What prerequisites and permissions are required to set up auto-generated numbering?

You must have the Administrator role to configure auto-generated numbering and save changes. Before using the Auto-Generated Numbers page you must enable Show Transaction Numbering Setup in Setup > Company > General Preferences. Users who need to view or work with auto-generated numbers require a View level of the Auto-Generated Numbers permission.

Which document number types cannot be overwritten even when Allow Override is enabled?

NetSuite prevents overrides for these document types: Bill (Vendor Bill), Bill Credit (Vendor Credit), Bill Payment (Vendor Payment), Check, Credit Card Charge (Customer Credit Card), Credit Card Refund (CCard Refund), Customer Refund, Paycheck, Payroll Liability Check, Sales Tax Payment (Tax Payment), and Tax Liability Cheque (Tax Liability). NetSuite shows these types as either externally referenced or account-based numbering types.

What exactly happens when I select Update for a record type?

Selecting Update assigns numbers to all existing records of that type, starting from whichever is higher: the next available number or the Initial Number you entered. Numbering existing records moves prior names into Company Name (or into First/Middle/Last for employees) and updating document numbers irreversibly changes historical transaction numbers. The Update box is disabled for document and transaction types when Use Location or Use Subsidiary is checked, and once records have been updated you cannot switch those records back to names.

If I change the Initial Number, will existing records be renumbered or could duplicates occur?

Resetting Initial Number can cause duplicate numbers and should be reviewed before changing. For existing transaction records, changing the initial document number does not update the document number already shown on those transactions; for entity, CRM, and schedule record types, changing Initial Number sets the next number in the auto-generated series without altering the numbering scheme. If you change Initial Number and check Update, existing records are not renumbered and the new number is assigned to the next record created.

NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering...

NetSuite’s Auto-Generated Numbers page lets Administrators select record types for automatic numbering and configure prefixes, suffixes, minimum digits, initial numbers, overrides, and updates. This guide covers the available settings, document numbers that cannot be overwritten, setup prerequisites, and the irreversible effect of updating historical document numbers.

Which Settings Control Auto-Generated Numbers?

Set up numbering at Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers. The page enables the Administrator role to choose record types that are automatically numbered as records are created. Auto-generated numbers are always enabled for transaction and document types.

For each record type, the available preferences are as follows:

Setting	What NetSuite does
Enable	Applies auto-generated settings to the record type.
Within Parent Group	Attaches a subrecord number to its parent record number.
Type	Shows the record type being configured.
Prefix	Adds the letters or numbers entered before every record number of that type.
Suffix	Adds the letters or numbers entered after every record number of that type.
Minimum Digits	Sets the minimum number of digits in an auto-generated number, from 0 through 20.
Initial Number	Sets the number for the first record in the sequence. For entity, CRM, and schedule record types, changing it sets the next number in the auto-generated series without changing the numbering scheme.
Current Number	Shows the latest number in the sequence for the record.
Allow Override	Lets users enter their own name or number on records, except for document number types that cannot be overwritten.
Update	Assigns a number to existing records of the type.
History	Opens the latest changes to the document-numbering settings for that record type.

How should prefixes, suffixes, and digit length be used?

NetSuite recommends that prefixes and suffixes not contain only numbers. It also recommends using a separator, such as a dash (-) or underscore (_), at the end of a prefix or the beginning of a suffix.

The numeric portion can be padded with leading zeroes through Minimum Digits. For example, a minimum of 4 produces a first record number of 0001. Oracle’s customer example uses a CUST prefix and a minimum of six digits, producing CUST000001. Its assembly-build document example uses a five-digit number with the DN suffix, producing 00001DN.

What should be checked before changing Initial Number?

Initial Number establishes the first number for a sequence. Resetting it can cause duplicate numbers in the account. For an existing transaction type, resetting the initial document number does not update the document number already shown on that transaction record.

That distinction matters when deciding whether to change a sequence or apply numbers to records that do not yet have them. A change to the initial number for an entity, CRM, or schedule record type affects the next number in the auto-generated series; it does not alter the numbering scheme itself.

Which Document Numbers Cannot Be Overridden?

Allow Override permits entry of a name or number on records, but NetSuite identifies the following document number types as non-overwritable:

Document number type	Numbering type shown by NetSuite
Bill (Vendor Bill)	Externally referenced
Bill Credit (Vendor Credit)	Externally referenced
Bill Payment (Vendor Payment)	Account-based
Check	Account-based
Credit Card Charge (Customer Credit Card)	Externally referenced
Credit Card Refund (CCard Refund)	Externally referenced
Customer Refund	Account-based
Paycheck	Account-based
Payroll Liability Check	Account-based
Sales Tax Payment (Tax Payment)	Account-based
Tax Liability Cheque (Tax Liability)	Account-based

For related number-field troubleshooting, see Troubleshooting TranID Field Visibility Errors in NetSuite.

What Happens When Update Is Selected?

Selecting Update assigns numbers to all existing records of the selected type. NetSuite starts from whichever is higher: the next available number or the number entered in Initial Number.

Numbering changes how existing entity-style records are displayed. When existing records are numbered, the old name moves to the Company Name field. If Company Name is already populated, the old name appears next to the new number. For existing employee records that are numbered, the old name moves into First Name, Middle Initial, and Last Name.

There are two warnings to distinguish:

Updating document numbers irreversibly changes all document numbers on historical transactions.
If Initial Number is changed for a record type and Update is checked, the new number is assigned to the next record created; existing records are not renumbered.

The Update box is disabled for document and transaction types when Use Location or Use Subsidiary is checked. Once auto-generated numbering has been turned on and records have been updated, record numbers cannot be switched back to names.

For setup steps and related configuration coverage, see NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering Setup Guide.

How Is Auto-Generated Numbering Set Up?

The source procedure requires the Administrator role for setup:

Go to Setup > Company > General Preferences.
Check Show Transaction Numbering Setup, then click Save.
Go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers.
Set the required preferences for each record type.
Select Within Parent Group where the subrecord number should attach to the parent record number.
Click Save.

The Show Transaction Numbering Setup preference is part of the stated setup process. On the Auto-Generated Numbers page, the record-type settings can include the prefix, suffix, minimum digits, initial number, and override choice described above.

To reset auto-generated transaction numbers, go to the Set Up Auto-Generated Numbers page and click Reset. Review the duplicate-number warning before resetting an initial number.

For related preference context, see Setting General Transaction Preferences in NetSuite.

What Does Numbering History Show?

Use View in the History column to see the latest changes to document-numbering settings for a record type. The history includes:

Date
User
Context
Field
Old value
New value

History is limited. It shows only the latest changes and is not a complete change log. Changes to the Update Initial Number and Update boxes are not tracked, and history is unavailable for custom transactions. These limits are especially relevant when reviewing a change that involved updating existing records or resetting an initial sequence.

Who This Affects

Administrators: The Administrator role is required to set up auto-generated numbering, select record types, and save the configuration.
Users working with auto-generated numbers: NetSuite requires a View level of the Auto-Generated Numbers permission to work with these numbers.
Users of entity and employee records: Updating existing records can move prior names into the fields identified by NetSuite while applying generated numbers.
Users of historical transactions: Updating document numbers irreversibly changes document numbers on historical transactions.
Users entering document numbers: The listed externally referenced and account-based document number types cannot be overwritten.

Key Takeaways

Configure automatic numbering at Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers; the documented setup process first enables Show Transaction Numbering Setup in General Preferences.
Prefixes and suffixes can contain letters or numbers, but NetSuite recommends avoiding values made only of numbers and using a separator at the prefix end or suffix beginning.
Minimum Digits accepts values from 0 to 20 and can add leading zeroes to the numeric portion.
Resetting Initial Number may cause duplicate numbers. For entity, CRM, and schedule records, changing it sets the next number without changing the numbering scheme.
Update can number existing records, but changing Initial Number and selecting Update does not renumber existing records; it assigns the new number to the next record created.
Historical transaction document-number changes made through Update are irreversible, and History is not a complete log.

For additional troubleshooting coverage, see Troubleshooting TranID Field Visibility Errors in NetSuite and NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering Setup Guide.

NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering Settings Guide