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Editing and Deleting Customers

Learn how to edit customer information and delete customer records when needed.

✏️ Editing Customers​

Accessing Customer Edit​

  1. Go to Customers page
  2. Find the customer in the list
  3. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) or three-dots menu
  4. Select Edit Customer
  5. The customer form opens with existing data

Customers List

Editable Fields​

You can edit all customer information:

Basic Information:

  • Customer Name
  • Email Address
  • Phone Number
  • Company Name (if business)

Address:

  • Billing Address
  • Shipping Address (if different)
  • City, State, Postal Code
  • Country

Business Details:

  • GSTIN (GST Number)
  • PAN Number
  • Contact Person
  • Customer Type (Individual/Business)

Financial Settings:

  • Default Payment Terms
  • Credit Limit (if applicable)
  • Discount Percentage

Additional:

  • Notes
  • Tags
  • Custom Fields

Edit Restrictions​

Cannot Edit If
  • Customer has paid invoices (can edit contact info, but not financial history)
  • Customer is part of an ongoing transaction

What You Can Always Edit: ✅ Contact information (name, email, phone)
✅ Address details
✅ Notes and tags

What May Be Restricted: ⚠️ GSTIN after invoices are created (affects tax calculations)
⚠️ Customer type after transactions exist

Saving Changes​

After editing:

  1. Review all changes carefully
  2. Click Save or Update Customer
  3. Customer information is updated across all records
  4. Existing invoices retain original customer data (for audit purposes)
  5. New invoices will use updated information

🗑️ Deleting Customers​

When You Can Delete​

Customers can be deleted under specific conditions:

✅ Can Delete:

  • Customers with no invoices
  • Customers with only draft invoices
  • Test/duplicate customer records
  • Customers created by mistake

❌ Cannot Delete:

  • Customers with finalized invoices
  • Customers with paid invoices
  • Customers with any transaction history
  • Customers referenced in reports

Delete Process​

For customers with no invoices:

  1. Go to Customers page
  2. Find the customer to delete
  3. Click Actions menu (⋮)
  4. Select Delete
  5. Confirm deletion in popup
  6. Customer is permanently removed

Customers List

What Gets Deleted​

When you delete a customer:

Deleted:

  • Customer contact information
  • Address details
  • Notes and tags
  • Draft invoices (if any)

NOT Deleted:

  • Finalized invoices (customer info preserved on invoice)
  • Payment records
  • Transaction history (if customer has transactions, deletion blocked)

Cascade Effects​

If customer has draft invoices:

Option 1: Delete Customer + Drafts

  • System asks if you want to delete draft invoices too
  • Select Yes to remove customer and all drafts
  • Select No to cancel deletion

Option 2: Convert to Inactive

  • Instead of deleting, mark as inactive
  • Customer hidden from active lists
  • Can be reactivated later
  • All history preserved

Alternative to Deletion​

Marking as Inactive​

Better alternative to deletion:

  1. Open customer for editing
  2. Change status to Inactive
  3. Customer hidden from:
    • Active customer lists
    • New invoice customer dropdown
  4. Can still view in reports
  5. Can reactivate anytime

Benefits:

  • Preserves history
  • Maintains data integrity
  • Can restore if needed
  • Compliant with audit requirements

Archiving Customers​

Another option for old customers:

  1. Edit the customer
  2. Add tag: Archived
  3. Or use status: Archived
  4. Filter out archived customers from main list
  5. Keep for compliance/reference

Common Scenarios​

Scenario 1: Duplicate Customer Created​

Problem: Accidentally created two records for same customer.

Solution:

  1. Identify which record is correct (check for invoices)
  2. If no invoices on duplicate: Delete it
  3. If both have invoices: Keep both but add note "Duplicate of [Customer Name]"
  4. Contact admin to merge if needed

Scenario 2: Customer Out of Business​

Problem: Customer company closed, no longer active.

Solution:

  1. Do NOT delete if they have invoices
  2. Mark as Inactive status
  3. Add note: "Company closed - [Date]"
  4. Keep for tax/audit records

Scenario 3: Wrong Customer Information​

Problem: Customer details entered incorrectly.

Solution:

  1. Edit the customer record
  2. Update correct information
  3. Note: Existing invoices keep old data
  4. Future invoices use corrected data

Scenario 4: Test Customer Created During Setup​

Problem: Test customer created while learning the system.

Solution:

  1. Check if customer has any invoices
  2. If only drafts: Delete drafts first, then customer
  3. If no invoices: Delete customer directly
  4. Safe to remove test data

Customer with Invoices​

Cannot Delete - What To Do​

If customer has invoices and you try to delete:

Error Message:

Cannot delete customer with existing invoices.
Please mark as inactive instead.

Solutions:

Option 1: Mark Inactive

  1. Edit customer
  2. Set status to Inactive
  3. Customer hidden from active use
  4. History preserved

Option 2: Archive

  1. Add "Archived" tag
  2. Or move to archived category
  3. Filter out from daily operations

Option 3: Contact Admin

  1. Request special handling
  2. Admin may be able to reassign invoices
  3. Then delete customer (rare cases)

Data Integrity​

Before deleting a customer, check:

Invoices:

  • Draft invoices will be deleted
  • Finalized invoices prevent deletion

Payments:

  • Payment history prevents deletion
  • Must keep customer for audit

Reports:

  • Customer appears in historical reports
  • Deletion would create data gaps

Credits/Balances:

  • Outstanding credits prevent deletion
  • Unpaid invoices prevent deletion

Audit Trail​

Customer deletions are logged:

Log Entry Includes:

  • Who deleted (user name)
  • When deleted (date and time)
  • Customer details (name, ID, email)
  • Reason for deletion (if entered)

Example:

Customer Deleted
Date: Nov 20, 2024 3:00 PM
User: Admin User
Customer: ABC Corp (ID: 1234)
Email: contact@abccorp.com
Reason: Duplicate entry

Bulk Operations​

Bulk Edit Customers​

Update multiple customers at once:

  1. Select customers using checkboxes
  2. Click Bulk Actions
  3. Select Edit Selected
  4. Change common fields:
    • Payment terms
    • Tags
    • Status
  5. Click Apply to All

Bulk Delete Customers​

Delete multiple customers (if eligible):

  1. Filter to show customers with no invoices
  2. Select customers to delete
  3. Click Bulk Actions → Delete Selected
  4. Confirm bulk deletion
  5. Only eligible customers deleted
  6. Customers with invoices skipped

Best Practices​

Before Editing​

  1. Verify customer - Ensure you're editing the right record
  2. Check invoices - See what invoices exist
  3. Note changes - Document significant changes
  4. Communicate - Inform customer of updated details

Before Deleting​

  1. Verify no invoices - Check customer has no transactions
  2. Export data - Save customer info if needed
  3. Check duplicates - Ensure not deleting active customer
  4. Use inactive instead - Safer than deletion

Data Cleanup​

Regular maintenance:

  1. Monthly: Review inactive customers
  2. Quarterly: Archive old customers
  3. Annually: Clean test/duplicate records
  4. Always: Verify before deleting

Permissions​

Who Can Edit/Delete​

Admin Users:

  • Edit all customers
  • Delete customers (if eligible)
  • Bulk operations
  • Override restrictions (limited)

Regular Users:

  • Edit customers they created
  • Cannot delete customers with invoices
  • Limited bulk operations

Read-Only Users:

  • Cannot edit customers
  • Cannot delete customers
  • View-only access

Troubleshooting​

Cannot Edit Customer​

Problem: Edit button is grayed out.

Solutions:

  1. Check you have edit permissions
  2. Verify customer is not locked by another user
  3. Refresh the page
  4. Contact administrator

Changes Not Saving​

Problem: Customer edits not saving.

Solutions:

  1. Check for validation errors (red highlights)
  2. Ensure required fields filled
  3. Verify email format is correct
  4. Check GSTIN format if applicable

Cannot Delete Customer​

Problem: Delete option not available or fails.

Reasons:

  • Customer has invoices (finalized or paid)
  • Customer has payment records
  • Customer is referenced in reports
  • Insufficient permissions

Solution: Mark customer as Inactive instead of deleting.

Next Steps​

Important: Always use "Inactive" status instead of deletion for customers with transaction history. This maintains data integrity and compliance with accounting standards.