> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qwoty.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quote vs Order vs Contract

> Understand the differences between quotes, orders, and contracts in Qwoty

{/* AUDIT NOTE: Conceptual content consistent with verified app behavior. Quote statuses confirmed: Draft, Published, Pending signature, Accepted, Lost. Approval-related statuses ("Pending Approval", "Approved") exist as part of the approval workflow feature but specific status label names were not verified. Claims about Orders being auto-generated and Contracts as multi-quote containers are consistent with the app structure but not directly tested in this account. */}

Qwoty uses three distinct objects to manage the complete sales-to-revenue lifecycle: **Quote**, **Order**, and **Contract**. Each serves a specific purpose in the deal flow, and understanding their relationship helps you structure deals correctly.

A **Quote** represents the proposal, an **Order** is the commitment to deliver, and a **Contract** is the legal container that binds them together.

## The three objects

**Quote**

* The customer-facing proposal created by sales
* Contains pricing, products, payment terms, and discounts
* Lives in Draft until published to the Dealroom
* Drives the negotiation and approval workflow
* Status-driven lifecycle from Draft to Accepted

**Order**

* Automatically generated when a quote reaches `Accepted` status
* Represents the confirmed purchase and commitment to deliver
* Immutable record of what was sold and at what price
* Used by fulfillment, operations, and finance teams
* Cannot be edited once created

**Contract**

* The legal umbrella grouping related quotes and orders
* Contains one or more quotes for the same customer deal
* Generates the final signed agreement document
* Persists beyond individual transactions for amendments and renewals
* Tracks the customer relationship over time

<Note>
  A single contract can contain multiple quotes—for example, an initial sale, an upsell three months later, and a renewal after one year.
</Note>

## How they relate

```mermaid theme={null}
graph LR
    A[Template] --> B[Quote]
    B -->|Approved & Published| C[Dealroom]
    C -->|Signed| D[Quote: Accepted]
    D -->|Auto-generated| E[Order]
    B -.belongs to.-> F[Contract]
    E -.belongs to.-> F
    F -->|generates| G[Signed Agreement PDF]
```

## When each is created

| Object       | Created when                                    | Created by               | Purpose                                      |
| ------------ | ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------- |
| **Quote**    | Sales rep initiates a deal                      | Manual or API            | Propose pricing and terms                    |
| **Order**    | Quote status changes to Accepted                | Automatic                | Confirm purchase for fulfillment             |
| **Contract** | Quote is created or linked to existing contract | Manual selection or auto | Group all transactions for one customer deal |

## Key differences

### Quote

**Editable until published**
You can modify products, pricing, discounts, and terms while the quote is in Draft or Changes Requested status. Once published, you must create a new version or revision.

**Status-driven**
The quote moves through a defined lifecycle: Draft → Pending Approval → Approved → Published → Pending Signature → Accepted.

**Customer-facing**
Published quotes appear in the Dealroom where customers review, comment, and sign.

### Order

**Immutable**
Orders cannot be edited after creation. If the deal changes, you issue a new quote which generates a new order.

**Operations-focused**
Used by fulfillment, provisioning, and finance teams to execute delivery and recognize revenue.

**System-generated**
You never manually create an order—Qwoty creates it automatically when the quote is accepted.

### Contract

**Multi-transaction container**
One contract holds the full customer relationship, including initial sale, add-ons, renewals, and amendments.

**Legal document source**
The contract generates the final agreement PDF using the Contract Model template with variables populated from quote data.

**Long-lived**
Contracts persist across multiple deals and can span years, while quotes and orders are transactional.

<Warning>
  Deleting a contract does not delete its quotes or orders—they become orphaned. Reassign quotes to a different contract before deletion.
</Warning>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can I have a quote without a contract?">
    No. Every quote must belong to a contract. If you don't select an existing contract when creating a quote, Qwoty creates a new contract automatically.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What happens if a quote is canceled after the order is created?">
    The order remains in the system as a historical record. Orders are immutable and reflect the state at the moment of acceptance. You may need to issue a credit or reversal quote depending on your process.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I manually create an order?">
    No. Orders are only created automatically when a quote reaches Accepted status. This ensures data consistency between the proposal and the commitment.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I add products to an existing deal?">
    Create a new quote within the same contract. The new quote generates a separate order when accepted, but both orders belong to the same contract umbrella.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need separate contracts for renewals?">
    No. Renewals should be added as new quotes within the existing contract. This maintains a complete history of the customer relationship in one place.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quote lifecycle" icon="arrow-progress" href="/user-guide/quotes/reference/lifecycle">
    Understand quote statuses and transitions
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contract models" icon="file-contract" href="/user-guide/templates/how-tos/link-contract-model">
    Configure dynamic contract templates
  </Card>

  <Card title="Creating quotes" icon="plus" href="/user-guide/quotes/how-tos/create-quote">
    Step-by-step guide to building a quote
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dealroom overview" icon="handshake" href="/user-guide/dealroom/introduction">
    Learn how customers interact with published quotes
  </Card>
</CardGroup>