Layout AI Builder lets you create custom invoice layouts from plain-English instructions or from an existing invoice design. You can refine the result with AI or edit the layout yourself in the visual builder. You can publish multiple layouts, manage their version history, and pick a published design when you create an invoice. This guide covers the whole workflow, from turning on the Labs feature to using a layout on an invoice.

Layout AI Builder is a Labs feature for creating and managing custom invoice designs in ZipLeads. It combines AI-assisted generation with a visual editor, versioning, publishing, and layout selection for each invoice.

You can start by describing the invoice you want, or by giving AI an existing invoice to recreate. Once it's generated, you can keep prompting Layout AI or edit the design yourself.

The overall workflow is:

Create → Refine → Preview → Publish → Select on an invoice

Layout AI Builder is separate from your account's existing invoice customisation settings. Those settings still control your current invoice branding, labels and field visibility.

Layout AI Builder combines AI generation with manual design tools, so your team can create multiple invoice designs without starting each one from scratch.

Setup starts by turning on the Labs feature in Settings > Labs, then opening the Layouts workspace under Invoices & Estimates.

The Layouts page is the central workspace for creating, publishing and managing custom invoice layouts.

The page is labelled Invoice layouts. It includes the Layout AI prompt, layout management controls, and cards for your existing layouts.

Layout AI turns a written description into an editable invoice layout.

The prompt supports up to 1,000 characters.

The Layouts page also offers starter suggestions such as SaaS subscription, Product sales invoice, Boutique store invoice and Add service items.

Layout AI can also use an existing invoice as the starting point for a new design.

You can also describe an existing invoice without attaching a file.

Once your layout is generated, you can keep refining it with AI or switch to manual editing for more direct control.

Layout AI stays open beside the generated design, so you can ask for more changes.

Every AI change creates a restore point.

The visual builder lets you change the layout yourself without writing another AI prompt.

The editor toolbar has an Undo control for reversing manual changes.

Use the Undo icon in the top toolbar to reverse your most recent builder edit.

Previewing lets you check how the design looks with invoice data before you publish it.

Publishing creates the version that can be used on invoices. You can keep editing afterwards, but your later edits won't go live until you publish the layout again.

Inside the builder, you can download the invoice layout template.

The Layouts page is a central library for finding, previewing, editing, copying and reviewing your custom invoice designs.

Search and view controls make it easier to work with a large number of layouts.

From Payments → Invoices & Estimates → Layouts, you can:

Each published layout card gives you quick actions for working with the design.

The card also shows the layout name, page size, published version, and the date and time it was last updated.

Layout history gives you an audit trail of significant changes to a layout.

History can show:

You can select a published layout when creating or editing a draft invoice. The layout you choose controls how that invoice looks.

The dropdown includes Default Layout and any published custom layouts.

Click Manage layouts beside the dropdown if you need to go back to the Layouts workspace.

The preview on the right of the editor helps you check the layout structure. To see exactly what your customer will see, save the invoice and use the Preview action from the menu beside Save.

Layout behaviour changes once an invoice moves past the draft stage. These rules keep the design your customer saw and protect your existing invoice records.

The selected invoice layout is locked once the invoice is sent or partially paid.

This lock only applies to the selected layout. It doesn't mean every invoice field becomes un-editable after a partial payment. ZipLeads separately supports editing eligible invoice details on partially paid invoices.

Deleting a custom layout affects draft and sent invoices differently:

Check any affected drafts before deleting a layout that's still in use.

Q: Do I need to activate Layout AI Builder before using it?
Yes. Go to Settings → Labs → Sub-Account, search for AI-Powered Custom Invoice Layouts, and click Activate Feature.

Q: Can I create an invoice layout from a written description?
Yes. Enter a plain-English description in Layout AI, then submit the prompt to generate the layout.

Q: Can I recreate an invoice design I already use?
Yes. You can attach an existing invoice or describe the design you want Layout AI to recreate.

Q: Can I manually edit an AI-generated layout?
Yes. Use the visual builder to add, remove, arrange and edit supported elements.

Q: Can I go back to an earlier AI-generated version?
Yes. Every AI change creates a restore point you can use to return to an earlier version.

Q: When can I publish a layout?
​Publish becomes available once the layout has content.

Q: Can I keep editing after publishing?
Yes. Your published version stays live while you keep editing. Later edits don't go live until you publish the layout again.

Q: Can I create more than one invoice layout?
Yes. The Layouts page supports multiple custom layouts for different clients, services or business needs.

Q: What happens to the layout after an invoice is sent or partially paid?
The selected layout is locked for that invoice.

Q: What happens if I delete a layout that's already being used?
Sent invoices keep their original design. Draft invoices using the deleted layout switch to the default layout.