Building custom automated PDF financial reports and invoices for WooCommerce using TCPDF generator script
Leveraging TCPDF for Automated WooCommerce PDF Reports and Invoices
For e-commerce businesses operating on WooCommerce, the ability to generate custom, automated PDF financial reports and invoices is not merely a convenience but a critical operational requirement. While WooCommerce offers basic PDF invoice functionality, tailoring these documents to specific branding, data inclusion, and legal requirements often necessitates a more robust solution. This post details how to integrate the TCPDF library directly into a custom WordPress plugin to achieve this level of customization, focusing on practical implementation and production-ready code.
Plugin Structure and TCPDF Integration
We’ll construct a simple WordPress plugin that hooks into WooCommerce actions to generate PDFs. The core of this solution lies in including the TCPDF library and utilizing its API to build PDF documents dynamically.
First, create a new directory for your plugin, e.g., woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports, within your WordPress installation’s wp-content/plugins/ directory. Inside this directory, create a main plugin file, e.g., woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports.php.
Plugin Header and TCPDF Inclusion
The plugin file should start with the standard WordPress plugin header. We’ll then include the TCPDF library. It’s best practice to download the latest TCPDF release and place it within your plugin’s directory (e.g., woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports/tcpdf/) to ensure version control and avoid conflicts with other plugins or themes that might use different TCPDF versions.
<?php
/**
* Plugin Name: WooCommerce Custom PDF Reports
* Plugin URI: https://example.com/
* Description: Generates custom PDF invoices and reports for WooCommerce orders using TCPDF.
* Version: 1.0.0
* Author: Your Name
* Author URI: https://example.com/
* License: GPL-2.0+
* License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.txt
* Text Domain: woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports
* Domain Path: /languages
* WC requires at least: 3.0
* WC tested up to: 8.x
*/
// Prevent direct access to the file
if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
exit;
}
// Include TCPDF library
// Ensure you have downloaded TCPDF and placed it in your plugin's directory.
// For example: woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports/tcpdf/tcpdf.php
require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'tcpdf/tcpdf.php';
// Define constants for easier access
define( 'WCPR_PLUGIN_DIR', plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) );
define( 'WCPR_PLUGIN_URL', plugin_dir_url( __FILE__ ) );
// Placeholder for core plugin logic
// ...
?>
Generating a Custom Invoice PDF
We can hook into WooCommerce’s order processing to trigger PDF generation. A common hook is woocommerce_order_status_changed, or for more direct control, we can add a custom meta box to the order edit screen or a dedicated button. For this example, let’s assume we want to generate an invoice when an order status is set to ‘Processing’ or ‘Completed’.
Custom TCPDF Class for Invoices
It’s highly recommended to extend the TCPDF class to encapsulate your invoice generation logic. This keeps your code organized and allows for easy customization of headers, footers, and document structure.
<?php
// Extend the TCPDF class to create a custom invoice PDF
class WCPR_Invoice_PDF extends TCPDF {
// Page header
public function Header() {
// Logo
$logo_path = WCPR_PLUGIN_DIR . 'assets/images/your-company-logo.png'; // Path to your logo
if ( file_exists( $logo_path ) ) {
$this->Image( $logo_path, 10, 10, 30, '', '', '', 'T', false, 300, '', false, false, 0, false, false, false );
}
// Company Name and Address
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 16 );
$this->Cell( 0, 15, 'Your Company Name', 0, false, 'R', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 5 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$this->Cell( 0, 15, '123 Business St, Suite 456', 0, false, 'R', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 4 );
$this->Cell( 0, 15, 'City, State, ZIP', 0, false, 'R', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 4 );
$this->Cell( 0, 15, 'Email: [email protected]', 0, false, 'R', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 10 ); // Space before invoice details
}
// Page footer
public function Footer() {
// Position at 15 mm from bottom
$this->SetY( -15 );
// Font
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'I', 8 );
// Page number
$this->Cell( 0, 10, 'Page ' . $this->getAliasNumPage() . '/' . $this->getAliasNbPages(), 0, false, 'C', 0, '', 0, false, 'T', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 5 );
// Footer text
$this->Cell( 0, 10, 'Thank you for your business!', 0, false, 'C', 0, '', 0, false, 'T', 'M' );
}
/**
* Generates the invoice content.
*
* @param WC_Order $order The WooCommerce order object.
*/
public function generateInvoiceContent( WC_Order $order ) {
// Set document information
$this->SetCreator( PDF_CREATOR );
$this->SetAuthor( 'Your Company' );
$this->SetTitle( 'Invoice #' . $order->get_order_number() );
$this->SetSubject( 'Invoice for Order #' . $order->get_order_number() );
$this->SetKeywords( 'invoice, woocommerce, pdf' );
// Add a page
$this->AddPage();
// Invoice Details
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 12 );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, 'INVOICE', 0, 1, 'L', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 5 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, 'Invoice Number:', 0, 0, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, $order->get_order_number(), 0, 1, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, 'Invoice Date:', 0, 0, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, $order->get_date_created()->format( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ), 0, 1, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, 'Order Date:', 0, 0, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, $order->get_date_created()->format( 'Y-m-d H:i:s' ), 0, 1, 'L' );
$this->Ln( 10 );
// Billing & Shipping Address
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 11 );
$this->Cell( 80, 10, 'Bill To:', 0, 0, 'L' );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, 'Ship To:', 0, 1, 'L' );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$this->MultiCell( 80, 5, $order->get_formatted_billing_full_name() . "\n" . $order->get_billing_address_1() . "\n" . $order->get_billing_city() . ', ' . $order->get_billing_state() . ' ' . $order->get_billing_postcode() . "\n" . $order->get_billing_email(), 0, 'L', false, 0 );
$this->MultiCell( 80, 5, $order->get_formatted_shipping_full_name() . "\n" . $order->get_shipping_address_1() . "\n" . $order->get_shipping_city() . ', ' . $order->get_shipping_state() . ' ' . $order->get_shipping_postcode() . "\n" . $order->get_shipping_email(), 0, 'L', false, 1 );
$this->Ln( 10 );
// Order Items Table
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 10 );
$this->SetFillColor( 220, 220, 220 ); // Light grey background for header
$this->Cell( 50, 10, 'Product Name', 1, 0, 'C', 1 );
$this->Cell( 20, 10, 'Quantity', 1, 0, 'C', 1 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, 'Unit Price', 1, 0, 'C', 1 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, 'Subtotal', 1, 1, 'C', 1 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$item_subtotal_total = 0;
foreach ( $order->get_items() as $item_id => $item ) {
$product_name = $item->get_name();
$quantity = $item->get_quantity();
$unit_price = wc_get_price_to_display( $order, array( 'price' => $item->get_total() / $item->get_quantity() ) );
$line_total = wc_get_price_to_display( $order, array( 'price' => $item->get_total() ) );
$item_subtotal_total += $item->get_total();
$this->Cell( 50, 10, $product_name, 1, 0, 'L', 0 );
$this->Cell( 20, 10, $quantity, 1, 0, 'C', 0 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, $unit_price, 1, 0, 'R', 0 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, $line_total, 1, 1, 'R', 0 );
}
// Totals
$this->Ln( 5 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 10 );
$this->Cell( 150, 10, 'Subtotal:', 0, 0, 'R' );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, wc_price( $item_subtotal_total ), 1, 1, 'R' );
// Display taxes if applicable
if ( $order->get_total_tax() > 0 ) {
$this->Cell( 150, 10, 'Tax:', 0, 0, 'R' );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, wc_price( $order->get_total_tax() ), 1, 1, 'R' );
}
// Display shipping if applicable
if ( $order->get_shipping_total() > 0 ) {
$this->Cell( 150, 10, 'Shipping:', 0, 0, 'R' );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, wc_price( $order->get_shipping_total() ), 1, 1, 'R' );
}
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 12 );
$this->Cell( 150, 10, 'Total:', 0, 0, 'R' );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, wc_price( $order->get_total() ), 1, 1, 'R' );
}
}
?>
Hooking into Order Status Changes
Now, let’s add the logic to our main plugin file to instantiate this custom PDF class when an order reaches a specific status.
<?php
// ... (previous code for plugin header and TCPDF inclusion)
// Include the custom PDF class file
require_once WCPR_PLUGIN_DIR . 'includes/class-wcpr-invoice-pdf.php'; // Assuming you save the class in this file
/**
* Generate PDF invoice on order status change.
*
* @param int $order_id The ID of the order.
* @param string $old_status The old status of the order.
* @param string $new_status The new status of the order.
* @param WC_Order $order The order object.
*/
function wcpr_generate_invoice_on_status_change( $order_id, $old_status, $new_status, $order ) {
// Generate invoice for 'processing' or 'completed' orders
if ( in_array( $new_status, array( 'processing', 'completed' ) ) ) {
// Check if an invoice PDF already exists for this order to prevent duplicates
$invoice_generated = get_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_generated', true );
if ( ! $invoice_generated ) {
$pdf = new WCPR_Invoice_PDF( PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION, PDF_UNIT, PDF_PAGE_FORMAT, true, 'UTF-8', false );
$pdf->generateInvoiceContent( $order );
// Define output path and filename
$upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
$output_dir = $upload_dir['basedir'] . '/woocommerce-invoices/';
if ( ! file_exists( $output_dir ) ) {
wp_mkdir_p( $output_dir ); // Create directory if it doesn't exist
}
$filename = 'invoice-' . $order->get_order_number() . '-' . date( 'Ymd' ) . '.pdf';
$filepath = $output_dir . $filename;
// Output the PDF to a file
// 'F' for saving to a file
$pdf->Output( $filepath, 'F' );
// Save the PDF path as post meta
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_filepath', $filepath );
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_filename', $filename );
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_generated', time() ); // Timestamp to indicate generation
// Optionally, send an email with the invoice attached
// wcpr_send_invoice_email( $order, $filepath );
}
}
}
add_action( 'woocommerce_order_status_changed', 'wcpr_generate_invoice_on_status_change', 10, 4 );
/**
* Helper function to send email with invoice attachment.
*
* @param WC_Order $order The order object.
* @param string $filepath Path to the generated PDF.
*/
function wcpr_send_invoice_email( WC_Order $order, $filepath ) {
if ( ! class_exists( 'WC_Email' ) ) {
return;
}
// Get the default WooCommerce emailer
$mailer = WC()->mailer();
// Get customer details
$customer_email = $order->get_billing_email();
$customer_name = $order->get_billing_first_name();
// Email subject
$subject = sprintf( __( 'Your Invoice for Order #%s', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ), $order->get_order_number() );
// Email content
$message = sprintf( __( 'Dear %s,', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ), $customer_name ) . "\n\n";
$message .= sprintf( __( 'Please find attached your invoice for order #%s.', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ), $order->get_order_number() ) . "\n\n";
$message .= __( 'Thank you for your business!', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ) . "\n\n";
$message .= get_bloginfo( 'name' );
// Prepare email headers
$headers = array( 'Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8' );
// Attach the PDF
$attachments = array( $filepath );
// Send the email
$mailer->send( $customer_email, $subject, $message, $headers, $attachments );
}
// Add a column to the WooCommerce orders list to show invoice status/link
function wcpr_add_invoice_column( $columns ) {
$columns['invoice_status'] = __( 'Invoice', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' );
return $columns;
}
add_filter( 'manage_edit-shop_order_columns', 'wcpr_add_invoice_column' );
// Display content for the new column
function wcpr_display_invoice_column_content( $column, $order_id ) {
if ( 'invoice_status' === $column ) {
$filepath = get_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_filepath', true );
if ( $filepath && file_exists( $filepath ) ) {
$filename = basename( $filepath );
echo '<a href="' . esc_url( str_replace( wp_upload_dir()['basedir'], wp_upload_dir()['baseurl'], $filepath ) ) . '" target="_blank">' . esc_html( $filename ) . '</a>';
} else {
echo '<span>--</span>';
}
}
}
add_action( 'manage_shop_order_posts_custom_column', 'wcpr_display_invoice_column_content', 10, 2 );
// Add a button to regenerate invoice on the order edit screen
function wcpr_add_regenerate_invoice_button() {
global $post;
$order_id = $post->ID;
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
if ( ! $order ) {
return;
}
// Only show button for relevant statuses if desired, or always
// if ( in_array( $order->get_status(), array( 'processing', 'completed' ) ) ) {
echo '<button type="button" id="wcpr-regenerate-invoice" class="button button-secondary">' . __( 'Regenerate Invoice', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ) . '</lt;/button>';
// }
}
add_action( 'woocommerce_order_edit_after_customer_details', 'wcpr_add_regenerate_invoice_button' );
// Add JavaScript to handle the button click
function wcpr_admin_scripts() {
global $pagenow, $post_type;
if ( ( $pagenow == 'post.php' || $pagenow == 'post-new.php' ) && $post_type == 'shop_order' ) {
wp_enqueue_script( 'wcpr-admin-js', WCPR_PLUGIN_URL . 'assets/js/admin-script.js', array( 'jquery' ), '1.0.0', true );
wp_localize_script( 'wcpr-admin-js', 'wcpr_ajax_object', array( 'ajax_url' => admin_url( 'admin-ajax.php' ), 'order_id' => get_the_ID() ) );
}
}
add_action( 'admin_enqueue_scripts', 'wcpr_admin_scripts' );
// AJAX handler for regenerating invoice
function wcpr_ajax_regenerate_invoice() {
if ( ! isset( $_POST['order_id'] ) || ! current_user_can( 'edit_shop_orders' ) ) {
wp_send_json_error( __( 'Invalid request or insufficient permissions.', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ) );
}
$order_id = intval( $_POST['order_id'] );
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
if ( ! $order ) {
wp_send_json_error( __( 'Order not found.', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ) );
}
// Re-instantiate and generate PDF
$pdf = new WCPR_Invoice_PDF( PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION, PDF_UNIT, PDF_PAGE_FORMAT, true, 'UTF-8', false );
$pdf->generateInvoiceContent( $order );
$upload_dir = wp_upload_dir();
$output_dir = $upload_dir['basedir'] . '/woocommerce-invoices/';
if ( ! file_exists( $output_dir ) ) {
wp_mkdir_p( $output_dir );
}
$filename = 'invoice-' . $order->get_order_number() . '-' . date( 'Ymd' ) . '.pdf';
$filepath = $output_dir . $filename;
// Overwrite existing file
if ( $pdf->Output( $filepath, 'F' ) === false ) {
wp_send_json_error( __( 'Failed to save PDF.', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ) );
}
// Update meta data
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_filepath', $filepath );
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_filename', $filename );
update_post_meta( $order_id, '_wcpr_invoice_generated', time() );
// Optionally send email again
// wcpr_send_invoice_email( $order, $filepath );
wp_send_json_success( array(
'message' => __( 'Invoice regenerated successfully.', 'woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports' ),
'link' => str_replace( $upload_dir['basedir'], $upload_dir['baseurl'], $filepath )
) );
}
add_action( 'wp_ajax_wcpr_regenerate_invoice', 'wcpr_ajax_regenerate_invoice' );
?>
You’ll need to create the following files and directories:
woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports/includes/class-wcpr-invoice-pdf.php(for the custom TCPDF class)woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports/assets/js/admin-script.js(for the AJAX regeneration button)woocommerce-custom-pdf-reports/assets/images/your-company-logo.png(your company logo)
assets/js/admin-script.js Content
jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
$('#wcpr-regenerate-invoice').on('click', function() {
var button = $(this);
var orderId = wcpr_ajax_object.order_id; // Passed via wp_localize_script
button.text('Generating...');
button.prop('disabled', true);
$.ajax({
url: wcpr_ajax_object.ajax_url,
type: 'POST',
data: {
action: 'wcpr_regenerate_invoice',
order_id: orderId,
_ajax_nonce: wcpr_ajax_object.nonce // If you add a nonce for security
},
success: function(response) {
if (response.success) {
alert(response.data.message);
// Update the link in the column if it exists
var linkElement = $('td.column-invoice_status a');
if (linkElement.length) {
linkElement.attr('href', response.data.link).text(response.data.filename);
} else {
// Add link if it doesn't exist
$('.woocommerce_order_data_column').append('Invoice: ' + response.data.filename + '
');
}
} else {
alert('Error: ' + response.data.message);
}
},
error: function(jqXHR, textStatus, errorThrown) {
alert('AJAX Error: ' + textStatus + ' - ' + errorThrown);
},
complete: function() {
button.text('Regenerate Invoice');
button.prop('disabled', false);
}
});
});
});
Generating Custom Reports
Beyond invoices, you might need custom reports, such as a sales summary by product, a list of customers, or a tax report. The principle remains the same: create a custom TCPDF class and provide a mechanism to trigger its generation.
Example: Sales Summary Report by Product
This report would query WooCommerce order data to aggregate sales figures per product. This requires more complex SQL queries or iterating through orders and products.
<?php
// Extend TCPDF for a custom sales report
class WCPR_Sales_Report_PDF extends TCPDF {
// Override Header and Footer as needed, or use default
/**
* Generates the sales report content.
*
* @param string $start_date Start date for the report.
* @param string $end_date End date for the report.
*/
public function generateSalesReportContent( $start_date, $end_date ) {
$this->AddPage();
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 16 );
$this->Cell( 0, 15, 'Sales Summary Report', 0, false, 'C', 0, '', 0, false, 'M', 'M' );
$this->Ln( 10 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$this->Cell( 0, 10, 'Period: ' . $start_date . ' to ' . $end_date, 0, 1, 'C' );
$this->Ln( 10 );
// --- Data Fetching Logic ---
// This is a simplified example. For production, consider using WP_Query
// or direct SQL queries for performance.
$args = array(
'post_type' => 'shop_order',
'post_status' => array( 'wc-processing', 'wc-completed' ),
'date_query' => array(
array(
'after' => $start_date,
'before' => $end_date,
'inclusive' => true,
),
),
'posts_per_page' => -1, // Get all orders in the period
);
$orders_query = new WP_Query( $args );
$product_sales = array();
if ( $orders_query->have_posts() ) {
while ( $orders_query->have_posts() ) {
$orders_query->the_post();
$order_id = get_the_ID();
$order = wc_get_order( $order_id );
foreach ( $order->get_items() as $item_id => $item ) {
$product_id = $item->get_product_id();
$product_name = $item->get_name();
$quantity = $item->get_quantity();
$line_total = $item->get_total();
if ( ! isset( $product_sales[$product_id] ) ) {
$product_sales[$product_id] = array(
'name' => $product_name,
'quantity' => 0,
'total_sales' => 0.0,
);
}
$product_sales[$product_id]['quantity'] += $quantity;
$product_sales[$product_id]['total_sales'] += floatval( $line_total );
}
}
wp_reset_postdata();
}
// --- End Data Fetching ---
// --- Table Generation ---
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 10 );
$this->SetFillColor( 220, 220, 220 );
$this->Cell( 80, 10, 'Product Name', 1, 0, 'C', 1 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, 'Quantity Sold', 1, 0, 'C', 1 );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, 'Total Sales', 1, 1, 'C', 1 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', '', 10 );
$grand_total_sales = 0.0;
foreach ( $product_sales as $product_id => $data ) {
$this->Cell( 80, 10, $data['name'], 1, 0, 'L', 0 );
$this->Cell( 30, 10, $data['quantity'], 1, 0, 'C', 0 );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, wc_price( $data['total_sales'] ), 1, 1, 'R', 0 );
$grand_total_sales += $data['total_sales'];
}
// Grand Total
$this->Ln( 5 );
$this->SetFont( 'helvetica', 'B', 12 );
$this->Cell( 150, 10, 'Grand Total Sales:', 0, 0, 'R' );
$this->Cell( 40, 10, wc_price( $grand_total_sales ), 1, 1, 'R' );
}
}
?>