AI Quality Check for Invoices & Estimates

Overview

When you create an invoice or estimate using AI, BlueClerk automatically runs a quality check before showing you the result. This lightweight validator catches common mistakes - missing catalog items, $0 prices, negative quantities, duplicate line items, and unreasonable totals - so you can fix issues in the same conversation instead of discovering them later.

What Gets Checked

Missing Catalog Items

• Why it matters: Line items without an itemId won't sync to QuickBooks, Xero, or FreshBooks
• What you'll see: "3 line items missing catalog link — won't sync to QuickBooks: Labor, Installation, Shipping"
• How to fix: The AI will search your catalog and add the items automatically, or prompt you to create them first

Pricing Issues

• $0 prices: "2 items with $0 price: Installation, Setup Fee"
• Negative amounts: "Negative quantity or price on: Credit for damage"
• Unreasonable totals: "$0 total but there are line items — check pricing" or "Total is $523,450 — verify this is correct"

Duplicate Items

• What it catches: Multiple line items with the same description (case-insensitive)
• Example: "Possible duplicate items: outlet, switch plate"

Tax Errors

• Checks if: You're applying tax to tax-exempt customers
• Example: "Tax applied to tax-exempt customer"

How It Works

Automatic Validation

1. AI creates the invoice/estimate with line items from your catalog
2. Quality check runs immediately before showing you the result
3. Warnings appear inline in the AI's response if issues are found
4. You can fix issues in the same conversation - just tell the AI what to change

Non-Blocking Warnings

Quality check warnings are informative, not blocking:

• You can still save the invoice/estimate with warnings
• The AI suggests fixes but doesn't prevent creation
• You stay in control of what gets saved

Example Warnings

Missing Catalog Items:

⚠️ 2 line items missing catalog link — won't sync to QuickBooks: 
Shipping, Installation

Pricing Issues:

⚠️ 1 item with $0 price: Installation
⚠️ Total is $0 but there are line items — check pricing

Duplicates:

⚠️ Possible duplicate items: outlet (appears 3 times)

Tips

• Let the AI fix issues: If you see warnings, ask the AI to "add those items to the catalog" or "fix the $0 prices"
• Review totals: If a total seems off, ask the AI to "recalculate" or show you the math
• Check duplicates: Sometimes duplicates are intentional (e.g., multiple rooms), but the warning helps you catch accidental repeats

Questions

Q: Will the invoice still save if there are warnings? A: Yes. Warnings are informative only - they don't block creation. You can choose to fix issues or proceed as-is.

Q: What if I want to create a line item without a catalog link? A: You can't - it won't sync to accounting software. The AI will always search your catalog first, and if the item doesn't exist, it creates it using addItem before adding it to the invoice.

Q: How do I know if an invoice synced to QuickBooks? A: Check the invoice list - synced invoices show a green checkmark, unsynced show a yellow dot. You can also check the sync status column on the invoice detail page.