Insertion order template
Fill in a print and digital advertising insertion order in your browser: publisher, advertiser, issues or run dates, sizes, rates, discount and agency commission. The net total is worked out as you type. Print it, save it as a PDF or copy it as CSV.
What is an insertion order?
An insertion order (IO) is the written booking for advertising. It says what the advertiser is buying, in which issues or on which dates, at what price and on what terms. In magazine publishing it is usually sent by the advertiser or its media agency, and the publisher confirms it, or the publisher sends one for the advertiser to sign. Once both sides have agreed it, the IO is the record everyone works from: sales knows what was sold, production knows what to place, and finance knows what to invoice.
Insertion order vs contract, invoice and purchase order
Insertion order vs contract
A contract can cover a whole year or a package of issues and set general terms such as cancellation, frequency discounts and liability. An insertion order books specific ads under those terms. Many publishers use a signed IO as the contract for a single booking; for a series, the IO often refers to a master agreement. Either way, make sure the terms that apply are attached or referred to.
Insertion order vs invoice
The IO comes before the ad runs and states what was agreed. The invoice comes after the ad has run, or on the dates agreed in the payment terms, and asks for payment. When an invoice is questioned, the signed IO is the first thing both sides check, so the invoice should match it line by line.
Insertion order vs purchase order
A purchase order (PO) is the buyer’s internal approval to spend money, issued by the advertiser’s or agency’s purchasing team. Some buyers send a PO number with the IO and expect it on your invoice. Write it in the terms box, so finance can quote it on the invoice.
What to include in an insertion order
- The publication, the publisher and a sales contact.
- The advertiser, the agency if there is one, and who receives the invoice.
- Each insertion: issue or run dates, channel, size and position, and the rate.
- Discounts and agency commission, so the net amount is not open to interpretation.
- The currency and whether tax is added.
- The material deadline, where to send the material and the ad specifications.
- Payment terms and cancellation terms.
- Signatures and dates from both sides.
The terms box on this template is a placeholder for your own terms; it is not legal advice. Agency commission in this template is taken off the amount after discount. If your rate card works differently, adjust the percentages so the net total matches what you invoice. To set the rates themselves, use the free magazine ad rate card calculator, and look up terms like makegood or material deadline in the magazine publishing glossary.
RunMags turns a booked order into the contract, flatplan slot and invoice. See advertising sales in RunMags.
