Nested Line Items
Add hierarchical data to your documents with up to 3 levels of nesting - perfect for invoices with services and tasks, bills of materials, or any parent-child-grandchild data structure.
Currently available for Airtable or via DocsAutomator's API
Overview
Nested line items allow you to display hierarchical data from linked tables in your documents. Instead of a flat list, you can show:
1 Web Development Package $2,500
1.1 Frontend Design
1.1.1 React Components
1.1.2 CSS Styling
1.2 Backend API
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2.1 Strategy SessionSupported levels:
Level 1 (Parent): Main items from your line items table
Level 2 (Child): Items from a linked table within Level 1
Level 3 (Grandchild): Items from a linked table within Level 2
Prerequisites
Before using nested line items, ensure your data source has linked tables set up:
Airtable
Linked record fields connecting your tables
Placeholder Format
Each nesting level uses a specific placeholder prefix:
Level 1 (Parent)
{{line_items_N}}
{{line_items_1}}{{product_name}}
Level 2 (Child)
{{line_items_N_1}}
{{line_items_1_1}}{{component}}
Level 3 (Grandchild)
{{line_items_N_2}}
{{line_items_1_2}}{{specification}}
Where N is the line item table number (1, 2, 3, etc.).
Example Template Structure
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Service │ Description │ Price │ ← Header row
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ {{line_items_1}}{{service}} │ {{description}} │ {{price}} │ ← Level 1
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ {{line_items_1_1}}{{task}} │ {{hours}} │ │ ← Level 2
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ {{line_items_1_2}}{{detail}} │ │ │ ← Level 3
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘Setting Up Nested Line Items
Step 1: Configure Your Data Source
For Airtable
Navigate to your automation settings
Under Line Items, select your primary linked field (Level 1)
Click "+ Add Level 2" to select a linked field from your Level 1 table
Click "+ Add Level 3" to select a linked field from your Level 2 table
The UI shows a hierarchical view of your linked tables:
Line Items
└── Services (Level 1)
└── Tasks (Level 2)
└── Specifications (Level 3)Step 2: Create Your Template
Using the Template Editor
Open your Google Doc template in DocsAutomator
Click "Add Line Items" in the sidebar
Configure Level 1 (Parent) columns:
Add column names and headers
Example:
service_name,description,price
Click "+ Add Nested Level" for Level 2
Configure Level 2 (Child) columns:
Example:
task_name,hours
Click "+ Add Nested Level" for Level 3 (optional)
Click "Add Line Items" to insert the table
Manual Template Creation
You can also create the template table manually in Google Docs:
Insert a table with your desired columns
Add header row (optional)
Add one row per nesting level with the appropriate placeholders
Different Column Counts Per Level
Each nesting level can have a different number of columns. DocsAutomator automatically handles this by merging cells when a nested row has fewer columns than its parent.
Example:
Level 1: 5 columns (Product, SKU, Category, Qty, Price)
Level 2: 3 columns (Component, Size, Material)
Level 3: 2 columns (Spec Name, Spec Value)
The Level 2 and Level 3 rows will have their last cells merged to span the remaining columns.
Auto-Numbering with Nested Items
When you enable auto-numbering with nested line items, DocsAutomator generates hierarchical numbers automatically:
1 Product A
1.1 Component 1
1.1.1 Specification A
1.1.2 Specification B
1.2 Component 2
2 Product B
2.1 Component 3
2.1.1 Specification CTo enable auto-numbering:
Toggle "Add auto row numbers" in your line item settings
Configure width and alignment as needed
Sorting Nested Line Items
You can configure sorting independently for each nesting level:
In your automation settings, find the Sorting section
Select a field to sort by for Level 1
Choose ascending or descending order
Repeat for Level 2 and Level 3
Smart sort labels help you understand the sort behavior:
Numbers: "1 → 9" or "9 → 1"
Dates: "Oldest first" or "Newest first"
Text: "A → Z" or "Z → A"
Checkboxes: "Unchecked first" or "Checked first"
Use Cases
Invoice with Services and Tasks
Airtable Structure:
Invoices → Services (linked) → Tasks (linked)
Template:
{{line_items_1}}{{service_name}} | {{line_items_1}}{{rate}}
{{line_items_1_1}}{{task_name}} | {{line_items_1_1}}{{hours}}Bill of Materials (BOM)
Airtable Structure:
Products → Components (linked) → Parts (linked)
Template:
{{line_items_1}}{{assembly}} | {{qty}} | {{cost}}
{{line_items_1_1}}{{component}} | {{qty}} | {{cost}}
{{line_items_1_2}}{{part_number}} | {{qty}} | {{cost}}Project Report
Airtable Structure:
Projects → Phases (linked) → Milestones (linked)
Template:
{{line_items_1}}{{phase_name}} | {{status}} | {{due_date}}
{{line_items_1_1}}{{milestone}} | {{status}} | {{due_date}}
{{line_items_1_2}}{{deliverable}} | {{status}} |Best Practices
Use views for sorting: Create sorted views in Airtable and select them in DocsAutomator for consistent ordering
Test with small datasets first: Verify your template works correctly with a few records before generating large batches
Consider column alignment: Design your template so nested rows align logically with parent rows
Use meaningful field names: Clear placeholder names make templates easier to maintain
Troubleshooting
Nested rows not appearing
Verify linked record fields have data
Check that Level 2/3 linked fields are selected in DocsAutomator
Ensure placeholders use correct prefix (
_1for Level 2,_2for Level 3)
Wrong nesting order
Check your Airtable view sorting
Configure sorting in DocsAutomator's line item settings
Merged cells not aligning
Ensure your template table has the correct number of columns
Verify that each level's placeholders are in separate rows
Related Documentation
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