Automation is usually built around a simple idea:
When something happens, do something else.
That works well for many quoting workflows.
A script can run before a document is saved, after a line item is added, before a quote is delivered, before a document is printed, or when another supported event occurs.
But not every action should happen automatically.
Some automation is more useful when the person building the quote decides exactly when to run it.
That is where Custom Buttons in QuoteWerks Web come in.
Custom Buttons bring the power of the QuoteWerks Web Scripting Manager directly into the user's workflow. Instead of waiting for a specific event, a Custom Button can run a script whenever the user chooses.
A button can inspect or update the current quote, visually flag items that need attention, ask the user for information, generate text with AI, connect to another service, or perform a company-specific process.
The QuoteWerks Web scripting environment can work with document and line-item data, display messages and forms, generate text with AI, make HTTP requests, refresh pricing, interact with QuoteWerks data, and more.
The underlying workflow may be sophisticated.
For the person using QuoteWerks, it can be as simple as clicking one button.
From Automatic Events to On-Demand Actions
QuoteWerks Web scripting already lets companies respond to events throughout the quoting process.
For example, scripts can run:
- before or after a document is saved,
- before a document is deleted or converted,
- after a document is opened,
- after a line item is added,
- before printing or PDF generation,
- before a quote is delivered, or
- before or after other supported actions.
Some events can even stop the normal action from continuing, making it possible to create company-specific validation and workflow rules.
Event-driven automation is the right choice when something should happen every time.
Custom Buttons solve a different problem.
They let the user decide:
Run this now.
That makes them useful for actions such as:
- spot checking a quote and highlighting low-profit items,
- translating descriptions for a particular customer,
- validating information before a handoff,
- refreshing data only when needed, or
- performing a specialized workflow that does not belong in every quote.
With Custom Buttons, the user stays in control of when the automation runs.
Example: Spot Check a Quote for Low-Profit Items
Consider a quote with dozens of line items.
Most may have healthy profit, but one or two products could have:
- an unexpected cost,
- an overly aggressive discount,
- a recent vendor price change, or
- pricing below your normal profitability target.
There are two different ways to approach this, depending on what the business actually needs.
When You Need Enforcement
If a minimum profit level is a firm business rule, QuoteWerks already includes approval mechanisms designed for that purpose.
Approval requirements can be used when a low-profit quote should not be allowed to move forward to the customer without the appropriate authorization.
That is the better approach when the business rule is:
This quote cannot be sent without approval.
When You Just Want a Quick Spot Check
Not every company needs that level of enforcement.
Sometimes you simply want an easy way for a salesperson or manager to review a quote before it moves forward.
That is a good use for a Custom Button.
You can create a Profit Check button that reviews the current document whenever the user chooses to run it.
The Profit Check button is configured in the QuoteWerks Web Scripting Manager.
When the salesperson clicks the button, the script:
- Reviews each product and service line in the quote.
- Calculates the profit percentage based on the unit price and unit cost.
- Highlights any item below the defined 5% profit threshold.
- Displays a summary of the affected items.
If every applicable item meets the threshold, the salesperson receives a simple confirmation:
All product/service items are at or above the 5% profit threshold.
If one or more items fall below the threshold, those lines are highlighted directly in the quote.
The script also displays a summary such as:
3 items are below the 5% profit threshold:
Line 4: Microsoft Surface Laptop — 3.8%
Line 7: Docking Station — 1.9%
Line 12: Professional Services — -2.4%Please review these items before sending the quote.
The Profit Check highlights low-profit items directly in the quote and provides a summary of exactly what needs attention.
The salesperson can quickly scan the quote, see which items deserve another look, and decide what to do next:
- Increase the selling price.
- Confirm that the cost is correct.
- Review the discount.
- Accept the lower profit when there is a valid business reason.
The check can also be run again after changes are made so the visual results reflect the current state of the quote.
The script makes the potential problem visible. The salesperson keeps control of the decision.
That distinction is important.
If low profit should prevent a quote from being sent, use QuoteWerks approval mechanisms to enforce the rule.
If you simply want an easy way to spot check a quote on demand, a Custom Button can highlight the items that need attention without interrupting the normal quoting workflow.
More Than a Shortcut
A Custom Button is not limited to launching a simple predefined action.
Because it runs within the QuoteWerks Web scripting environment, a button can work directly with the quoting workflow.
Depending on the script, it can:
- read or update document and line-item information,
- visually flag items that need attention,
- add or remove items from a quote,
- ask the user questions,
- display a custom form,
- refresh pricing or product details,
- generate text using AI,
- communicate with external services, or
- look up QuoteWerks data through the QuoteWerks Web APIs.
The scripting environment can also identify the current user and check security-group membership, opening the door to workflows that behave differently depending on who runs them.
This means a Custom Button can become a purpose-built workflow for your company.
One sales team may use a button to spot check profit.
Another company may use one to translate descriptions.
A manager could create a specialized quote-review process.
Another workflow might ask the user several questions, use the answers to update the quote, and then perform the next step.
The goal is not to fill QuoteWerks Web with more buttons.
It is to turn repetitive, company-specific processes into actions users can run directly where they already work.
Example: Translate Product Descriptions with AI
Custom Buttons can also combine QuoteWerks data with AI.
Imagine a company that regularly creates quotes in English but sometimes needs product or service descriptions in another language.
The company could create two buttons:
Translate to Spanish
Translate to French
When the salesperson clicks one of the buttons, the script could:
- Read the Description from each applicable line item.
- Use QuoteWerks AI to translate the text.
- Place the translated version into
CustomMemo01.
The scripting environment can generate text with AI and can read and update line-item fields, making workflows like this possible.
The original Description remains untouched.
The translated version is stored separately and can be used by the appropriate customer-facing document layout.
This creates a practical multilingual workflow without requiring the salesperson to:
- copy descriptions into another translation tool,
- translate each item manually,
- paste the results back into the quote, or
- maintain separate product databases for each language.
For an English-language quote, the salesperson simply continues working normally.
For a Spanish-language customer, they click Translate to Spanish.
For a French-language customer, they click Translate to French.
The underlying script may be sophisticated, but the salesperson's workflow is one click.
Use AI to Help Build the Script, Too
There are actually two different ways AI can be part of the process.
The first is inside the workflow itself, as in the translation example above.
The second is while creating the script.
The Scripting Manager includes an AI Assistant that can help generate JavaScript based on a description of what you want the script to accomplish.
For example, you might start with a request such as:
Review every product and service line in the current document. Highlight any item with less than 5% profit and show me a summary of the affected items.
Or:
Translate the Description for each applicable line item into Spanish and place the translation in CustomMemo01.
The AI Assistant helps create the code.
The script can then be reviewed, tested, and refined before it is enabled for users.
That makes scripting more approachable while still giving you control over what the script actually does.
Put the Button Where Users Need It
A useful workflow should also be easy to find.
When creating a Custom Button, you can give it:
- a label,
- an icon, and
- a tooltip that explains the action.
You can also choose where the button appears in QuoteWerks Web:
- Main Navigation
- Document Toolbar
- Tools Menu
- Top Header Bar
A Profit Check button might belong close to the document itself.
A specialized administrative utility may make more sense in the Tools menu.
A workflow used constantly throughout the day may deserve a more prominent location.
The objective is not simply to make the button visible.
It is to place the action where users naturally need it.
What Should Become a Custom Button?
The best Custom Button ideas probably will not come from a standard feature list.
They will come from the small, repetitive steps your team already performs while building and reviewing quotes.
Ask yourself:
What does someone on our team regularly stop quoting to check, calculate, copy, translate, validate, look up, or clean up?
That process may be a good candidate for a Custom Button.
You might create a button to:
- spot check a quote and visually flag items outside an internal pricing guideline,
- validate information before a handoff,
- standardize descriptions or formatting,
- populate custom fields,
- refresh pricing,
- collect additional information from a salesperson,
- look up data from another system,
- prepare information for another workflow, or
- perform a company-specific quality check.
But not every process should become a button.
If something must happen every time, an Event Hook may be the better approach.
If a rule must be enforced, a built-in QuoteWerks control or approval mechanism may be the better solution.
Custom Buttons are most useful when the action should be available on demand.
That is where they add something different.
Create Your Own Custom Buttons in QuoteWerks Web
Custom Buttons are created in:
Setup → Scripting Manager → Custom Buttons
From there, you can:
- Create the button.
- Give it a label, icon, and tooltip.
- Choose where it should appear.
- Write the script or use the AI Assistant to help generate it.
- Test the script.
- Save and enable the button.
Once enabled, the configured script runs whenever the user selects the Custom Button.
The real opportunity is to look at the repetitive steps unique to your own quoting process and ask:
Could this become a button?
With Custom Buttons and the QuoteWerks Web Scripting Manager, the answer may be yes.
Ready to Create Your Own Custom Button?
Explore the QuoteWerks Web Scripting Manager to learn how Custom Buttons, Event Hooks, AI-assisted scripting, and other automation capabilities can help you adapt QuoteWerks to your workflow.
Explore QuoteWerks Web Scripting →
Frequently Asked Questions About Custom Buttons in QuoteWerks Web
What are Custom Buttons in QuoteWerks Web?
Custom Buttons let you run a script in QuoteWerks Web whenever the user chooses. Instead of waiting for an automatic event, the user can click a button to perform an on-demand action such as checking profit, translating descriptions, validating information, refreshing data, or running another company-specific workflow.
What can Custom Buttons do in QuoteWerks Web?
Custom Buttons can run scripts that read or update quote data, review line items, visually flag items that need attention, add or remove items, display prompts or custom forms, refresh pricing, generate text with AI, connect to external services, and perform other company-specific workflows.
How are Custom Buttons different from Event Hooks?
Event Hooks run automatically before or after supported actions, such as saving a document, adding a line item, or generating a PDF. Custom Buttons run only when the user chooses to click them. Event Hooks are better for actions that should happen automatically, while Custom Buttons are better for optional or on-demand workflows.
Can a Custom Button check profit on a QuoteWerks quote?
Yes. A Custom Button can run a script that reviews product and service lines, calculates profit percentages, highlights items below a defined threshold, and displays a summary of the items that may need attention.
Can QuoteWerks Web scripts highlight line items?
Yes. A script can change the highlight color of a line item. For example, a Profit Check script can highlight items that fall below a defined profit threshold so the salesperson can quickly identify which lines need review.
Should I use a Custom Button or QuoteWerks approvals for low-profit quotes?
Use QuoteWerks approvals when a low-profit quote must be prevented from moving forward without authorization. Use a Custom Button when you want a salesperson or manager to perform an optional spot check and review items that fall below an internal profit guideline.
Can QuoteWerks Web scripts use AI?
Yes. A running script can use QuoteWerks AI to generate or transform text. For example, a script could translate product descriptions into another language and store the translated text in a custom field.
Can AI help create scripts in QuoteWerks Web?
Yes. The Scripting Manager includes an AI Assistant that can help generate JavaScript based on a description of the workflow you want to create. The generated script can then be reviewed, tested, and refined before it is enabled for users.
Can Custom Buttons update quote and line-item data?
Yes. Scripts can read and update document header fields and line-item fields. This makes it possible to build workflows that populate custom fields, update descriptions, change item values, add or remove line items, and perform other actions within the quote.
Can QuoteWerks Web scripts connect to external services?
Yes. Scripts can make HTTP requests to external services and can also query QuoteWerks data through the QuoteWerks Web APIs. This makes it possible to build Custom Buttons that look up information, exchange data with other systems, or support more advanced company-specific workflows.
Where can Custom Buttons appear in QuoteWerks Web?
Custom Buttons can be placed in several areas of QuoteWerks Web, including the Main Navigation, Document Toolbar, Tools Menu, and Top Header Bar. This lets you place each action where users are most likely to need it.