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First Steps — Setting Up Your Account

In this guide, you'll complete the essential setup to start using docs101. This should take about 15 minutes.

Step 1: Complete Your Company Profile​

Your company profile is the foundation of all your invoices and communications.

  1. From the main menu, navigate to Business Settings > Details
  2. Fill in the fields required for complete invoices:
    • Company Name — Your legal business name
    • Street Address — Full street and number
    • Postal Code, City, Country — Select country from dropdown
    • Phone / Email — Contact details shown on invoices
    • Legal Representative — Strongly recommended; appears on invoices as the responsible person
  3. (Optional) Upload your logo — PNG with transparent background works best on colored templates
  4. Click Save

Your company name and address now appear on all future invoices.

Step 2: Add Business Information​

Configure your tax and business identifiers for compliance.

  1. In Business Settings > Details, locate the Business Information section
  2. Choose the option that applies to you:
Standard business — I charge VAT on my invoices

Enter your VAT Number (USt-ID) — your European VAT identification number. docs101 validates this automatically via VIES. Required for B2B invoices within the EU.

You can also enter your Tax Identification Number (TIN) — country-specific, optional for most EU businesses.

VIES Validation

docs101 validates your VAT number against the VIES database. Check the format if validation fails: country code + number, e.g. DE123456789.

Kleingewerbe / Small business exemption — I am VAT-exempt

If you're VAT-exempt under the small business rule (§ 19 UStG or equivalent):

  1. Enable the Small Business toggle
  2. The VAT field is automatically cleared — you do not enter a VAT number
  3. You must provide at least one of:
    • Company Registration Number (he_number) — e.g. your Handelsregisternummer
    • Seller Identifier — e.g. GLN or DUNS number
  4. Click Save

This is required by e-invoice standards (EN 16931) to uniquely identify your business in the absence of a VAT number.

For detailed information on tax requirements in your country, see Administration > EU Compliance.

Step 3: Set Up Bank Accounts​

Add your bank account details so customers know where to send payments.

  1. Navigate to Business Settings > Bank Accounts
  2. Click Add Bank Account
  3. Fill in the following:
    • Account Holder Name — Name on the bank account
    • IBAN — International Bank Account Number (e.g., DE75 51210 80012 4512 6199)
    • BIC — Bank Identifier Code (optional but recommended, e.g., TESTDE01XXX)
    • Currency — EUR, GBP, CHF, etc.
    • Set as Default — Toggle to use this account on all new invoices
  4. Click Save
IBAN Validation

docs101 validates IBAN format. Make sure you enter it correctly (no spaces). Example: DE75512108001245126199

You can add multiple bank accounts for different currencies or business units. Only one can be marked as default.

Step 4: Configure Invoice Numbering​

Define how your invoices are numbered — this is important for compliance and tracking.

  1. Go to Business Settings > Numbering
  2. Under Invoice Numbering, configure:
    • Prefix — Text before the number (e.g., "INV-" or "RG-")
    • Padding — Number of digits, from 0 to 10 (e.g., 5 for "00001", 6 for "000001")
    • Reset Frequency — When numbering resets:
      • None — Sequential forever (recommended for compliance)
      • Daily — Resets each day
      • Monthly — Resets on the 1st of each month
      • Yearly — Resets on January 1st
  3. You can use date placeholders in your prefix:
    • {YYYY} — Four-digit year (e.g., 2026)
    • {YY} — Two-digit year (e.g., 26)
    • {MM} — Two-digit month (e.g., 03)
    • {DD} — Two-digit day (e.g., 15)
  4. Click Save

Example configuration:

  • Prefix: "INV-{YYYY}-"
  • Padding: 5
  • Reset: Yearly
  • Result: INV-2026-00001, INV-2026-00002, etc. (resets Jan 1st each year)
Invoice Numbers Cannot Be Changed

Once an invoice is created, its number cannot be modified. Plan your numbering scheme carefully. Sequential numbering is required by most EU tax authorities.

For advanced numbering setups, see Business Settings > Numbering.

Step 5: Set Up Email Delivery​

Configure how invoices are sent to your customers.

  1. Click the settings icon (⚙) in the top-right header and select Email Settings
  2. Under System Email, configure:
    • Display Name — How the sender appears in your customers' inboxes
      • Example: "Acme Corp Invoicing" or "Support Team"
    • The sender email address is managed by docs101 and cannot be changed
  3. Click Save

Send a Test Email​

To verify your configuration:

  1. In Email Settings, click Send Test Email
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Click Send
  4. Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the test email
  5. Click the link in the email to confirm receipt

Verification Checklist​

Confirm all settings are correct:

  • Company name and address are filled in
  • Legal Representative is set
  • Logo is uploaded (if desired)
  • VAT number passes VIES validation (standard) — or small business toggle is enabled with a registration/seller identifier
  • At least one bank account is configured and marked as default
  • Invoice numbering is configured (prefix, padding, reset)
  • Email display name is set
  • Test email was received

Next Steps​

Great! Your account is now ready. The next step is to create your first customer and send your first invoice.

For more detailed configuration options, see the Administration Guide.