Field Type Descriptions for Custom Fields
When creating a custom field, you select the type of field you want to create depending on the information you want to store in the field.
The following table describes all available field types for custom fields. Any character limits mentioned apply to English letters, which require one byte for each letter. If you are using another language, the limit is lower because one character could require up to four bytes. For non-English characters, the limits for the fields vary depending on the characters entered, and the field maximum is lower than the number indicated.
|
Field Type |
Description |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Check box |
Record a true or false answer by placing a check mark in the custom field. |
For example, you want to track orders by delivery. You create a check box custom field called Delivery that appears on sales transactions. If orders are for delivery, you check the Delivery box. |
|
Currency |
Enter currency amounts in a custom field (maximum 15 digits and 15 decimal points – 999,999,999,999,999.999999999999999) A custom field of type currency behaves differently from standard NetSuite currency fields. That is, if you are not using the Multi-currency feature, the custom field will not be hidden like standard NetSuite currency fields. |
For example, you want to track the spending limit of each employee in your company. You create a currency custom field that appears on employee records and enter the spending limit for each employee. |
|
Date |
Enter or select dates. Note that changing Date fields to Date/Time fields will automatically convert Dates in existing records to Date/Times. The time value defaults to midnight of your company's time zone. All existing SuiteScript that referenced the Date field must manually updated. |
For example, you want to record projected start dates on estimates. You create a date custom field called Projected Start Date. Dates entered must follow the date format selected at Setup > Company > General Preferences.
Note:
The date and time are based on the user’s NetSuite Time Zone preference, set at Home > Set Preferences, not on the browser client time zone. |
|
Date/Time |
Combine date and time values in one field. After you enter a date/time value, the data is rendered in the user’s preferred date and time format, as well as the user’s time zone. Also note that time values are stored in NetSuite down to the second. Optionally, you can also add Date/Time custom fields in SuiteScript using the |
For example, you may want a single field to contain date and time timestamp data.
Note:
The date and time are determined by your NetSuite Time Zone preference, set at Home > Set Preferences, not by the browser client time zone. |
|
Decimal Number |
Enter a decimal number in a custom field. The largest number you can input is 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 (maximum 20 digits). If you enter a number larger than this, it will be automatically rounded down to the maximum number permitted. |
For example, you want to record the distance your customers are from your nearest retail outlet. You create a decimal number custom field to store the information in your employee records. |
|
Document |
|
For example, you want employees to be able to search customer survey results. |
|
Entity |
You can create custom fields of type Entity. To create a custom entity field, set the field type to List/Record, and set the List/Record type to Entity. By doing so the new generic custom entity field will automatically include all records of type contact, customer, employee, group, other name, partner, and vendor. You can then optionally use sourcing and filtering capabilities to limit the choices in the custom field's list to a subset of the supported entities. |
For example, on the custom field's definition page, on the Sourcing & Filtering subtab, specify Type in the Filter Using column. In the Value Is column, specify customer, partner, and vendor names. When the custom field of type Entity appears on your record, entities of only type customer, partner, and vendor will appear as available options in the field's list. |
|
Email Address |
Enter an email address in a custom field (maximum 254 characters). The email address field creates a link to open your default email client. |
For example, you create a custom record type for intern records. You can include a field for their email addresses. You can send email to interns by clicking email addresses on their records. |
|
Free-Form Text |
Enter up to 300 characters of text in a custom field. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
For example, you want to offer your customers monogramming on certain items. You can create a Free-Form Text field as an item option to record the monogram they want.
Note:
Calculations within free-form text fields display values in scientific notation. To avoid scientific notation, use the following syntax to round digits in free-form text fields: ROUND({cost}/0.65,3) . |
|
Help |
Place helpful text on record pages where your users enter information (maximum 999 characters). The help that appears is for informational purposes only. It is not stored in your account. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
When you create a Help custom field, select Help in the Type field and enter your text in the Help field. |
|
Hyperlink |
Enter a URL in a custom field that links to another web page (maximum 999 characters, with a hyperlink text limit of 10 characters). Hyperlink fields should begin with http://, https:// or ftp:// .
Note:
Due to safety concerns, files beginning with file:// or \\ are not currently supported. It is possible to enter a file in this format, but the link will not work. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
For example, you want to link to a vendor's website. You create a hyperlink custom field called Website that appears on vendor records. First, you enter the company's URL. When you return to the vendor's record, you can click the URL to open the vendor's site in a new window. You can enter up to 999 characters in the field. |
|
Image |
Attach an image to a record. The image is rendered with a maximum width of 250 pixels in the form layout, and the image is resized proportionally. Image custom fields support the following file formats:
Note:
The TIF/TIFF file format may not be supported by all browsers. |
For example, you can attach pictures of your employees to their records. |
|
Inline HTML |
Inline HTML can be used on all types of fields. Use HTML, for example, to define a custom field on a record form, or to define a custom field to be included on custom pages generated by Suitelets. For more information about using HTML with Suitelets, see SuiteScript 2.x Suitelet Script Type. The field limit of the Inline HTML Field Type is 4000 bytes. In English, 4000 bytes is 4000 characters, but in other languages, the number of characters may be fewer.
Important:
NetSuite Forms does not support manipulation through the Document Object Model (DOM) and custom scripting in Inline HTML fields. The use of Inline HTML fields on Form pages (except for Forms generated by Suitelets) will not be supported with a new user interface in a future NetSuite release. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains.
Important:
The Inline HTML field type does not support labels, the UI does not display labels for Inline HTML fields. |
For example, you could display to customers how many reward points they have earned. |
|
Integer Number |
Enter integers in a custom field. The maximum number is approximately 18000000000000000000 (20 digits). This maximum can be affected by automatic rounding and limitations of underlying technologies. |
For example, you can record a special ID number on your company records. |
|
List/Record |
Attach lists and records to custom fields. In the List/Record field, select the list or record type you want to attach. You can also select from a list of public saved searches. You can also use the list/record option to script a custom printing solution. For more information, see Scripting a Custom Printing Solution. |
For example, you want to track orders by the employee who works on them. You create a custom body field for sales transactions. In the List/Record field, you attach your employee list. On sales transactions, you can then select the appropriate employee for the order. |
|
Long Text |
A text area that can hold up to 1,000,000 characters. Use Long Text custom fields where you need greater than 4,000 characters of text for a text area, and where you do not want the field to contain rich text formatting. When you create a long text field type in the UI, the field character limit is 1,000,000. When you create a long text field type using SuiteScript, the field character limit is 100,000.
Note:
A free form text or text area field can be converted to a long text field. However, after the conversion is complete, the field cannot be converted back. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
For example, use a Long Text custom field in a custom record to hold the text of an item Warranty. Or, add to an Online Form to hold the text of a End User License Agreement. |
|
Multiple Select |
Lets you create a field where you can make multiple selections from a list or list of records.
Note:
If you include a Multiple Select field in the results of a saved search, there is a 4000 character limit on the values that can be displayed for the field. |
For example, you want to track how customers heard about your business. You create a multiple select custom field that appears on customer records and contains a list of possible sources. Sales representatives use the field to select the various places customers heard about your business. |
|
Password |
Lets you create a field that is encrypted in the database (maximum 15 characters). When you view the record it will always show a fixed number of characters regardless of how long the password is. When validating, you pull the encrypted password value into a hidden field and use custom code to encrypt the value the user typed and compare it with the real encrypted value. Ensure that customizations do not improperly use sensitive fields. |
For example, you could add a password custom field to a web page. |
|
Percent |
Lets you create a field to store a percentage. The information entered in the field can be only an integer from 0 to 100. |
For example, you want to track the test results of a training course taken by an employee, and have the result display as a percentage. The percent sign (%) is automatically added to the number. |
|
Phone Number |
Lets you create a field for a telephone number on records and transactions (maximum 32 characters). If the phone number formatting feature is enabled in your account, phone numbers are localized. The Country field in the subsidiary of the user determines the localization applied. |
For example, you can include a contact number on an event record using a CRM field. |
|
Rich Text |
Lets you enter and format up to 100,000 characters of text in a custom field. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
For example, you can include a small biography of your employees with information like marital status, family members and other special information. You can also format the text to create lists, make text bold or italic, and change the font size and color. |
|
Text Area |
Lets you enter up to 4,000 characters of text in a custom field. URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information, see Using Account-Specific Domains. |
For example, you want to record special information about how you closed a customer. You could enter it into a text area custom field that appears on customer records. |
|
Time of Day |
Lets you enter the time of day in a custom field. |
For example, you create a Best Time To Call custom field for your sales representatives to enter the best time of day to call a prospect. |
|
URL Fragment |
Lets you enter the URL Fragment in a custom field.
Note:
There is a 200 character limit for this field. |
For example, you use the URL Fragment custom filed to create an exact text reference across the web. |
For information about creating a custom field, see Creating a Custom Field.
Using Account-Specific Domains
URLs in custom fields should use your account-specific domain. For more information about account-specific domains in specific field types, see the following:
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Free Form Text
If you include a URL, ensure that it uses your account-specific domain. Data center-specific URLs are automatically modified to an account-specific domain URL, but the configuration remains unchanged. You should update all links in custom fields to use the correct account-specific domain. For more information, see Account-Specific Domains in Custom Fields.
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Inline HTML
Use URLs that include your account-specific domain. If the default URL value for this field contains a data center-specific domain, for an active session, it is automatically modified to the account-specific domain. However, the configuration remains unchanged. You should update all links in custom fields to use account-specific domains. For more information, see Account-Specific Domains in Custom Fields.
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Help, Hyperlink, Long Text, Rich Text, and Text Area
Use URLs that include your account-specific domain fields. If you enter a URL that includes a data center-specific domain, it is automatically modified to the account-specific domain. However, the configuration remains unchanged. You should update all links in custom fields to use account-specific domains. For more information, see Account-Specific Domains in Custom Fields.