Creating & Managing Quotes

Quotes are the core of the CPQ module. This guide covers everything from building your first quote to tracking signatures and managing revisions.

Creating a New Quote

1. Navigate to the CPQ app and click New Quote
2. Select a template (or start from a blank quote)
3. Fill in the recipient details — name, email, company
4. Optionally link the quote to a deal, contact, or company in the CRM
5. Set the validity period (e.g., 30 days) and currency

Adding Line Items

Line items are the products or services included in the quote. You can add them in two ways:

• From the catalog — Search your product catalog and click to add. Pricing, description, and tax settings are pulled automatically.
• Custom line item — Enter a name, description, unit price, and quantity manually for one-off items.

Each line item shows the item name, description, quantity, unit price, discount (if any), tax rate, and line total.

Organizing with Sections

Group related line items under sections to keep complex quotes readable. For example, you might create sections for "Software Licenses", "Implementation Services", and "Ongoing Support". Each section shows its own subtotal.

• Click Add Section to insert a new section header
• Drag line items between sections to reorganize
• Sections can be collapsed in the editor for easier navigation

Applying Discounts

Discounts can be applied at two levels:

• Line-level discount — Apply a percentage or fixed-amount discount to a single line item. Click the discount icon next to any line item to configure.
• Quote-level discount — Apply an overall discount to the entire quote total. Set this in the Summary section at the bottom of the quote.

Both discount types are visible to the recipient on the web quote, so they can see exactly what savings are being applied.

Tax Handling

Configure tax rates at the line-item level or set a default tax rate for the entire quote. Tax is calculated after discounts are applied. You can:

• Set tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive pricing
• Apply different tax rates to different line items (e.g., services vs. physical goods)
• Add multiple tax components (e.g., state + local tax)

Setting Validity & Expiration

Every quote has a valid until date. After this date, the quote automatically transitions to Expired status and the recipient can no longer accept it via the web link. Common validity periods:

• 15 days — For time-sensitive offers
• 30 days — Standard default
• 60 or 90 days — For longer sales cycles
• Custom — Pick any date

Quote Versioning

If you need to revise a quote after sending it, click Create Revision. This creates a new version (e.g., v2, v3) while preserving the original. The recipient's link always points to the latest version. Previous versions are archived and accessible from the quote's version history.

Sending Quotes

When your quote is ready, click Send. Fishladder will:

1. Generate a branded PDF of the quote using your brand guidelines (company name, colors) or template settings
2. Send a branded HTML email to the recipient with a summary of line items, the total, and a secure "View Quote" button
3. Attach the PDF to the email so the recipient has a copy for their records

The email uses your brand colors and company name from Settings → Brand Guidelines if configured, or falls back to your quote template's colors.

You can also copy the share link to send manually, or download the PDF from the quote detail page.

Secure Quote Access

Public quotes are protected with email-based verification to ensure only the intended recipient can view the full quote:

• Magic link — The "View Quote" button in the email contains a one-time magic link that automatically authenticates the recipient. Magic links expire after 24 hours and can only be used once.
• Email verification (OTP) — If the magic link has expired, the recipient can enter their email address on the quote page to receive a 6-digit verification code. The code expires after 10 minutes.
• Session persistence — Once verified, a secure session cookie grants access for 7 days so the recipient doesn't need to re-verify on every visit.

Quotes that pass their valid until date are automatically marked as expired and can no longer be viewed or signed.

Tracking Quote Status

Once a quote is sent, its status updates automatically as the recipient interacts with it:

• Sent — The quote has been delivered
• Viewed — The recipient opened the web quote (you'll see the exact timestamp)
• Accepted — The recipient accepted and signed
• Declined — The recipient explicitly declined
• Expired — The validity date passed without a response

The quote list view shows status badges and last-activity timestamps so you can quickly see which quotes need follow-up.

Signing Flow

When a recipient views a quote and is ready to proceed, they click Accept & Sign on the web quote. The signing flow works as follows:

1. The recipient verifies their identity via magic link or email OTP
2. They review the quote summary (line items, totals, terms)
3. They draw or type their signature in the signature pad
4. They confirm acceptance, which locks the quote
5. A signed PDF is generated and emailed to both parties
6. The quote status updates to Accepted and any linked deal is updated in the CRM