Working with Custom Fields in NetSuite

📝 What Are Custom Fields?

Custom fields let you capture business-specific data that isn’t included in NetSuite’s standard fields. For example, you may want to store:

• A customer’s loyalty ID
• An item’s internal warranty period
• A transaction’s special shipping instructions

With custom fields, you can adapt NetSuite to your company’s unique needs without writing code.

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🔧 Types of Custom Fields

NetSuite supports many types of custom fields:

• Entity Fields → Attach to records like Customers, Vendors, Employees, Partners.
• Item Fields → Add to inventory, non-inventory, service, or other item records.
• Transaction Body Fields → Appear on the header of transactions (e.g., Sales Order, Invoice).
• Transaction Column Fields → Appear on the line items of transactions.
• CRM Fields → Add to activities, tasks, phone calls, events, etc.
• Other Record Fields → Attach to records like Cases, Campaigns, or custom records.

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⚙️ Key Field Settings

When creating a custom field, you’ll see several options. Here are the most important:

• Label → The name shown to users.
• ID → System ID (auto-generated, like custbody_preferred_delivery_day).
• Type → Text, Date, Checkbox, List/Record, Decimal, etc.
• Applies To → Choose which records/transactions the field appears on.
• Display Options → Where and how the field shows up on forms.
• Validation & Defaulting → Set default values or require certain inputs.
• Sourcing & Filtering → Automatically populate values from another record.

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✅ Example: Adding a Transaction Body Field

Scenario: You want to track whether an Invoice should be marked as “Urgent.”

Steps:

1. Go to Customization > Lists, Records, & Fields > Transaction Body Fields > New.
2. Enter:
   • Label: Urgent Invoice
   • ID: (auto-generated, e.g., custbody_urgent_invoice)
   • Type: Checkbox
   • Applies To: Invoice
3. On the Display tab, check “Show in Form” and choose the forms to display it on.
4. Save.

Now users can check the “Urgent Invoice” box when creating invoices.
Later, you can:

• Create a Saved Search to find all urgent invoices.
• Build a workflow to automatically send alerts if the box is checked.

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💡 Pro Tips & Best Practices

• Use clear labels so users understand the field’s purpose.
• Follow naming conventions (custbody_, custcol_, custentity_, etc.) for IDs.
• Avoid creating too many custom fields — it can slow down forms.
• Document each field’s purpose for future administrators.

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📌 Key Takeaways

• Custom fields allow you to store unique business data in NetSuite.
• They can be applied to entities, items, transactions, CRM records, or custom records.
• With sourcing, validation, and display options, fields can be made more powerful.
• Always follow best practices to keep your system clean and scalable.

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👉 Next Page: Creating and Managing Custom Records