14.2 Inline Editing, Mass Update, CSV, and Duplicates
Key Takeaways
Inline editing changes a field directly on a list row when Inline Editing is enabled and the role, record, and field allow the edit. The change saves on that record immediately.
On the Mass Update Preview Results page, clear Apply to exclude a listed record, then click Perform Update. Saving the definition is optional and stores it for later.
CSV import brings rows in through the Import Assistant and a saved field mapping. CSV export sends a list, search, or report out as a file.
Duplicate detection matches customers, vendors, partners, and contacts. Private contacts are excluded, and OneWorld records in different subsidiaries stay separate.
Delete All Data wipes account data and is disabled by default in production. Deleting one record and a filtered mass delete are different actions.
Inline editing on a list
Inline editing changes a field directly in a record's row on a list, when the role and the record allow it. An administrator enables it at Setup > Company > Enable Features, on the Company subtab, under Data Management. The list's Edit switch shows an x when editing is off and a green check when it is on. Editable headers then show an edit icon, and the pointer becomes a hand over an editable cell.
Click the cell, change the value, and click away or press Esc. NetSuite saves that record immediately. Hold Ctrl to change the same field on several rows in one column. Display type and validation can still block a cell, even when the header shows an edit icon. Addresses on list pages cannot be inline edited.
The role needs edit permission, and the field must be on your preferred form. A standard field sits outside subtab lists and does not depend on another field. A custom field is stored and is not sourced. Mass update changes that same set of fields. List and Custom Search portlets can inline-edit when the feature is on and you have permission. Each save is already stored, so this tool fits a few visible rows.
Mass update
A mass update writes one kind of change to many records that match criteria. You need the Mass Updates permission and the permission level for that action. Go to Lists > Mass Update > Mass Updates and choose the action. General Updates can change more than one field. Headings such as Sales Force Automation start a narrower update. On a general update, set filters on the Criteria subtab, then open Mass Update Fields, check Apply beside each field, and enter the new value or a formula.
Click Preview to list the matching records. Saving the definition leaves those records unchanged until you run it. Saved mass updates are at Lists > Mass Update > Saved Mass Updates. When the preview has fewer than 1,000 rows, the Mass Update Preview Results page shows an Apply column. Clear Apply on any row that should stay unchanged, then click Perform Update. Return to Criteria if the filters should change. At 1,000 rows or more, narrow the criteria until Apply appears and you can exclude individual records.
Perform Update cannot be stopped. Only one mass update runs in the account at a time. Fifty records or fewer start at once. A larger job may wait up to one minute. An administrator with Schedule Mass Updates permission can schedule a saved update. If the field is missing from mass update, import a CSV file.
A mass delete uses that same preview for one record type, such as events, tasks, phone calls, cases, or files. Clear Apply for rows to keep, then click Perform Update. Files removed by Delete Files cannot be recovered. Delete All Data, covered below, clears account data instead of one filtered type.
CSV import and CSV export
CSV import brings rows in through the Import Assistant and a mapping you can save. With full Import CSV File permission, open Setup > Import/Export > Import CSV Files. Set data handling to add, update, or add or update, then map columns to NetSuite fields. Save & Run stores the mapping and starts the job. Run starts the job without saving the map. Save keeps the map on the Saved CSV Imports page.
On an update, map Internal ID and only the fields that should change. Record types follow your role, permissions, and enabled features. Clean the file before upload. One file can hold up to 25,000 records, and a pending or processing job in the company queue can be canceled. Delete incorrect imported rows one at a time. An advanced import option can block duplicate rows in that file. Duplicate Detection searches customers, vendors, partners, and contacts already in the account.
CSV export sends a list, saved search, or report out and leaves the records unchanged. The list toolbar includes Export - CSV, Export - Microsoft Excel, and Export - PDF, and a list export always includes Internal ID. Opening the CSV directly in Excel can drop precision after 16 digits.
Duplicate detection
An administrator enables Duplicate Detection & Merge at Setup > Company > Enable Features, on the Company subtab under Data Management, and sets match fields at Setup > Company > Duplicate Detection. Email is the default. Warnings begin after the first search finishes.
Matching covers customers, vendors, partners, and contacts. Private contacts are excluded. OneWorld records in different subsidiaries stay separate. Common words are skipped for customer and contact matches.
A warning appears on a matching save, edit, or Quick Add. An administrator, or a role with the Mass Updates permission, clears groups at Lists > Mass Update > Entity Duplicate Resolution. Duplicate Entity Management permission opens the Manage Duplicates page. A merge needs full permission on the entity types: contacts and customers for an individual customer, and customers and vendors for a customer/vendor record. Where fields differ, the primary value is kept. System notes on the duplicates are not copied. Test a large merge in a sandbox, and choose the entity with the most transactions as primary.
Delete All Data
The current objective line lists inline editing, mass updates, CSV imports, CSV export, and duplicate detection. Delete All Data appears in the headings of NetSuite's 2024 study notes and October 2024 sample test, so know what it does even though the current objective omits it.
Delete All Data, at Setup > Company > Delete All Data, wipes account data for an implementation or non-production cleanup. Deleting one record, or mass-deleting a filtered type such as events or tasks, leaves the rest of the account in place.
Since NetSuite 2016.1 the task is disabled by default in production. Support can enable one use. The task turns off after that use, or 15 days after enablement if nobody runs it. Sandbox and Release Preview accounts still have the task.
Which tool, and what can go wrong
| Tool | When to use it | Main risk |
|---|---|---|
| Inline editing | Change a few visible fields the role allows | The row saves immediately |
| Mass update | Apply one value to many records that share criteria | The job cannot be stopped, and filters can add extra rows |
| CSV import | Bring many rows in through a saved mapping | A wrong key or field map has no undo |
| CSV export | Send a list, search, or report out as a file | The file holds live data, and Excel can alter long numbers |
| Duplicate detection | Find or merge customers, vendors, partners, or contacts | The primary value is kept where fields differ |
| Delete All Data | Wipe an implementation or non-production account | Production stays off until Support enables one use |
Forty customers need a new sales rep
Forty customers need a new sales rep. The field is on the preferred customer form and allows inline editing. The choice depends on whether every customer gets the same person.
Inline editing changes the sales rep cell on the customer list. Each save is immediate, so a wrong row is stored at once and a skipped row keeps the old rep. There is no batch preview.
When all 40 should receive the same sales rep, use a mass update. At Lists > Mass Update > Mass Updates, choose the customer update, filter the group, set the sales rep, and click Preview. If two customers who were reassigned yesterday also appear, the preview has 42 rows. Clear Apply on those two rows on the Mass Update Preview Results page, then click Perform Update. That exclude step is the last chance to drop a record: the job cannot be canceled after it starts, and a filter can include customers who should stay put. Perform Update runs without a saved definition. Save only to keep the update at Lists > Mass Update > Saved Mass Updates.
When each customer needs a different sales rep, import a CSV update with Internal ID and the new rep, then Save & Run the mapping. One mass-update value cannot hold 40 different reps.
Work through more of these choices in the Oracle NetSuite Foundation practice questions.
A mass update preview lists 40 customers. How can you leave two of them unchanged and update the rest?
Save the definition first, because Perform Update stays unavailable until the update is saved
Enter the new field values as the first step, then run the update from the saved-search list
On the Mass Update Preview Results page, clear Apply on those two rows, then click Perform Update
Export the preview to CSV, because the preview page cannot drop individual records
Which records can NetSuite duplicate detection match?
Customers, vendors, partners, and contacts
Customers, employees, sales orders, and invoices
Every record type that the user's role can edit
Only the rows brought in by the latest CSV import
Since NetSuite 2016.1, what is true of Delete All Data in a production account?
Anyone who can delete a single customer can use it to delete that customer only
It runs on a schedule to remove inactive customers and vendors
It is the mass-delete action for events, tasks, and phone calls
It is disabled by default, and Support can enable it for one-time use
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.