Get the spreadsheet
What's inside:
- One row per invoice, with issue date, due date, and amount
- A status column that drives the overdue calculation
- A summary block for outstanding and overdue totals
- A short instructions tab, no macros
Use this tracker while you send fewer than about ten invoices a month. It tells you what is outstanding and what is late; it does not send the invoice or chase the client.
Sample content. This page demonstrates the template layout. The download link is intentionally not published, because the file does not exist yet.
What this template is for
Tracking invoices is a different job from creating them. Once an invoice is sent, the questions are: who owes what, what is late, and what should I chase this week. A spreadsheet answers all three without a subscription.
This template is deliberately narrow. It does one job.
What’s inside
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Invoice number | Your own reference, matching the PDF you sent |
| Client | Name, not a code — future you will not remember the code |
| Issued | The date on the invoice |
| Due | The date payment is expected |
| Amount | Total, in your invoicing currency |
| Status | Sent, paid, or written off |
| Paid on | Filled in when payment clears |
A summary block totals what is outstanding and separates what is overdue.
How to use it
- Add a row when you send an invoice, not when you write it.
- Set the due date from the terms on the invoice, not from habit.
- Update the status the day payment lands. This is the step that decays first.
- Open it once a week and sort by due date.
If step three keeps slipping, that is the signal you need software, not a better spreadsheet.
What it deliberately leaves out
- No invoice generation. This tracks; it does not produce documents.
- No payment links. Those belong in the invoice, not the tracker.
- No tax calculation. Tax rules vary by country and change; a spreadsheet that guesses is worse than one that stays out of it.
- No multi-currency conversion. One currency per sheet keeps the totals honest.
When to stop using it
Move to invoicing software when any of these becomes true:
- You send more than about ten invoices a month.
- You need reminders to go out automatically.
- You are reconciling payments by hand for more than an hour a month.
- You have sent a client the wrong version of an invoice.
At that point the spreadsheet is not the problem — the lack of automation is.
Frequently asked
Is this really free?
Yes, with no signup. The download will be a plain spreadsheet file, not a template that requires an account to open.
Does it work in Excel and Google Sheets?
The layout is designed for both. Formulas are kept simple on purpose so they survive being imported.
Can I share it with a client?
The template is for your own records. Send clients the invoice, not the tracker.
Related reading
- Best free tools for freelancers — where a tracker stops being enough.
- Invoicing & Payments — the full topic.