Quotation Statuses Explained

Understand each stage of the quotation lifecycle in Officaid, from draft to converted.

Know where every quotation stands

A quotation moves through several stages on its journey from first draft to final invoice. Understanding these statuses helps you manage your proposals effectively, follow up at the right time, and keep your sales pipeline accurate.

Officaid uses seven statuses to track quotations. Each status tells you exactly where a quotation is in its lifecycle and what actions are available.

The Quotation Lifecycle

Quotations typically flow through these stages:

Draft → Ready → Sent → Approved → Converted

However, not every quotation follows this exact path. Some are rejected, some expire, and some go back to draft for revisions. The statuses accommodate all these scenarios.

Draft

Draft is the starting point for every quotation. When you create a new quotation, it begins in Draft status.

A draft quotation is a work in progress. You're still building it, refining the line items, checking the pricing, or waiting for information before finalising. It's not ready to share with the client.

What you can do:

Edit the quotation freely
Mark as Ready when it's finalised
Download the PDF to review
Delete the quotation if it's no longer needed
Send the quotation (though marking as Ready first is recommended)

Visual indicator: Grey "Draft" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Draft" to see all quotations still being prepared

Use Draft status to work on quotations without pressure. Take your time to get the details right before marking it as Ready.

Ready

Ready means the quotation is finalised and ready to be sent to the client. You've reviewed everything and it's good to go.

Marking a quotation as Ready is a checkpoint. It signals that the quotation has been reviewed and approved internally, even if it hasn't been sent yet.

What you can do:

Send Email to deliver the quotation to your client
Mark As Sent if you send it through other channels
Back To Draft if you need to make further changes
Edit the quotation if needed
Download the PDF

Visual indicator: Green "Ready" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Ready" to see quotations waiting to be sent

Once a quotation moves to Ready, it can no longer be deleted. This ensures finalised quotations remain in your business records.

Sent

Sent indicates the quotation has been delivered to the client. They're now reviewing your proposal and considering whether to accept.

A quotation moves to Sent status when you either send it via email from Officaid or manually mark it as sent (for quotations delivered through other channels).

What you can do:

Mark As Approved when the client accepts
Mark As Rejected when the client declines
Send Email again if needed (for follow-ups or updated versions)
Edit the quotation if changes are required
Back To Draft to revert for significant revisions
Download the PDF

Visual indicator: Blue "Sent" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Sent" to see quotations awaiting client response

Filter by "Sent" regularly to check on quotations that are waiting for client decisions. Follow up on any that have been sitting too long.

Approved

Approved means the client has accepted your proposal. They've confirmed they want to proceed, and the quotation now represents a confirmed agreement.

This is a significant milestone. An approved quotation means the deal is moving forward, and you can now convert the quotation into an invoice.

What you can do:

Convert To Invoice to create an invoice from this quotation
Send Email to send a copy if needed
Download the PDF
Edit the quotation if adjustments are needed before invoicing

Visual indicator: Green "Approved" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Approved" to see quotations ready to be converted to invoices

When you mark a quotation as Approved, the linked deal's value automatically updates to match the approved quotation amount. This keeps your pipeline accurate.

Only approved quotations can be converted to invoices. If you need to invoice a client, make sure their quotation is marked as Approved first.

Rejected

Rejected means the client has declined your proposal. They've decided not to proceed, whether due to pricing, timing, choosing a competitor, or other reasons.

While disappointing, rejected quotations are valuable records. They help you analyse your win/loss patterns and understand why deals don't close.

What you can do:

Create Revision to create a new draft quotation based on this one
Download the PDF for records
Send Email to send a copy if needed
View Deal Details to add notes about why it was rejected

Visual indicator: Red "Rejected" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Rejected" to see declined quotations

A rejected quotation cannot be converted to an invoice. However, if the client is open to negotiating, you can use Create Revision to quickly create a new quotation based on the rejected one, allowing you to adjust pricing or terms without starting from scratch.

Creating a Revision

When a quotation is rejected, you don't have to start over. The Create Revision button lets you create a new quotation that copies all the details from the rejected one.

When you click Create Revision:

A confirmation prompt appears asking "Are you sure?"
Click OK to proceed
A new quotation is created in Draft status with all the same details
The Quotation Activity logs the revision creation

From the new draft, you can make any necessary changes, such as adjusting pricing, updating line items, or extending the validity period. Then mark it as Ready and send it to the client.

Use Create Revision when a client rejects due to pricing or scope concerns. It saves time compared to creating a new quotation from scratch, and you can quickly address their feedback.

Expired

Expired means the quotation's Valid Until date has passed without the client responding. The offer is no longer valid.

Officaid automatically changes the status to Expired when the validity date passes. You don't need to do anything manually.

What you can do:

Create Revision to create a new draft quotation based on this one
Download the PDF for records
Send Email to send a copy if needed
View Deal Details to follow up with the client

Visual indicator: Orange "Expired" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Expired" to see quotations past their validity date

An expired quotation cannot be approved or converted to an invoice. If the client wants to proceed after expiry, use Create Revision to create a new quotation with a fresh validity period. This gives you the opportunity to update pricing or terms if needed.

Monitor the "Sent" filter for quotations approaching their expiry date. A follow-up before expiration is more effective than trying to revive an expired quote.

Converted

Converted is the final status. It means the quotation has been turned into an invoice. The sales process for this quotation is complete.

A converted quotation represents a successful sale. The proposal became a confirmed order, and you're now billing the client.

What you can do:

Download the PDF for records
View the invoice that was created from this quotation
View Deal Details to see the complete deal history

Visual indicator: Purple "Converted" badge

Dashboard filter: Click "Converted" to see quotations that became invoices

Converted quotations cannot be edited. The quotation is now locked as a historical record of what was agreed. Any changes need to be made on the invoice itself.

Status Transitions

Here's how quotations can move between statuses:

From Draft:

→ Ready (mark as ready)
→ Sent (send email or mark as sent)
→ Deleted (remove entirely)

From Ready:

→ Sent (send email or mark as sent)
→ Draft (back to draft)

From Sent:

→ Approved (client accepts)
→ Rejected (client declines)
→ Expired (validity date passes)
→ Draft (back to draft)

From Approved:

→ Converted (convert to invoice)

From Rejected or Expired:

→ New Draft quotation (via Create Revision)

From Converted:

This is an end state. No further transitions are possible.

Editing Across Statuses

You can edit quotations at almost any status:

Draft – fully editable
Ready – editable
Sent – editable (resend after changes)
Approved – editable (before converting)
Rejected – not editable (use Create Revision instead)
Expired – not editable (use Create Revision instead)
Converted – not editable

This flexibility allows you to make corrections or updates even after sending. If you edit a sent quotation, remember to resend it so your client has the latest version.

Deleting Quotations

Only Draft quotations can be deleted. Once a quotation moves to Ready or any subsequent status, it becomes part of your business records and cannot be removed.

This is by design. Quotations are business documents that may be referenced later for audits, disputes, or analysis. Keeping them ensures you have a complete history.

If a quotation is no longer relevant but can't be deleted, mark it as Rejected or let it expire. It will remain in your records but won't appear in your active workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I skip statuses?

Yes. You can send a Draft quotation directly without marking it as Ready first. You can also mark a quotation as Approved without it being Sent (if the client approved verbally, for example). The statuses are flexible to match real-world scenarios.

What happens if I edit a Sent quotation?

The quotation is updated but the status remains Sent. You should resend the quotation so your client receives the updated version. The Quotation Activity timeline records when changes were made.

How do I revise a Rejected quotation?

Click Create Revision on the rejected quotation. This creates a new quotation in Draft status with all the same details copied over. You can then adjust pricing, terms, or line items and send the revised version to your client.

Why did my quotation automatically become Expired?

Officaid automatically changes the status to Expired when the Valid Until date passes. To prevent this, either get the client's response before expiry or extend the validity period by editing the quotation.

What's Next?

Now that you understand quotation statuses, explore these related articles:

Converting a Quotation to an Invoice to complete the sales cycle
Managing Quotation Details to learn about available actions
Sending a Quotation to deliver quotations to clients

quotations sales status lifecycle workflow