Key terms
Last updated: August 11, 2026
Inbox, Outbox, Archive, invoice, commitment, and direct cost
These terms describe where documents are in inBuild and how they are recorded in connected systems. Learning them will make the review and submission workflow easier to understand.
Inbox, Outbox, and Archive describe a document’s place in the inBuild workflow. Invoice, Commitment, and Direct Cost describe the document or accounting record itself.
Workflow locations
Inbox
The Inbox contains active documents that may still need analysis, review, correction, assignment, approval, or submission.
This is where most day-to-day document work happens. Depending on your access and company settings, you can use the Inbox to:
Open and review documents.
Correct vendor, project, date, number, and amount information.
Review and edit line items.
Assign documents to team members.
Approve or dispute documents.
Submit completed documents to a connected system.
A document remaining in the Inbox usually means that it still needs an action. Open it and review the primary button, highlighted fields, approval status, and displayed warnings.
Outbox
The Outbox contains documents that have been submitted from the Inbox. Use it to track what happened after submission.
In the Outbox, you can review:
Submission and synchronization status.
Document details and line items.
Approval and activity history.
Links to records created in Procore or QuickBooks when available.
Failure information when a synchronization did not complete.
Documents in the Outbox are generally no longer editable because they have already been submitted or synchronized.
Archive
The Archive contains documents intentionally removed from the active workflow. Archiving keeps an unneeded document out of the Inbox without treating it as successfully submitted.
A document might be archived because it is:
Not a valid invoice or financial document.
A duplicate that should not be processed.
No longer needed by the team.
Being retained for reference rather than submission.
When permitted, you can use Move to inbox to restore an archived document. Permanently deleting a document is different from archiving and cannot be reversed.
Use permanent deletion carefully. Archive a document when your team may need to review or restore it later.
Document and transaction types
Invoice
An invoice is a request for payment from a vendor or subcontractor. It describes the goods, services, or work provided and the amount owed.
In inBuild, Invoice is also a document type. After reviewing an invoice, you choose how it should be recorded in the connected workflow. Common Procore outcomes include a Direct Cost or a Subcontractor Invoice.
Companies with direct QuickBooks bill processing enabled may instead change the document type to QBO Bill or QBD Bill.
Commitment
A commitment is an agreement with a vendor or subcontractor that defines expected work, goods, and cost. In Procore, commitments include:
Purchase Orders: Commonly used to purchase materials, equipment, or services.
Work Orders: Commonly used for subcontracted work or services.
When commitment processing is enabled, inBuild can analyze a commitment document, help your team review its vendor, project, contract details, and line items, and then synchronize it to Procore.
A commitment can also be connected to a later subcontractor invoice so the invoice is billed against the correct contract and billing period.
Direct Cost
A Direct Cost is a cost recorded directly against a Procore project without billing it against a commitment. It is commonly used for vendor invoices, expenses, or purchases that are not tied to a subcontract or purchase order.
A Direct Cost typically requires:
A vendor.
A Procore project.
A date and invoice number.
Line-item amounts and valid project coding.
If an invoice should be billed against an existing commitment, process it as a Subcontractor Invoice rather than a Direct Cost.
How the terms work together
The following example shows how these terms relate during a common workflow:
A vendor sends an invoice to your connected email account.
inBuild analyzes the document and places it in the Inbox.
A processor reviews the invoice and decides whether it should become a Direct Cost or be billed against a Commitment as a Subcontractor Invoice.
After required review and approval, the processor submits the document.
The submitted document moves to the Outbox, where the team tracks synchronization.
If the document should not be processed, the team moves it to the Archive instead.
Quick reference
Term | Meaning |
Inbox | Active documents that still need work or submission. |
Outbox | Submitted documents and their synchronization results. |
Archive | Documents intentionally removed from active processing. |
Invoice | A vendor or subcontractor request for payment. |
Commitment | A Purchase Order or Work Order defining expected work, goods, and cost. |
Direct Cost | A cost recorded against a project without billing against a commitment. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is every document in the Inbox an invoice?
No. Depending on your company’s enabled features, the Inbox may contain invoices, commitments, direct QuickBooks bills, and other supported documents.
Does Outbox mean the document synchronized successfully?
Not always. Outbox means the document was submitted. Review its status and activity to confirm whether every expected synchronization completed successfully.
Should I use Archive for a completed invoice?
No. A successfully submitted invoice belongs in the Outbox. Archive is for documents removed from active processing without completing the normal submission workflow.
What is the difference between a commitment and a Subcontractor Invoice?
A commitment defines the agreed work and value. A Subcontractor Invoice requests payment against that commitment for work completed during a billing period.
How do I choose between a Direct Cost and a Subcontractor Invoice?
Use a Subcontractor Invoice when the invoice should be billed against an existing commitment. Use a Direct Cost when the cost belongs directly to the project and is not tied to a commitment.