NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering: Configure Formats and Reset Transaction Numbers

NetSuite auto-generated numbering lets an Administrator assign sequential numbers by record type and control prefixes, suffixes, digit padding, overrides, and related formatting. The critical distinction is that changing Initial Number for an entity, CRM, or schedule record sets the next number, while document and transaction number changes use additional controls and can create duplicates.

TL;DR: Enable Show Transaction Numbering Setup, then open Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers. Configure and enable each record type separately. Before resetting a document or transaction sequence, review the current sequence and any subsidiary or location prefixes. An incorrect initial number can create duplicates, and resetting an initial document number does not update the document number on the transaction record being updated.

Key takeaways

The Administrator role is required to configure NetSuite auto-generated numbering.
Minimum Digits accepts values from 0 through 20 and pads the numeric portion; a value of 4 produces 0001 as the first number.
For entity, CRM, and schedule records, Initial Number sets the next number in the series without changing the numbering scheme.
Document and transaction initial-number changes can create duplicate numbers. Resetting an initial document number while updating a transaction type does not update that transaction record’s document number.
Use Subsidiary is available only in NetSuite OneWorld and works only when the subsidiary record contains the relevant document or transaction prefix.

Prerequisites: enable transaction-numbering setup

You must use the Administrator role to set up auto-generated numbering. Before planning a numbering change, identify which record types are in scope and whether the request concerns a new format, the next number in a series, or a document or transaction reset. Those requests have different consequences.

Enable the transaction-numbering setup page as follows:

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

If the page was previously unavailable, confirm that both the preference and role requirements are satisfied. Access to the page does not by itself make a proposed reset safe; review the relevant record category and existing sequence before changing it. For related account-level controls, see the guide to setting general transaction preferences in NetSuite.

Where do you configure NetSuite auto-generated numbering?

Use Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers to configure numbering by record type. The page lets you select which record types should receive numbers automatically in their creation order. It also displays the type being configured and the current number in that type’s sequence. Save the configuration after selecting and formatting the required types.

Treat each row as a separate numbering decision. A customer format configured on the Entities subtab does not become a universal account format, and a document-number setting applies to the selected document-number type rather than every numbered record. Verify the exact row before editing a prefix, suffix, or initial number.

The NetSuite Auto-Generated Numbering Settings Guide provides adjacent coverage of setup prerequisites, existing records, and numbering history.

Enable a record type and understand its settings

Enable the intended record type before relying on its other settings. For example, the setup flow uses the Entities subtab to enable the customer record type. The desired prefix, suffix, digit length, and other options are configured alongside that type rather than applied globally.

The available controls have distinct purposes:

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-category behavior explained below.
Current Number	Shows the latest number in the sequence for the record.
Allow Override	Lets a user enter a name or number when NetSuite allows that document number type to be overwritten.

A practical review should compare Initial Number with Current Number and consider prefixes and record categories. An ill-planned reset can overlap values already assigned within the affected type.

How do you set prefixes, suffixes, and minimum digits?

Prefixes and suffixes can contain letters or numbers, but NetSuite recommends that they not contain numbers only. It also recommends placing a separator, such as a dash (-) or underscore (_), at the end of a prefix or the beginning of a suffix. A separator is not required, but it makes fixed text easier to distinguish from the generated numeric portion, particularly when text appears on both sides.

Minimum Digits controls only the minimum length of the numeric portion. It accepts values from 0 through 20 and pads shorter values as needed. If Minimum Digits is 4, the first number is 0001.

Configure a record format with these steps:

Open Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers.
Open the applicable subtab, such as Entities or Document Numbers.
Select Enable for the required record type.
Enter the required Prefix and/or Suffix.
Set Minimum Digits from 0 through 20.
Review Initial Number, Current Number, and any override or parent-group option applicable to the process.
Save the configuration.

Worked examples

The following examples show how the settings combine. The customer example produces CUST000001. The assembly build document-number example produces 00001DN.

Customer numbering
Subtab: Entities
Record type: customer
Enable: selected
Prefix: CUST
Minimum Digits: 6
First number: CUST000001

Assembly build document numbering
Subtab: Document Numbers
Document-number type: assembly build
Suffix: DN
Minimum Digits: 5
Allow Override: selected only if users should enter their own name or number
First number: 00001DN

These examples do not use separators, but a dash (-) or underscore (_) can be placed at the relevant boundary when a naming standard calls for clearer separation.

When should you use Within Parent Group or Allow Override?

Select Within Parent Group only when a subrecord number should be attached to its parent record number. It controls the relationship between the parent and subrecord; it is not a general way to group unrelated numbering sequences or apply a shared display format.

Select Allow Override only when the business process requires users to enter their own name or number. Some document-number types cannot be overwritten, so seeing the option does not establish that manual entry works for every document type. Verify the targeted record type and intended user-entry process before enabling it.

If a transaction number field is missing where expected, use the focused steps for troubleshooting TranID field visibility errors in NetSuite. For journal-entry import planning, review the supported values for Journal Entry Import CSV files separately; numbering configuration does not replace import-value validation.

How does Initial Number differ for entities and transactions?

The behavior of Initial Number depends on the 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. Prefixes, suffixes, and digit formatting remain separate configuration choices.

Document and transaction numbers require greater care. 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 also an important consequence to review when updating 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. Do not treat this change as a method for renumbering that transaction record.

How do you reset NetSuite transaction numbers safely?

A safe reset starts with scope control. Confirm whether the request concerns an entity-style next number, a document initial-number update, or an auto-generated transaction-number reset. Do not use those descriptions interchangeably when approving a change, because the available controls and effects differ.

For a document or transaction initial-number update:

Use the Administrator role.
Go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers.
Locate the exact document or transaction type being changed.
Review its Prefix, Suffix, Minimum Digits, and Current Number.
Check Update Initial Number.
Edit Initial Number and enter the new number.
Compare the proposed value with numbers already used for the affected record type, including any subsidiary or location prefix variations.
Save only after confirming that the new sequence will not intentionally or accidentally overlap existing numbers.

To reset auto-generated transaction numbers, go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers and click Reset. Before completing that action, review the affected sequence and the number being entered. NetSuite warns that resets of initial numbers can create duplicates.

After a controlled change, test the normal record-creation process and review the generated number. Guidance for testing custom reports and queries in NetSuite is also useful when the organization needs to test related reporting after a numbering change.

How do Use Subsidiary and Use Location affect prefixes?

For document type numbers, Use Subsidiary uses the document numbering prefix specified on the subsidiary record. For transaction type numbers, it uses the transaction prefix specified on that record. The Use Subsidiary column appears only in NetSuite OneWorld accounts.

Create or edit subsidiary prefixes at either of these exact paths:

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

Checking Use Subsidiary alone does not create a prefix. The subsidiary record must already contain the appropriate document or transaction prefix.

The separate Use Location option uses a prefix specified on the location record for document and transaction type numbers. Before depending on location-based numbering, confirm that the option is available in the account and that the location record contains the intended prefix.

When should you consider Advanced Numbering?

Use the standard Auto-Generated Numbers page when the requirement is a per-record-type sequence with controls such as Prefix, Suffix, Minimum Digits, and Allow Override. Consider Advanced Numbering when the business needs multiple complex document or transaction numbering sequences based on transaction type, fiscal year, or other criteria.

Advanced Numbering can automatically update 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 configuring one format alongside a record type or changing its initial number.

Verification checklist before and after saving

Before saving, confirm that the selected row is the intended record or document type, Enable is selected where required, and the prefix or suffix follows the organization’s naming standard. Verify that Minimum Digits is between 0 and 20 and that Allow Override is enabled only for a supported process. If Within Parent Group is selected, confirm that the requirement involves a parent–subrecord relationship.

For a reset, compare the proposed Initial Number with Current Number and existing values. Include subsidiary and location prefixes in that review. Also record that resetting an initial document number while updating a transaction type does not update that transaction record’s document number.

To confirm the change, create an appropriate test record through the normal business process and inspect its generated number. Verify the prefix, suffix, numeric padding, and expected sequence position. If an override is required, confirm it only on a document-number type that permits manual entry.

FAQ

Who can configure auto-generated numbering in NetSuite?

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

How do I open the Auto-Generated Numbers setup page?

Go to Setup > Company > General Preferences, check Show Transaction Numbering Setup, and click Save. Then go to Setup > Company > Auto-Generated Numbers.

What does Minimum Digits do?

Minimum Digits sets the minimum length of the numeric portion and accepts values from 0 through 20. NetSuite pads shorter numbers as needed; a value of 4 produces 0001 as the first number.

Does changing Initial Number renumber an existing transaction record?

No. If an initial document number is reset while updating a transaction type, the document number on that transaction record is not updated.

When should I enable Allow Override?

Enable Allow Override only when users must enter their own name or number and the specific document-number type permits overwriting. Some document-number types cannot be overwritten.

Does Use Subsidiary automatically create a prefix?

No. Use Subsidiary uses the document or transaction prefix already specified on the subsidiary record. If the subsidiary has no relevant prefix, checking the option alone does not provide one.