🚀 Build a Dynamic Invoice in seconds with data from MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQL Server or any database using AI and DataReportive

🧠 Step 1: Use AI to Generate an Invoice Template

Use ChatGPT or Claude to instantly generate a styled HTML invoice layout. Here’s a prompt you can give the AI:

"Can you create me a HTML template of an Invoice. I'm using DataReportive to populate this template with data from my database. Where the data is in the template use the <metric class='inline'></metric> tag, as this is what DataReportive uses to know where to populate the data. Please only use inline CSS."
    

This will output a clean invoice layout with smart placeholders like:

<metric class="inline">invoice_number</metric>

📥 Step 2: Paste the Template into DataReportive

1. Go to your DataReportive Dashboard.
2. Click “Create New Report” or “New HTML Email”.
3. Paste your AI-generated HTML into the editor.
4. Replace each metric tag with the corresponding database field:

<metric class="inline">customer_name</metric>

These tags tell DataReportive exactly where to inject the data from your SQL results.

🗃️ Step 3: Write SQL Queries (or Ask AI)

You can write a custom SQL query yourself, or use AI to help based on your schema:

SELECT
  customer_name,
  invoice_number,
  invoice_date,
  due_date,
  invoice_total
FROM invoices
WHERE invoice_id = ;
    

Tip: DataReportive supports dynamic parameters like for flexible filters.

⏰ Step 4: Automate Invoicing with Schedules

Once your invoice is connected to your data, schedule it for automation:

• Go to Schedules in DataReportive.
• Set a recurring interval (daily, weekly) or trigger via webhook.
• Select recipients for the invoice email.
• Optionally attach a PDF version.

💡 And that’s it — invoices generated and sent without lifting a finger!

⚡ Use Cases Beyond Invoicing

• Client-facing reports
• Order summaries
• Payment receipts
• Internal dashboards

If it's in your database, you can turn it into a branded, dynamic document.

💡 Why Use <metric class="inline">?

This special tag tells DataReportive where to inject live data into HTML. It’s incredibly flexible and works inline, in tables, or even headers.

<p>Hello <metric class="inline">customer_name</metric>, your total is $<metric class="inline">invoice_total</metric>.</p>

✅ Summary