How to Generate Proof of Delivery Documents from Airtable Data

A proof of delivery (POD) document confirms that goods were delivered to the intended recipient. It serves as legal protection in case of disputes, provides recipients with a record of what was delivered, and helps teams verify completed deliveries.

If you track deliveries in Airtable, you can automatically generate professional POD documents that include recipient signatures, delivery details, and itemized lists - all without manual document creation.

This guide shows you how to set up automated proof of delivery generation from your Airtable data.

What You Need Before Starting

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. An Airtable base with delivery data - A table tracking deliveries with recipient information and items delivered
2. A Google account - For creating your POD template in Google Docs
3. A TypeFlow account - The service that connects Airtable to your template and generates PDFs

Set Up Your Airtable Base for Delivery Tracking

Your Airtable base needs specific fields to generate complete proof of delivery documents.

Delivery Information Fields

Recipient and Address Fields

Line Items and Products

Signature and Confirmation Fields

Create Your Proof of Delivery Template in Google Docs

Design your POD template with placeholders that TypeFlow will replace with actual delivery data.

Step 1: Design Your POD Layout

Create a professional layout with these sections:

[Company Logo]
[Company Name]
[Company Address]
[Phone | Email]

---

PROOF OF DELIVERY

Delivery #: {{Delivery ID}}
Date: {{Delivery Date}}
Time: {{Delivery Time}}

---

DELIVERED TO:
{{Recipient Name}}
{{Company Name}}
{{Street Address}}
{{City}}, {{Postal Code}}

---

DELIVERED BY:
Driver: {{Driver Name}}
Vehicle/Route: {{Vehicle Route}}

Step 2: Add the Items Delivered Section

Use loop syntax to list all delivered items:

ITEMS DELIVERED:

| Description | Qty | Condition |
|-------------|-----|-----------|
{{loop_0}}
| {{Item Description}} | {{Quantity}} | {{Condition}} |

---

Step 3: Include Signature and Confirmation

Add the signature placeholder and confirmation section:

RECIPIENT CONFIRMATION

I confirm receipt of the above items in the condition noted.

Signature:
{{Signature}}

Printed Name: {{Recipient Name}}
Date: {{Delivery Date}}

Notes: {{Confirmation Notes}}

---

This document serves as proof that the listed items were delivered
to the recipient at the address shown above.

Document generated: {{Current Date}}

Connect TypeFlow to Your Airtable Base

Install TypeFlow and link it to your delivery data.

Step 1: Authorize TypeFlow

Go to app.typeflow.us and connect your Google account, then authorize access to your Airtable account.

Step 2: Select Your Delivery Table

Choose the table containing your delivery records.

Step 3: Configure Output Settings

Select the attachment field where generated POD documents should be saved.

Set Up Your Proof of Delivery Generation Flow

Map your Airtable fields to the template placeholders.

Map Basic Delivery Fields

Connect delivery information to template variables:

• {{Delivery ID}} → Delivery ID field
• {{Delivery Date}} → Delivery Date field
• {{Delivery Time}} → Delivery Time field
• {{Driver Name}} → Driver Name field

Map Recipient Fields

Connect address information:

• {{Recipient Name}} → Recipient Name field
• {{Company Name}} → Company Name field
• {{Street Address}} → Street Address field
• {{City}} → City field
• {{Postal Code}} → Postal Code field

Map Line Items

Configure the linked record field to pull all delivered items.

Map Signature Attachment

Map the Signature attachment field to the {{Signature}} placeholder. TypeFlow will embed the signature image directly in the generated PDF.

Generate Proof of Delivery Documents: 3 Options

Once configured, you have multiple ways to generate POD documents.

Option 1: Button Field (On-Demand Generation)

Add a button field for one-click POD generation.

Workflow:

1. Driver confirms delivery and captures signature
2. Click "Generate POD" button
3. PDF generates with all delivery details and signature
4. Document saves to the record

Best for: Operations where drivers or dispatchers manually confirm each delivery.

Option 2: Bulk Generation (End-of-Day Processing)

Generate POD documents for all confirmed deliveries at once.

Workflow:

1. Filter view to show deliveries where Confirmed = checked
2. Select all records needing POD documents
3. Click "Generate PDFs"
4. All documents generate in parallel

Best for: End-of-day batch processing where PODs are generated after all deliveries are confirmed.

Option 3: Airtable Automations (Automatic Generation)

Trigger POD generation automatically when deliveries are confirmed.

Setup steps:

1. Create a new Automation in Airtable
2. Set trigger: "When record matches conditions" (Confirmed = checked)
3. Add action: "Run script"
4. Paste the TypeFlow script

Automate Your Proof of Delivery Workflow

Trigger Generation on Delivery Confirmation

The most common workflow triggers POD generation when the Confirmed checkbox is checked:

1. Driver completes delivery
2. Driver captures signature on mobile device
3. Signature uploads to Airtable Attachment field
4. Driver checks Confirmed checkbox
5. Automation triggers TypeFlow
6. POD generates with all data including signature
7. PDF saves to record attachment field

Send Documents via Email Automatically

Add an email step to your automation:

1. After POD generates, automation continues
2. Send email to recipient using Email field
3. Attach the generated PDF
4. Include delivery confirmation message

Store and Organize Generated Documents

All generated PODs save directly to the delivery record's attachment field. This creates:

• Complete audit trail for each delivery
• Easy access when disputes arise
• Searchable archive in Airtable

Best Practices for Proof of Delivery Documents

Include All Required Legal Information

Your POD should contain:

• Company name and address
• Delivery date and time
• Complete item list with quantities
• Recipient signature
• Any required legal disclaimers for your industry

Use Consistent Branding

Add your company logo and use brand colors. Professional-looking PODs build trust with recipients and look better in case of disputes.

Handle Delivery Exceptions

Create fields for:

• Partial deliveries (note which items were delivered)
• Refused deliveries (capture reason)
• Damaged items (note condition)
• Signature refused (capture alternative confirmation)

Set Up Proper File Naming

Configure TypeFlow to name files consistently:

• POD_{{Delivery ID}}_{{Delivery Date}}.pdf
• Makes documents easy to find and reference

Common Issues and Solutions

Signature Images Not Appearing

Problem: The signature doesn't show in the generated POD.

Solution:

1. Verify the Attachment field contains an image file (PNG, JPG)
2. Check the placeholder syntax matches exactly
3. Ensure the image isn't corrupted or too large

Missing Data in Generated Documents

Problem: Some fields show as blank in the POD.

Solution:

1. Check field names in template match Airtable field names exactly
2. Verify the delivery record has data in those fields
3. Review field mapping in TypeFlow

Automation Not Triggering

Problem: PODs don't generate when deliveries are confirmed.

Solution:

1. Verify automation is turned on
2. Check trigger conditions (Confirmed = checked)
3. Review automation run history for errors
4. Ensure TypeFlow has proper permissions

Generate Professional POD Documents in Minutes

With TypeFlow, automating proof of delivery generation from Airtable takes minutes to set up. Stop creating documents manually and start generating professional PODs that include signatures, delivery details, and itemized lists - automatically.