Central directory (French e-invoicing)

The central directory is the registry that tells, for each recipient, which platform an electronic invoice should be sent to.

Definition

The central directory is the official registry of French e-invoicing. It lists taxable entities and associates each with the routing address and receiving platform (PDP) it has designated.

It is maintained at the level of the public invoicing portal and is the cornerstone that allows an invoice to reach the correct recipient.

Role in routing

When a supplier issues an invoice through its platform, that platform queries the directory to determine where to deliver the invoice. The directory returns the customer's receiving platform and the applicable routing address (often down to a given establishment or department).

Without this directory, platforms could not know which recipient PDP to direct the flows to: it is the foundation of interoperability.

Content and granularity

The directory generally identifies businesses by their SIREN/SIRET number and can go down to a finer level (establishment, internal routing code) so the invoice reaches the right accounting unit. The information must be kept up to date, since incorrect routing results in an undelivered invoice.

Good to know

The central directory does not hold the invoices themselves: it only stores routing data. Invoices flow through the platforms (PDPs), while the directory merely indicates the destination. Keeping receiving details current is a shared responsibility between the business and its platform.