Connect Oblio to WooCommerce: automatic invoicing, step by step

If you sell through a WooCommerce store but still issue every invoice by hand in Oblio, you lose time daily and invite mistakes: a skipped series, the wrong VAT, a forgotten invoice. The good news is that the two connect officially, and once set up correctly, the invoice leaves on its own to the customer with every order.

Below I show you exactly what to prepare in Oblio, how to install and link the plugin in WooCommerce, and which settings actually matter (when the invoice is issued, VAT, e-Invoicing for the Romanian SPV). It is written for a store owner, not a developer. You do not need to write code, you just need to follow the steps in the right order and test at the end with a real order.

What to prepare in Oblio before you touch WooCommerce

The whole integration leans on a few things being set up correctly in your Oblio account first. Do these before anything else, or the plugin will throw errors that are hard to read.

• An active Oblio account with complete company data (name, tax ID, address, bank account).
• At least one invoice series created in Oblio. WooCommerce does not invent series, it only uses an existing one.
• VAT rates configured (standard, reduced, exempt) to match your products.
• The API access key: in Oblio, go to the API settings section and note the account email and the secret (token). These are the credentials WooCommerce authenticates with.

If you also sell to companies, decide from the start whether you want to auto-generate invoices with a client tax ID. It helps to have a tax-ID field in checkout.

Installing and connecting the Oblio plugin

Oblio offers an official plugin for WooCommerce, so you do not need third-party solutions.

1. In WordPress go to Plugins → Add New and search for the official Oblio plugin. Install and activate it.

2. Open the plugin settings (usually an Oblio menu appears in the WooCommerce panel or under Settings).

3. Enter the account email and the API key (secret) generated in Oblio and save. If the credentials are correct, the plugin will automatically load your company and the available series.

4. Choose the invoice series you want the store to use.

If connecting throws an authentication error, it is almost always a mistyped API key or an Oblio account with no series created. Recheck those two things before anything else.

The settings that decide WHEN and HOW the invoice is issued

This is where the whole automation lives. Most problems come from wrong choices here, not from the install.

• Timing of issue: choose whether the invoice is generated when the order is paid, when it is marked "completed", or on placement. For online payment, "completed/paid" is usually the healthy choice.
• Proforma or invoice: some stores issue a proforma first (for cash on delivery) and the invoice on delivery. The plugin supports both.
• Automatic email: turn it on so the invoice reaches the customer on its own, as a PDF.
• Map the VAT rate and product type (product vs service) so the totals come out right.
• Include shipping as a separate line on the invoice if you charge for delivery.

Think about your real order flow and match the issue timing to it, not the other way around.

e-Invoicing and sending to the Romanian SPV (ANAF)

In Romania, e-Invoicing through the SPV has become mandatory across ever-wider areas, so it is worth configuring from the start, not as an afterthought.

Oblio can generate the invoice in electronic format and send it to the SPV. For that you need your Oblio account connected to the SPV (through the digital certificate or the corresponding authorization) - this step is done in Oblio, once, not in WooCommerce.

In the plugin settings you can choose to have store invoices forwarded automatically to the SPV, or to send them manually from a button if you prefer control. The honest recommendation: at first send manually for a few days, verify in the SPV that they arrive correctly, then switch to automatic. That way you catch any tax-ID or VAT-rate mismatch early.

Test with a real order, and what to do if it stalls

Do not call the integration done until you push a real order through it, end to end.

• Place a test order (ideally a cheap product, with yourself as the customer) and take it to the state that triggers the invoice.
• Check in Oblio that the invoice was created on the correct series, with the right VAT and total.
• Check the email: did the customer receive the PDF?
• If you use e-Invoicing, confirm in the SPV that it arrived.

If something fails, the common causes are: wrong API key, a non-existent series, unmapped VAT, or the issue timing set to an order state the order never passes through.

If you would rather skip the technical part, at MPO Web Studio we do the full setup for you, remotely, and hand over a store that issues invoices on its own. We can even prepare a demo before you pay anything. A message on WhatsApp and we will tell you exactly what fits your store.