How to Add a Footer in Sage Accounting

When it comes to professional accounting and bookkeeping, presentation matters just as much as accuracy. A well-designed invoice or financial report not only communicates key financial data,  it also reinforces your brand and professionalism. One important but often overlooked element is the footer.

Adding a footer in Sage Accounting (whether you’re using Sage Business Cloud Accounting or Sage 50 Desktop) allows you to include essential business information, disclaimers, terms, or branding on your documents. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to add or edit footers in different versions of Sage, explain why they’re useful, and provide tips for customizing them effectively.

What Is a Footer in Accounting Documents?

A footer is a section at the bottom of a document, like an invoice, quotation, statement, or report, that contains additional information. In Sage Accounting, footers commonly include:

• Company registration numbers
• VAT numbers
• Legal disclaimers
• Contact details (address, phone, email)
• Payment terms
• Bank account information
• Website or social media links

Including this information in a consistent footer helps ensure legal compliance, promotes trust, and saves time by avoiding repetitive data entry.

How to Add a Footer in Sage Business Cloud Accounting (Sage Online)

Step 1: Log in to Your Sage Account

1. Visit https://www.sage.com and log in to Sage Business Cloud Accounting.
2. Select your business if prompted.

Step 2: Access Document Settings

1. Click on your Company Name or the Settings icon (gear icon) in the top-right corner.
2. Under Settings, choose Document Preferences or Sales Invoices & Documents (depending on your region/version).

Step 3: Customize Invoice Layout

1. Find the section called Invoice and Quote Layouts, or simply click on Sales Invoices > Templates.
2. Click Customize or Edit Template on the layout you want to change.

Sage allows you to choose from several templates. You can create multiple layouts for different purposes (e.g., domestic vs international invoices).

Step 4: Edit the Footer

1. Scroll down to the Footer or Notes/Terms section. This is typically labeled as “Footer Text” or “Footer Message.”
2. Enter the information you want to appear on every invoice or document.
3. Some templates allow rich text formatting, meaning you can use bold, italic, line breaks, and links.

Step 5: Preview and Save

1. Use the Preview function to see how your footer looks on the final document.
2. Click Save or Apply when satisfied.

Now, every time you send an invoice, quote, or credit note using that layout, the footer will automatically appear.

How to Add a Footer in Sage 50 (Desktop Version)

If you’re using Sage 50 Accounts (formerly Sage Line 50), the process of adding a footer is done through the Report Designer, a built-in tool that allows customization of printed and emailed documents.

Step 1: Open Sage 50

1. Launch Sage 50 on your desktop.
2. Navigate to Invoices & Credits, Sales Orders, or the relevant module where your document resides.

Step 2: Open Report Designer

1. Select a document you want to customize (e.g., invoice layout).
2. Click Print > Edit to launch the Report Designer.
3. Alternatively, go to Tools > Report Designer from the main menu.

Step 3: Access Footer Section

In the Report Designer:

1. Look at the layout view, which is divided into header, details, and footer sections.
2. Click on the Footer section at the bottom of the layout.

Step 4: Insert Footer Text

1. From the toolbar, choose the Text Box tool.
2. Click within the footer area to place your new text box.
3. Double-click the text box to open the Properties window.
4. Enter your footer text. You can format it as needed using font, size, bold, italics, and alignment.

Step 5: Save and Apply

1. Click File > Save As to create a new layout (recommended so you don’t overwrite the default).
2. Give it a descriptive name (e.g., “Invoice Layout with Footer”).
3. Next time you print or email an invoice, choose this layout.

Adding a footer to your invoices, reports, and other documents in Sage Accounting is a simple yet powerful way to enhance professionalism, communicate important information, and meet regulatory requirements. Whether you’re using Sage Business Cloud Accounting or Sage 50 Desktop, the steps are straightforward once you know where to look.

In Sage Online, go to Settings > Document Preferences, then customize the template footer.  In Sage 50, use the Report Designer to insert and format footer text.  Don’t forget to include critical details like registration numbers, VAT IDs, and payment terms.  Once set up, footers help you maintain consistency and save time by automating key information across your documents.