What permissions and steps are required to access the Auto-Generated Numbers setup page?

You must have the Administrator role. First enable transaction-numbering setup at Setup > Company > General Preferences by checking Show Transaction Numbering Setup and saving; then open Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers to configure numbering.

How do Initial Number and transaction-number resets behave for different record categories?

For entity, CRM, or schedule record types, changing Initial Number sets the next number in that record type's auto-generated series and does not change the numbering scheme. For document and transaction types, an Administrator can update Initial Number by checking Update Initial Number and entering a new value, but NetSuite warns that resetting initial numbers can create duplicate numbers and resetting an initial document number does not update the document number on existing transaction records. To reset auto-generated transaction numbers, go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers and click Reset, and review the affected sequence before saving.

When and how does NetSuite use a subsidiary or location prefix for document and transaction numbers?

The Use Subsidiary column appears only in NetSuite OneWorld accounts and uses the document or transaction prefix specified on the subsidiary record; checking the option alone does nothing if the subsidiary record has no prefix. You can create or edit subsidiary prefixes at Setup > Company > Subsidiaries (New or List), and there is a separate Use Location option that uses a prefix specified on the location record. Confirm that the subsidiary or location record actually defines a prefix before relying on those options.

When should I select Within Parent Group or Allow Override for a record type?

Select Within Parent Group when a subrecord number should be attached to its parent record number; this controls the parent–subrecord relationship rather than general formatting. Select Allow Override only when the process requires users to enter their own name or number, and verify the specific record type supports manual document-number overwriting because some document-number types cannot be overwritten.

NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering...

Auto-generated numbering lets an Administrator choose record types to number in their creation order and configure the number format for each type. Use Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers to enable a type, set prefixes or suffixes, choose a minimum digit length, and decide whether users can override a number where NetSuite permits it.

How Do You Open Auto-Generated Numbering Setup?

The Administrator role is required to set up auto-generated numbering.

Before opening the numbering page, enable transaction numbering setup:

Go to Setup > Company > General Preferences.
Check Show Transaction Numbering Setup.
Click Save.
Go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers.

On this page, select the record types that should be numbered automatically in the order they are created, then save the configuration. The page presents the settings for each record type, including the type being configured and the current number in its sequence.

If a transaction number field is not visible where expected, review Troubleshooting TranID Field Visibility Errors in NetSuite. That article is a separate troubleshooting resource; the numbering setup described here controls auto-generated number settings.

Which Settings Control Each Record Type?

The following settings are available when configuring auto-generated numbers for a record type:

Setting	What the setting does
Enable	Applies auto-generated numbering 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 letters or numbers before every record number of that type.
Suffix	Adds letters or numbers after every record number of that type.
Minimum Digits	Sets the minimum number of digits, from 0 through 20. NetSuite pads the number as needed.
Initial Number	Sets the number for the first record, subject to the record-type behavior described below.
Current Number	Shows the latest number in the sequence for the record.
Allow Override	Lets a user enter a name or number on records when NetSuite allows that document number type to be overwritten.

Enable a record type before relying on the remaining settings. For example, the source setup flow uses the Entities subtab to enable the customer record type. The same configuration places the desired format alongside the selected type rather than applying one format to every record type.

How Should You Format Prefixes, Suffixes, and Digits?

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

The separator recommendation is especially useful when a number is presented with text on both sides: it makes the fixed text distinct from the generated numeric portion. The source does not require a separator, but it specifically recommends one.

Minimum Digits controls the minimum length of the numeric portion. If you enter 4, the first record number is 0001.

A customer configuration in the source illustrates the combined settings:

On the Entities subtab, enable the customer record type.
Enter CUST as the Prefix.
Enter 6 as Minimum Digits.

The first number is CUST000001.

A separate document-number example uses a suffix instead:

On the Document Numbers subtab, enter DN as the Suffix for the assembly build document-number type.
Enter 5 as Minimum Digits.
Check Allow Override if users should be able to enter their own name or number on records.

The first number in that example is 00001DN.

When Should You Use Within Parent Group or Allow Override?

Select Within Parent Group when a subrecord number should be attached to the parent record number. This setting is about the relationship between a subrecord and its parent, not a general formatting option for unrelated record types.

Select Allow Override only when the relevant process requires users to enter their own name or number on records. NetSuite states that some document-number types cannot be overwritten, so the presence of the setting does not mean every document type supports manual entry.

When a configuration permits overrides, verify the record type and the intended user-entry process before saving. The source describes the option as allowing a user to enter a name or number; it does not state that the option applies universally to all document types.

For journal-entry CSV work, Supported Values for Journal Entry Import CSV Files in NetSuite is a separate reference for the values supported by that import.

How Do Initial Numbers and Transaction Resets Work?

The Initial Number setting requires special care because its behavior varies by record category.

For an entity, CRM, or schedule record type, changing Initial Number sets the next number in that record type's auto-generated series. It does not change the numbering scheme itself.

For document and transaction type numbers, an Administrator can reset the initial number by checking Update Initial Number, editing Initial Number, and entering the new number. NetSuite warns that resetting an initial number can create duplicate numbers in the account.

There is an additional document-number consequence to review before changing an existing transaction type: if you reset the initial document number while updating that transaction type, the document number on that transaction record is not updated.

To reset auto-generated transaction numbers, go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers and click Reset. Because the source warns that resetting initial numbers can cause duplicates, review the number being entered and the record type being changed before saving a reset or initial-number update.

Can Document and Transaction Prefixes Come From a Subsidiary?

For document type numbers, Use Subsidiary uses the document numbering prefix specified on the subsidiary record. For transaction type numbers, the same setting uses the transaction prefix specified on the subsidiary record.

The Use Subsidiary column appears only in NetSuite OneWorld accounts. Create or edit prefixes for a subsidiary at either of these paths:

Setup > Company > Subsidiaries > New > List
Setup > Company > Subsidiaries > New

NetSuite uses a document or transaction prefix from the subsidiary only when that prefix is specified on the subsidiary record. Checking the option alone does not provide a prefix where the subsidiary record has none.

The source also describes a Use Location option for document and transaction type numbers that uses a prefix specified on the location record. Confirm the available columns and record configuration in the account before using location-based numbering.

What Does Advanced Numbering Add?

Advanced Numbering supports flexible document and transaction numbering for requirements in the countries where a business operates. It can create multiple complex numbering sequences for each transaction type, fiscal year, and other criteria.

Advanced Numbering automatically updates a document or transaction number sequence in situations such as the start of a new fiscal year or the creation of different transaction types. This differs from the per-record-type settings on the Auto-Generated Numbers page: the source describes Advanced Numbering as an option for multiple sequences and additional criteria.

For adjacent transaction-preference configuration, see Setting General Transaction Preferences in NetSuite. That resource is separate from the auto-generated numbering setup flow.

Who This Affects

Administrators: The Administrator role is required to configure auto-generated numbering and to reset initial numbers for document and transaction type numbers using Update Initial Number.
Users entering records with permitted overrides: When Allow Override is enabled for a supported record type, users can enter their own name or number on records.
OneWorld accounts using subsidiary prefixes: The Use Subsidiary column is available only in OneWorld accounts, and it uses prefixes defined on subsidiary records.
Teams managing document or transaction sequences: Changes to initial numbers and transaction-number resets require attention because NetSuite warns that reset initial numbers may create duplicates.

Key Takeaways

Set up numbering from Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers after enabling Show Transaction Numbering Setup in General Preferences.
Use Enable, Prefix, Suffix, Minimum Digits, and Within Parent Group to configure a selected record type's numbering behavior.
Keep prefixes and suffixes from being numbers only, and use a dash or underscore as a separator as NetSuite recommends.
Use Allow Override only for record types where NetSuite permits document numbers to be overwritten.
An initial-number reset can create duplicate numbers. For document and transaction numbers, an Administrator must use Update Initial Number to edit Initial Number.
Use Reset on the Auto-Generated Numbers page to reset auto-generated transaction numbers; review the affected sequence before saving changes.

NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering Setup Guide