How do I recreate auto-generated invoices with the same invoice number?

You can give a recreated QuickBooks Online invoice the same number as the deleted original, but only after turning on custom transaction numbers. That setting makes the invoice number field editable, so you type the original number yourself instead of accepting the next one in the sequence.

Auto-numbering skips deleted numbers

QuickBooks Online assigns invoice numbers in sequence and moves forward even after a deletion, so a recreated invoice gets a new number on its own. Keeping the original number matters when the customer has already recorded it, or when a payment or credit was logged against it. The way around the sequence is to take manual control of the number field for a few minutes.

Turn on custom transaction numbers

1. Select the Gear icon, then Account and settings.
2. Open the Sales tab.
3. In the Sales form content section, select the pencil icon to edit it.
4. Check the box for Custom transaction numbers, then select Save and Done.

The setting applies to the whole company, not to one form. While it is on, QuickBooks Online stops assigning numbers automatically, so every new invoice, credit memo and other sales form needs a number typed by hand. Plan to switch it back off as soon as the restoration is finished.

Recreate the invoice

1. Select the Gear icon and open Recurring transactions.
2. Find the template that generated the deleted invoice and open its Edit dropdown.
3. Select Use to create a new invoice from that template.
4. Type the original number into the invoice number field.
5. Set the invoice date back to the original date if it should match, then Save and close.

Check each number against your invoice list before saving, because the editable field will accept a duplicate. The new invoice also opens with today’s date, which matters if the original was billed in an earlier month. Repeat these steps for each invoice you are restoring, giving each one its own original number. If the template no longer exists, create the invoice with the + New button instead; the editable number field works the same way.

What if a credit memo was involved?

A credit memo, called a credit note in some regions, is a separate transaction from the invoice it offsets. Deleting the invoice does not delete the credit, but it breaks the link between them, so the credit sits unapplied on the customer’s record. To attach it to the recreated invoice:

1. Open the recreated invoice and select Receive payment.
2. In the Credits section, check the credit memo.
3. Save and close.

The credit must belong to the same customer to appear in that list. If the credit itself was deleted too, recreate it first with the + New button and Credit memo, then apply it as above.

Turn the setting off afterward

Once every invoice carries its original number again, return to Account and settings and uncheck Custom transaction numbers. Automatic numbering resumes from there. It is worth checking the number on the next invoice you create before it goes out, so the sequence continues where you expect.