Optional line items let clients add products or services to a quote during approval. Use them to offer upgrades, add-ons, recommended work, or package choices without forcing everything into the base price.
Open Quotes and edit a quote’s products and services.
Ways to use optional line items
There are two common approaches.
Use mandatory line items with optional add-ons when the client asked for a core service and you want to recommend related work. For example, a client requests monthly service and you offer an optional seasonal cleanup.
Use all optional line items when the quote is structured as package choices. For example, a client can choose Essential, Plus, or Premium service levels.
Add optional line items
When creating or editing a quote:
- Add a line item.
- Enter the name, description, quantity, and price.
- Mark the line item as optional.
- Repeat for each optional add-on or package.
- Save the quote.
Use clear descriptions so the client understands what each optional item includes.
Recommended optional items
You can preselect an optional item for the client when it is recommended. The client can still remove it before approving, but preselecting helps guide them toward the scope your team recommends.
Use this carefully. Recommended items should feel helpful, not hidden.
Client view
When the client opens the quote, optional items appear with labels that show whether they are selected.
Clients can:
- Select optional items.
- Deselect optional items.
- See the total update.
- Approve the quote with their selected scope.
Items that are not selected do not add to the approved total.
Optional items and deposits
If a quote has a percentage-based deposit, the deposit amount updates based on the selected quote total.
For example, if the client selects an optional add-on, the quote total increases and the required percentage deposit increases with it.
Review deposits before sending the quote so the client-facing payment amount makes sense.
PDF and record view
The quote record keeps optional item selections visible so your team can understand what the client approved.
Selected optional items are included in the approved total. Unselected items remain useful for historical context, especially when reviewing what was offered versus what the client chose.
Preview as client
Before sending, preview the quote as the client.
Confirm:
- Optional labels are clear.
- Recommended items are obvious.
- Package explanations are easy to understand.
- Quote totals update as expected.
- Deposit amounts are clear.
Use Adding text to quotes to explain packages and add-ons above the related optional items.
Convert the quote to a job
When an approved quote is converted to a job, selected optional items become regular job line items. Items the client did not select are not included in the job scope.
Open Jobs after conversion to review the approved scope.
Best practices
Use optional line items to help the client choose, not to overload the quote.
Good optional items are:
- Clearly named.
- Priced correctly.
- Easy to compare.
- Connected to the client’s request.
- Explained with text or images when needed.
Set up common add-ons in Products and Services.