Deleting, Inactivating, and Taking Websites Offline in NetSuite

The way you decide to make a website inaccessible in NetSuite—whether by deleting, inactivating, or taking it offline for maintenance—should depend on your specific objectives. This article outlines the fundamental differences between these three approaches, ensuring that you can make an informed choice based on your requirements.

What is an Offline Website?

Purpose: Takes the website offline temporarily for maintenance.

Feasibility: No restrictions exist for this option.

Website Record: Retains the website record along with all internal references.

Cache: Retains access to the cache.

Search Index: The search index is also retained.

Alternative Page: Displays either a custom maintenance page or a default maintenance message.

Site License: This option uses a site license.

Displayed in Lists: Included in website lists and dropdowns.

Search Results and Reports: Included in search results and reports.

Reactivation: Can be brought back online at any time.

What is an Inactive Website?

Purpose: Permanently inactivates the website (though it can be reactivated with some restrictions).

Feasibility: No restrictions on this action.

Website Record: The website record is retained along with all its internal references.

Cache: The cache is deleted.

Search Index: The search index is deleted as well.

Alternative Page: Displays a 'Site not found' error.

Site License: This option does not use a site license.

Displayed in Lists: Typically not displayed in website lists and dropdowns.

Search Results and Reports: The record can still be included in reports, but filtering options allow it to be omitted.

Reactivation: Can be reactivated, but this process has several requirements:

• A site license must be available.
• The search index must be rebuilt before the website can be accessed by visitors.
• If SuiteTax is enabled, the Web Site Scope must be set correctly.

What is a Deleted Website?

Purpose: Completely removes the website permanently and irrecoverably.

Feasibility: Deletion is only possible if there are no dependent records.

Website Record: The website record is fully deleted without retaining references.

Cache: The cache is entirely deleted.

Search Index: The search index is also deleted.

Alternative Page: Displays a 'Site not found' error.

Site License: Does not use a site license.

Displayed in Lists: Not displayed in any lists or dropdowns.

Search Results and Reports: Not included in search results or reports.

Reactivation: Once deleted, a website cannot be reactivated.

Key Considerations

Before deciding how to handle your website record, keep in mind the potential impacts:

• Dependencies: Ensure there are no other records dependent on the website if you wish to delete it.
• Licensing: Understand how site licenses affect your options, especially when reactivating an inactive site.
• Records Management: Maintaining all database references may be necessary for auditing or reporting purposes.

Conclusion

By clearly understanding the distinctions between deleting, inactivating, and making a website offline, you can manage your NetSuite websites more effectively, aligning actions with organizational goals and system requirements.

Source: This article is based on Oracle's official NetSuite documentation.