Articles on: Templates

How to customize default invoice labels

Every invoice contains labels — headings like "Invoice", "Subtotal", "Tax", "Ship To", and "Qty." — that identify each section and data field. The Labels section in the Visual Editor lets you change default labels on invoices to match your language, local terminology, or brand voice. Whether you need to rename "Tax" to "VAT" or "GST", change "Ship To" to "Deliver To", or translate labels into your customers' language, you can do it all without touching any code.

Open the Labels settings

The Labels section is a dedicated panel in the Visual Editor where you can override any default label.

Open the Invoice Falcon app from your Shopify Admin.
Click Templates in the left navigation menu.
Click on the template you want to customize (or click Edit on the template row).
Scroll to the Visual editor section and click the Open visual editor button.
In the left panel, click the Labels section to expand it.
You will see a description at the top: "Override the default labels shown on invoices. Leave a field blank to use the default label."

Tip: Each label field shows a gray placeholder text with the current default value. This helps you see what the label says before you change it.

How label overrides work

The Labels section uses a simple override system to give you full control over every text label on your invoice.

Each label field corresponds to a specific heading or text element on the invoice (e.g., "Subtotal", "Tax", "Ship To").
The placeholder text in each field shows the current default label value. If the field is left blank, the default label is used automatically.
When you type a value into a field, that value replaces the default label on the invoice. Your custom text is used exactly as entered.
To revert a label back to the default, simply clear the field (delete all text) and save. The original default label will be restored.
Label overrides are saved as part of the template settings. Each template can have its own set of label overrides.

Available label categories

The Labels section organizes all customizable labels into five groups. Below is each group with every available label field, its default value, and where it appears on the invoice.

Document titles

These labels control the main title that appears at the top of each document type.

Label field	Default value	Where it appears
Invoice title	Invoice	Main heading at the top of invoice documents
Credit Note title	Credit Note	Main heading on credit note / refund documents
Quote title	Quote	Main heading on quote documents
Packing Slip title	Packing Slip	Main heading on packing slip documents
Pro Forma title	Pro Forma Invoice	Main heading on pro forma invoice documents

Tip: Use this to match your local terminology — for example, change "Invoice" to "Tax Invoice", "Receipt", or "Factura" depending on your region.

Header fields

These labels control the field names in the invoice header area — the section that shows order details, dates, addresses, and supplier information.

Label field	Default value	Where it appears
Invoice number	Invoice	Label next to the invoice number (e.g., "Invoice #INV-001")
Order number	Order	Label next to the order number (e.g., "Order #1001")
Order date	Order Date	Label next to the order date
Issue date	Issue Date	Label next to the invoice issue date
Due date	Due Date	Label next to the payment due date
Payment terms	Payment Terms	Label next to the payment terms value
PO number	PO Number	Label next to the purchase order number
Status	Status	Label next to the financial status badge
Supplier	Supplier	Heading above the supplier/store information block
Ship To	Ship To	Heading above the shipping address block
Bill To	Bill To	Heading above the billing address block
Billing Address	Billing Address	Alternate label for the billing address section

Line item columns

These labels control the column headers in the items table — the main table that lists all products in the order.

Label field	Default value	Where it appears
Item	Item	Column header for the product name column
Description	Description	Column header for the product description
Variant	Variant	Label for variant information below product name
Unit Price	Unit Price	Column header for the per-item price
Quantity	Qty.	Column header for the quantity column
Item Total	Total	Column header for the line item total
SKU	SKU	Label for the product SKU in item metadata
HS Code	HS Code	Label for the HS/HSN code in item metadata
Barcode	Barcode	Label for the product barcode
Weight	Weight	Label for the product weight in item metadata
Country of Origin	Country of Origin	Label for country of origin in item metadata
Compare At	Compare at	Label for the compare-at price in item metadata

Totals

These labels control the row names in the order totals breakdown area at the bottom of the invoice.

Label field	Default value	Where it appears
Subtotal	Subtotal	Subtotal row in the totals area
Discounts	Discount	Discount row in the totals area
Shipping	Shipping	Shipping cost row in the totals area
Tax	Tax	Tax total row in the totals area
Tax Amount	Tax Amount	Per-item tax amount column header in items table
Total	Total	Grand total row in the totals area
Refunded	Refunded	Refund amount row in the totals area
Net Payment	Net Payment	Net payment row in the totals area
Total Paid	Total Paid	Total paid row in the totals area
Total Due	Total Due	Total due / balance row in the totals area
Discount Code	Discount Code	Label for discount code in payment details
Total Quantity	Total Quantity	Total items footer row below the items table
Total Weight	Total Weight	Total weight display in payment details

Other

These labels cover miscellaneous text elements on the invoice.

Label field	Default value	Where it appears
Note	Note	Heading above order notes in the summary area
Payment Method	Payment Method	Label for the payment method in payment details
Shipping Method	Shipping Method	Label for the shipping method name
Follow Us On	Follow us on	Text above social media links (if enabled)
Amount in Words	Amount in Words	Label for the total amount written in words

Change a label step by step

Follow these steps to customize any label on your invoice.

In the Labels section of the Visual Editor, find the label you want to change. Labels are organized into groups: Document titles, Header fields, Line item columns, Totals, and Other.
Click on the text field for the label you want to override.
Type your custom text. For example, to change "Tax" to "VAT", type VAT in the Tax field.
Review the live preview on the right side of the Visual Editor — the label updates immediately on the invoice preview.
Repeat for any other labels you want to customize.
Click Save changes at the top of the Visual Editor to apply all your label overrides.

Note: Changes apply only to invoices generated after saving. Previously generated PDF invoices are not affected — you will need to regenerate them if you want the updated labels.

Revert a label to its default

If you want to undo a label override and restore the original default text:

In the Labels section, find the label field you want to reset.
Clear all text from the field (delete everything so it is completely empty).
Click Save changes.

When the field is empty, the default label (shown as the gray placeholder text) is used automatically.

Common label customizations

Here are some popular ways merchants use label overrides to change default labels on their invoices.

Tax terminology: Change "Tax" to "VAT" (Europe, UK), "GST" (India, Australia, Canada), "Sales Tax" (US), or "IVA" (Spain, Latin America)
Document type: Change "Invoice" to "Tax Invoice", "Receipt", "Factura", "Rechnung", or "Facture"
Address labels: Change "Ship To" to "Deliver To" or "Shipping Address"; change "Bill To" to "Invoice To" or "Buyer"
Currency/pricing: Change "Unit Price" to "Rate" or "Price Each"; change "Qty." to "Quantity" or "Units"
Full translation: Override all labels to translate the entire invoice into another language (e.g., French, German, Spanish, Japanese)

Tip: If you need to translate your entire invoice into another language, it may be more efficient to set the invoice language in your template settings (if available) rather than overriding every label individually. Label overrides are best for targeted changes or local terminology adjustments.

Known limitations

Plain text only — label overrides accept plain text only. HTML formatting, bold text, or special characters may not render as expected.
No per-order labels — label overrides apply to the entire template. You cannot set different labels for individual orders (e.g., different language labels for different customers) through the Visual Editor.
Settings are per-template — each template has its own set of label overrides. If you use multiple templates, you need to configure labels on each one separately.
Placeholder shows default — the gray placeholder text in each field shows the default value. It is not the current applied value — it is only shown when the field is empty.
Tax line names from Shopify — while you can change the "Tax" heading label, the individual tax line names in the breakdown (e.g., "VAT", "GST") come from Shopify's tax configuration and cannot be changed through label overrides.
Empty field means default — if you clear a label field and save, the default label is restored. There is no way to make a label blank/invisible through this section — use the corresponding checkbox in the relevant Visual Editor section to hide the element entirely.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely Cause	Fix
Custom label does not appear on the invoice	The invoice was generated before you saved the label change	Regenerate the invoice after saving your label overrides
Label reverted to the default	The text field was accidentally cleared and saved	Re-enter your custom label text and save again
Some labels are not visible on the invoice	The corresponding feature or field is disabled in the Visual Editor	Enable the feature checkbox first (e.g., enable "TAX/VAT/GST" in Tax details to see the Tax label)
Tax line names did not change	Individual tax line names come from Shopify, not from label overrides	The "Tax" label changes the heading, but individual tax line names (e.g., "VAT 10%") are set in your Shopify tax settings
Labels look correct in preview but not in the PDF	The preview may update before the save is applied	Click Save changes and regenerate the invoice

FAQs

Q: Do I need to fill in every label field?
A: No. Only fill in the labels you want to change. Any field left blank will automatically use the default value shown in the placeholder text.

Q: Can I use label overrides to translate my entire invoice into another language?
A: Yes. You can override every label field to translate the invoice into any language. Enter the translated text for each label — for example, change "Subtotal" to "Sous-total", "Tax" to "Taxe", "Total" to "Total", etc.

Q: Will changing the "Invoice title" label affect credit notes and quotes?
A: No. Each document type has its own title label. Changing the "Invoice title" only affects invoices. Credit notes, quotes, packing slips, and pro forma invoices each have their own separate title field.

Q: Can I make a label completely invisible (blank) on the invoice?
A: Not through the Labels section — clearing a field restores the default label. To hide an element entirely, disable its corresponding checkbox in the relevant section of the Visual Editor (e.g., uncheck "TAX/VAT/GST" to hide the tax row completely).

Q: Are label overrides shared across all templates?
A: No. Each template has its own set of label overrides. If you use multiple templates (e.g., one for invoices and one for packing slips), you need to configure labels on each template separately.

Q: How do I change "Tax" to "VAT" or "GST"?
A: In the Labels section, find the Tax field under the Totals group and type "VAT" or "GST". Click Save changes. The tax heading on all future invoices using this template will now show your custom term.

Q: Can I use special characters or emojis in labels?
A: Basic special characters (accented letters, currency symbols, etc.) are supported. However, complex characters or emojis may not render correctly in the PDF depending on the font used.

Updated on: 20/05/2026

Was this article helpful?

Thank you!