By Rachel Donovan, invoicing-platform support lead with 8 years of experience assisting consultants and service businesses
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
FreshBooks business users sign in to prepare estimates, send detailed proposals, collect client responses, and convert approved work into invoices. Clients generally open the document link sent by the business rather than using the main business login.
This independent guide is not affiliated with FreshBooks.
The priority is identifying the document involved. An estimate, proposal, and invoice can contain similar pricing information, but each serves a different stage of the client relationship.
What FreshBooks Is
FreshBooks is cloud accounting software for small businesses and independent professionals. Its tools include invoicing, online payments, estimates, proposals, expenses, time tracking, projects, and accounting reports.
An estimate gives a client an outline of expected products, services, and pricing before billing begins. A FreshBooks proposal can include richer text and images, making it better suited to work that needs an explanation of scope, approach, or value.
An invoice comes later. It requests payment.
Do not use the terms interchangeably when the client needs to understand whether they are reviewing a preliminary price, approving a detailed project, or being billed for completed or authorized work.
Choose the Correct FreshBooks Route
| Your task | Correct starting point |
|---|---|
| Manage business documents | FreshBooks business login |
| Recover account access | Forgot Your Password? |
| Send preliminary pricing | Create an Estimate |
| Present detailed scope and terms | Create a Proposal |
| Bill after approval | Convert to Invoice |
| Share a document outside email | More Actions > Share via Link |
| Review documents as a client | Link supplied by the business |
| Resolve an access problem | FreshBooks Help Centre and FreshBot |
The FreshBooks login supports email and password access, Google sign-in, Apple sign-in, and a FreshBooks code when requested for two-factor authentication.
Do this first: confirm whether you need to edit the business document or merely review it as a client. Skip account registration when a document link already provides the required access.
Log In to the Correct FreshBooks Business
Open the FreshBooks login through the company’s main site and use the email connected to the existing account. A user with access to multiple businesses should confirm the business name before editing an estimate or converting anything into an invoice.
FreshBooks recommends typing credentials manually when browser autofill may be inserting outdated information. Repeated unsuccessful attempts can result in a temporary lock, so password recovery is a better choice than continuing with the same rejected entry.
A user who normally selects Sign in with Google or Sign in with Apple should manage that provider’s password through the provider. FreshBooks credentials and third-party sign-in credentials are not automatically the same.
Priority one is recovering the established profile. Skip creating another FreshBooks business because the new account will not automatically contain the original clients, estimates, proposals, invoices, or project history.
Create and Send a FreshBooks Estimate
FreshBooks estimates are designed to present expected services, products, quantities, rates, taxes, and other pricing details before an invoice is issued. The business can save the estimate as a draft, send it to the client, duplicate it, archive it, download it as a PDF, accept it internally, or convert it into an invoice.
Review these fields before sending:
- the selected client;
- the estimate number and date;
- products or services;
- quantities and rates;
- taxes;
- discounts;
- notes and terms;
- the total.
A copied estimate deserves particular attention. Duplicating a previous document saves time, but it can also retain an old client note, rate, tax selection, or scope item.
Check every line.
Once the document has been sent, its status can help the business distinguish a draft from an estimate that the client has viewed or accepted. FreshBooks also provides an owner-side Accept action, but marking an estimate accepted internally should be based on a real client decision rather than an assumption.
When a Proposal Makes More Sense
A proposal is better suited to work that requires more context than a basic price list. FreshBooks proposals support detailed content and images, allowing the business to describe the problem, planned work, timeline, deliverables, and pricing in one document.
Use an estimate for a relatively direct price outline. Use a proposal when the client needs to evaluate how the project will be handled.
The proposal should still be checked with the same discipline as an invoice. Confirm the client, scope, pricing, dates, and any terms before sending it.
Do not fill the proposal with vague promises. Describe the work the business can actually provide and identify exclusions where they matter.
FreshBooks allows a proposal to be converted into an invoice or into a project. It can also be assigned to an existing project so that time can be tracked against the work.
That creates a practical decision point:
Convert to Invoice when billing should begin.
Convert or assign to Project when the business needs to track time and work before invoicing.
Share Documents Without Sending Another Email
FreshBooks includes a Share via Link action for invoices, estimates, and proposals. The documented browser path is:
Open document > More Actions > Share via Link.
For a draft invoice, using the share link can change the document’s status to sent after confirmation. That status change should not be overlooked.
A share link is useful when the business needs to place the document in an existing email thread or another trusted communication channel. It should be sent only to the intended client or authorized contact.
Do not post an estimate, proposal, or invoice link publicly. These documents may contain names, pricing, project details, and business information that were intended for a specific recipient.
Clients normally can review FreshBooks invoices, estimates, and proposals through the shared document experience. A primary client may create an optional client account, but reviewing or paying a document does not always require business-account access.
Convert an Estimate Into an Invoice
Once the work and pricing have been accepted, FreshBooks allows the estimate to be converted into an invoice. In the browser estimate list, the option appears under the estimate actions as Convert to Invoice.
On Android, the documented path is:
Estimates > Select estimate > three-dot menu > Convert to Invoice.
Conversion prevents the business from retyping every item. It does not remove the need for review.
Before sending the resulting invoice, check:
- whether the scope changed after the estimate;
- whether completed quantities differ;
- whether taxes remain correct;
- whether a deposit was already received;
- whether the due date is appropriate;
- whether online payment options are enabled.
An accepted estimate is not proof that every original number remains correct at billing time. Materials, hours, or approved additions may have changed.
Review first, send second.
Convert a Proposal Into an Invoice or Project
FreshBooks also supports proposal conversion. A proposal can become an invoice for collection or a project for tracking work.
Android users can open the proposal from the Estimates area, select the three-dot menu, and choose Convert to Invoice. The resulting invoice can then be edited before it is sent.
Choose the destination deliberately.
Converting too early can create an invoice before the scope is settled. Converting too late can leave completed work unbilled or time recorded outside the associated project.
A sensible sequence for project-based work is:
- Send the proposal.
- Record the client’s decision.
- Convert or assign it to a project if work will be tracked.
- Generate or convert the invoice when billing is appropriate.
FreshBooks can also generate invoices from unbilled time by opening Time Tracking and selecting Generate Invoice. The user chooses the client and reviews available unbilled hours before continuing.
Why the Client Cannot Find or Approve the Document
A client may be opening an old link, checking a different email address, or looking for the document inside the main FreshBooks login.
Start with the document record inside the business account. Confirm that it was sent to the correct primary client or contact and that the latest version is being shared.
FreshBooks client accounts allow primary clients to view and print invoices, estimates, and proposals received from a business. Secondary contacts may not have identical account features.
When the link itself works, the client does not need access to the sender’s business dashboard.
If the estimate was revised, send or share the current version rather than telling the client to rely on a previously downloaded PDF. A static PDF may no longer reflect the document now stored in FreshBooks.
Priority two is version control. Skip converting the document until the client has reviewed the intended version.
Estimate, Proposal, or Invoice?
An estimate normally describes expected pricing and is generally treated as preliminary. FreshBooks’ educational material notes that estimates are usually not legally binding, though the legal result can depend on the wording and circumstances.
A proposal provides more detail about the planned engagement.
An invoice requests payment.
Legal treatment can vary by jurisdiction, contract language, client conduct, and industry. FreshBooks supplies document tools, but it does not determine whether a particular estimate, acceptance, or proposal forms a binding contract.
Use a lawyer for contract questions with meaningful financial consequences. Do not rely on the document title alone.
Check FreshBooks Access and Verification Problems
FreshBooks may ask a user to verify the account email. If the address contains a typo or the verification message does not arrive, the company directs users to Support.
A repeated verification prompt can sometimes be browser-related. FreshBooks recommends opening the account in a private window or another browser; if that works, cookies and cache can be cleared in the original browser before trying again.
That is a useful test.
Do not delete estimates or proposals because the verification banner keeps returning. Authentication and document data should be handled separately.
Someone who cannot log in can reach support through the Help Centre by selecting Contact Us, asking FreshBot for assistance, entering “contact support,” and following the offered regional phone or email route.
Never include passwords, FreshBooks codes, complete card details, or confidential client records in an ordinary support description.
FreshBooks FAQ
Do clients need a FreshBooks login to view an estimate?
Not necessarily. They can use the document link.
Can an estimate be converted into an invoice?
Yes. FreshBooks provides Convert to Invoice from the estimate’s actions, and the resulting invoice can be reviewed before sending.
What is the difference between an estimate and proposal?
An estimate focuses on expected services and pricing. A proposal can include richer text and images to explain the scope, planned work, and business value in greater detail.
Can a proposal become a project?
Yes. FreshBooks allows a proposal to be converted into a project or assigned to an existing project for time tracking.
Does converting a document send it automatically?
Do not assume so. Review the resulting invoice, confirm the client and billing details, and use the displayed send action when it is ready.
Can I share an estimate outside FreshBooks email?
Yes. Open the estimate, select More Actions, and choose Share via Link. Treat the link as private client information.
Why does FreshBooks keep asking me to verify my account?
Test a private browser window or another browser. If that works, clear cookies and cache in the original browser. Contact FreshBooks Support when the email is incorrect or verification remains unavailable.
Is an accepted estimate legally binding?
It depends. FreshBooks notes that estimates are usually not binding, but wording, conduct, local law, and whether the document functions as an offer can change the analysis. Use legal advice for important agreements.