is the step-by-step. For what it is and how it fits the bigger picture, read Document Lifecycle and Cancellation in the reference.

One pattern, everywhere

Almost everything you do in Cloudby is a document: a quotation, a sales order, an invoice, a payment, a journal entry, a payroll run, a stock entry. They all follow the same shape, so once you understand one, you understand them all.

The shared document layout simplified mockup

The document screen

Every document screen is laid out the same way:

On the left, a list of documents with search and filters, so you can find the one you want.
On the right, the open document.
Across the top, a toolbar; the actions on one side, and the state and output controls on the other.
At the bottom, the Save button.

Save sitting at the bottom is deliberate. It means you scroll through and read the whole document before you commit it, rather than saving blindly from the top.

The lifecycle

Most documents begin as a Draft you can freely edit. When it is right you confirm or post it, and it becomes part of your records. Many documents have further states such as Hold, Complete or Cancelled.

From draft to posted to your books simplified mockup

Financial documents preview before they commit

A financial document creates a double-entry accounting transaction when it posts. Before you commit, you can preview the transaction and see exactly which accounts will be debited and credited, and that it balances.

Previewing the exact debits and credits before posting simplified mockup

What you preview is what posts. The preview is produced by the very same posting engine that does the real thing, so it is faithful to the action, not an estimate. There are no surprises between preview and commit.

The document history chain

Documents are linked to each other, upstream and downstream. An order knows the quotation it grew from, and the deliveries and invoices that came from it. From any document you can follow the whole chain.

Following a document upstream and downstream simplified mockup

The activity log

Every change is recorded: who created, edited, posted or generated a document, and when. So there is always a clear answer to who touched something and when it happened, which keeps your records trustworthy and easy to audit.

Why it works this way. One familiar pattern across the whole system, posting that is honest to the action, links between related documents, and a full trail of who did what. It is what lets you trust the numbers.