This guide is in English for now. The tool itself works in your language.
Sales order › Sales order format
Sales order format: what to put on it
A sales order is the seller's written confirmation of an order: "You asked for this, we will supply it at this price by this date." It turns a phone call or a WhatsApp message into something both sides can check later.
The parts of a sales order
- The heading "Sales Order". Not "Invoice", so nobody takes it as a bill or books it as a sale.
- Your details: business name, address, state, GSTIN (if registered), phone and email.
- Sales order number and date. One series of your own, for example SO/26-27/001, separate from invoice numbers.
- Customer's PO number, if they sent a purchase order. Large buyers will not pay an invoice that does not quote it, so carry it from the order to the bill.
- Delivery by: the date you promise. Write a real date, not "soon".
- Customer's details: name, billing address, state and GSTIN. Add the delivery address in Notes if it is different.
- Items: description, HSN or SAC code, quantity and unit, rate, discount and value. Use exactly the names and sizes the customer used in their order.
- GST: rate on each line and CGST + SGST or IGST in the totals, so the customer sees the full amount they will be billed.
- Total and amount in words.
- Terms: payment (advance, credit days), freight and packing, who pays for insurance, part deliveries allowed or not, and cancellation.
- Signature of you or someone you authorise.
A sample: an order from a retailer
A garment maker in Ludhiana gets an order from a shop in Jaipur, PO number RJ/PO/2211.
| Item | HSN | Qty | Rate | Value | GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's cotton shirt, full sleeve, M/L/XL | 6205 | 300 Pcs | ₹420 | ₹1,26,000 | 5% |
| Woollen sweater, round neck | 6110 | 120 Pcs | ₹950 | ₹1,14,000 | 5% |
Value ₹2,40,000. The customer is in another state, so IGST 5% = ₹12,000. Total ₹2,52,000. Delivery by 25 Nov 2026. Terms: "Freight paid by buyer. Payment 30 days from invoice. Part delivery allowed. Cancellation only before cutting starts."
GST rates on garments depend on the sale price per piece, and rates can change. The figures above are an example: check the rate for your own goods.
Small things that matter
- Send the sales order the same day you take the order. Mistakes in size or colour are cheap to fix now and expensive after production.
- If the customer changes the order, edit it, save and share it again, and say in Notes what changed.
- If you cannot meet the date, tell the customer and change "Delivery by" before the date passes.
To see how a sales order fits with the buyer's purchase order and your invoice, read sales order or purchase order.