How to Create a Parent-Child PDF Layout in AppSheet (With Real Example)

Recently, I was working on an inventory workflow where a receipt record had multiple items. The challenge? I wanted a PDF layout where the receipt header appears on top, and the child items are neatly shown in a table below. Sounds simple, right? But doing it the right way in AppSheet needs a little structure.

Let me walk you through what worked for me.

🔧 Example

In my AppSheet app, I had two tables:

• Parent Table: “Receipts”
  Contains fields like:
  Timestamp, Receipt Id, Date of Receipt, Party, Firm, Company, Debit Note No., Debit Note Date
• Child Table: “Receipt Items”
  Linked to the parent using Receipt Id as a Ref.
  Fields include:
  Item, Quantity, Batch No., Manufacturing Date, Expiry Date, MRP, etc.

My goal: When a PDF is generated for a receipt, it should show all parent details at the top, and then a table listing all related items.

🧾 Step 1: Create a Google Docs Template

Start by creating a Google Doc that will serve as your PDF layout template. In your AppSheet automation (bot or workflow), choose “Create a new file from a template” and connect this document.

🧩 Step 2: Add the Parent Fields

These are straightforward. Just type them out like this:

Receipt Details
Receipt Id: <<[Receipt Id]>>
Date of Receipt: <<TEXT([Date of Receipt], "DD/MM/YYYY")>>
Party: <<[Party]>>
Firm: <<[Firm]>>
Company: <<[Company]>>
Debit Note No.: <<[Debit Note No.]>>
Debit Note Date: <<TEXT([Debit Note Date], "DD/MM/YYYY")>>

📋 Step 3: Add a Table for the Child Items

In the Google Doc, insert a table (I used 6 columns) and name the headers like:

Item Quantity Batch No. Mfg Date Expiry Date MRP

Then, on the second row, write the following expressions:

<<Start: [Related Receipt Items]>>
<<[Item]>> | <<[Quantity]>> | <<[Batch No.]>> | <<TEXT([Manufacturing Date], "DD/MM/YYYY")>> | <<TEXT([Expiry Date], "DD/MM/YYYY")>> | <<[MRP]>>
<<End>>

Make sure your child table has a reverse reference virtual column like Related Receipt Items that connects back to the parent.

🎯 Result

I now have a professional-looking PDF that shows:

• Receipt header at the top.

• A table of all items received below it.

• If you’re working with purchase orders, invoices, or multi-line item entries, this layout will be really helpful to you.