Auto-Generated Document Numbers

Auto-generated document numbers are external numbers such as a vendor bill number, or account-based, such as a check number. You can also use type-based document numbers, which appear as custom columns in searches and lists.

If the Allow Override box is checked for a document type, users can accidentally create duplicate document numbers or numbering gaps in your account. To prevent duplicated document type numbers and numbering gaps, you can customize transaction type records to display the Generate Document Number on Save box. When you check this box, NetSuite saves the document number when you saves the transaction, not when you open it. This ensures the document number is unique for that type, as if the Allow Override box wasn't checked. To display the Generate Document Number on Save box on transaction type records and on standard reports, go to Customization > Forms > Transaction Forms. Find transaction type, click Customize, and click the Screen Fields subtab. In the Label column, find Generate Document Number on Save, check the Show box, and save the record.

If the Allow Override box is checked for a specific document type and you don't see the Generate Document Number on Save box, NetSuite saves the document number when you open the transaction. This can result in more than one transaction record having the same TranID. For example, User One opens a transaction with TranID 100. Before User One saves the transaction, User Two opens another instance of the same record, which is also assigned TranID 100.

Note:

If you try to save a record with a duplicate TranID, NetSuite shows an error. You can cancel the message and save the duplicated number.

Important:

For external numbering sequences such as vendor bill, each vendor has a unique document number, so the same document number can be assigned to more than one vendor. NetSuite won't let a vendor have duplicated document numbers on the same transaction type. This applies to all four external transaction types, whether they were entered in the UI or through a CSV import: Bill (Vendor Bill), Bill Credit (Vendor Credit), Credit Card Charge (Customer Credit Card), and Credit Card Refund (CCard Refund).

Warning:

Updating document numbers permanently changes all document numbers on historical transactions.

Related Topics