Share an invoice link instead of emailing it

get_invoice_link returns the public_url and pdf_url for an invoice you can access. The public page is keyed on an unguessable id, is marked noindex, and opening it moves a sent invoice to viewed.

Written and reviewed by the Billr team. Published 2026-09-20, last reviewed 2026-09-20.

Who this is for: People who send documents through their own email, a chat thread or a portal and only need the link.
Billr capabilities used: get_invoice_linkget_invoiceget_payment_status

What you need first

An invoice you can access, in any status other than a deleted one.
A key with the read scope at minimum, which every profile includes.
A channel to deliver the link that you already trust, such as your own email account.

Step by step

01Fetch the links
get_invoice_link takes the invoice_id and returns two URLs: the client-facing page and the PDF download.
Example
```
get_invoice_link  {
  "invoice_id": "6b1f0c62-6a0f-4f38-9d0e-3a1f9a2b7c11"
}
```
02Treat the link as a secret
The URL contains an unguessable public id rather than a sequential number. Anyone with the link can read the document, so share it with the client, not in a public channel.
03Expect a status change on first open
Opening the public page moves a sent invoice to viewed. That is a read receipt, not a payment, and it is recorded on the invoice itself.
04Check payment readiness
get_payment_status reports online_payments_enabled and a pay_url when the business has a connected Stripe account. Without that, the page is a document and the client pays by your own arrangement.

Worked example

Fictional account, field names as returned by the server

You say

Give me the shareable link for INV-1150.

Your agent calls

get_invoice_link { "invoice_id": "6b1f0c62-6a0f-4f38-9d0e-3a1f9a2b7c11" }

Expected response, abridged

{
  "summary": "Invoice INV-1150 link.",
  "public_url": "https://billr.cc/i/2cQ7f1RtKp",
  "pdf_url": "https://billr.cc/api/public/invoices/2cQ7f1RtKp/pdf"
}

Limits and gotchas

The public page is deliberately excluded from search engines and carries a noindex directive; that does not make the link private, just unlisted.
Viewing flips sent to viewed only. It never marks an invoice paid.
The link reveals the snapshot the invoice was created with, not live client data, so later client edits do not rewrite a sent document.
A cancelled invoice link still resolves, but payments against it are refused.

Troubleshooting

The link opens an error page: Check that you copied the whole URL, including the id segment. get_invoice_link returns the exact string to share.
The client says the link shows the wrong amount: Sent invoices are immutable, and the link shows the stored document. Issue a corrected invoice instead of trying to rewrite history.
No pay button appears: Online payments are a per-business setting. get_payment_status shows online_payments_enabled, and the dashboard is where Stripe is connected.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-09-20 against Billr's own tool implementations and the client documentation linked above.