Saved Search
Saved Searches are NetSuite's most powerful and flexible data retrieval tool, enabling complex queries without code.
What is a Saved Search?
SAVED SEARCH OVERVIEW
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SAVED SEARCH │
│ │
│ A reusable query that retrieves records based on criteria you define │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
│
┌──────────────────────────┼──────────────────────────┐
│ │ │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────┐
│ CRITERIA │ │ RESULTS │ │ SETTINGS │
│ (Filters) │ │ (Columns) │ │ (Options) │
├─────────────────┤ ├─────────────────┤ ├─────────────────┤
│ • Which records │ │ • What data │ │ • Who can view │
│ to include │ │ to display │ │ • How to sort │
│ • Date ranges │ │ • Summaries │ │ • Alerts │
│ • Status values │ │ • Formulas │ │ • Scheduling │
└─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘ └─────────────────┘
Saved Search vs Other Tools
| Tool | Best For | Complexity | Real-time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saved Search | Flexible queries, lists | Medium | Yes |
| SuiteQL | Complex joins, aggregations | High | Yes |
| Workbooks | Visualizations, dashboards | Low | Near real-time |
| Reports | Formatted printable output | Low | Configurable |
| SuiteScript search | Programmatic access | High | Yes |
WHEN TO USE SAVED SEARCH
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✓ Use Saved Search when:
• You need a reusable list of records
• You want to combine data from related records (joins)
• You need summary calculations (GROUP BY, SUM, COUNT)
• You want dashboard portlets or KPIs
• You need email alerts based on conditions
• You want to export data to Excel/CSV
✗ Consider alternatives when:
• You need complex multi-table joins → SuiteQL
• You need charts and graphs → Workbooks
• You need formatted PDF output → Reports
• You need real-time processing → SuiteScript
Saved Search Capabilities
Core Features
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Filters | Define which records to include |
| Columns | Specify what data to show |
| Joins | Include related record data |
| Summaries | Group, sum, count, average |
| Formulas | Calculate custom values |
| Sorting | Order results |
| Highlighting | Conditional formatting |
| Alerts | Email when conditions met |
Where Saved Searches Can Be Used
SAVED SEARCH USAGE LOCATIONS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │
│ DASHBOARDS Run directly, display as portlet │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ REPORTS Format as printable report │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ SUITESCRIPT Data source for scripts │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ WORKFLOWS Condition evaluation │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ FORMS Field sourcing (dropdowns) │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ MASS UPDATES Target record selection │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ SCHEDULED EXPORTS Automated data exports │
│ ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── │
│ EMAIL ALERTS Notification triggers │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Supported Record Types
Saved Searches support almost all NetSuite record types:
Transactions
- Sales Orders, Invoices, Cash Sales
- Purchase Orders, Bills, Vendor Payments
- Item Receipts, Item Fulfillments
- Journal Entries, Deposits
- Transfer Orders, Inventory Adjustments
Entities
- Customers, Vendors, Employees
- Contacts, Partners, Leads
- Projects, Jobs
Items
- Inventory Items, Service Items
- Non-Inventory Items, Kits
- Assemblies, Lot/Serial Items
Other
- Custom Records
- Activities (Tasks, Events, Calls)
- Cases, Issues
- Files, Messages
- And many more...
Search Result Limits
SEARCH RESULT LIMITS
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UI Display:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Default display: 100 rows │
│ Maximum display: 5,000 rows │
│ CSV export: Unlimited (uses paging) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Script Access:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ run().each(): 4,000 results maximum │
│ getRange(): 1,000 results per call │
│ runPaged(): Unlimited (processed in pages) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Performance Tips:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ • Use filters to reduce result set │
│ • Limit columns to only what's needed │
│ • Avoid complex formulas in large searches │
│ • Consider date range restrictions │
│ • Use summary searches for aggregated data │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Quick Start: Create Your First Search
Navigation: Lists → Search → Saved Searches → New
CREATE SAVED SEARCH - QUICK START
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Step 1: Choose Search Type
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Search Type: [Transaction ▼] │
│ │
│ Common types: Transaction, Customer, Item, Vendor, Employee │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 2: Name Your Search
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Search Title: Open Sales Orders │
│ ID: customsearch_open_sales_orders (auto-generated) │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Set Criteria (Filters tab)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Filter │ Description │ Operator │ Value │
├───────────────┼────────────────┼─────────────┼──────────────────────────────┤
│ Type │ Type │ is any of │ Sales Order │
│ Main Line │ Main Line │ is │ True │
│ Status │ Status │ is any of │ Pending Fulfillment │
└───────────────┴────────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────────────────────┘
Step 4: Select Results (Results tab)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Add columns: Document Number, Date, Customer, Amount │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 5: Save & Preview
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Click [Preview] to test │
│ Click [Save] to save │
│ Click [Save & Run] to save and view results │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Saved Search Interface Overview
SAVED SEARCH DEFINITION TABS
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Criteria] [Results] [Audience] [Highlighting] [Email] [Alert] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
CRITERIA TAB
├── Standard Filters: Built-in filters for record type
├── Custom Filters: Custom field filters
└── Available Filters: All available filter fields
RESULTS TAB
├── Columns: Fields to display in results
├── Sort: Order and direction
└── Summary: Group, Sum, Count, Average, Min, Max
AUDIENCE TAB
├── Roles: Which roles can access
└── Public: Available to all users
HIGHLIGHTING TAB
├── Row highlighting based on conditions
└── Apply formatting (colors, bold, italic)
EMAIL TAB
├── Send results as scheduled email
├── Recipients and schedule
└── Format (HTML, CSV, PDF)
ALERT TAB
├── Send alert when search returns results
├── Alert frequency and conditions
└── Include custom message
Documentation Sections
| Section | Description |
|---|---|
| Creating Searches → | Step-by-step search creation |
| Filters & Operators → | Complete filter reference |
| Result Columns → | Columns, joins, and summaries |
| Formulas → | Formula fields and expressions |
| Advanced Features → | Alerts, highlighting, scheduling |
Quick Reference
Common Filter Operators
| Operator | Use For | Example |
|---|---|---|
| is | Exact match | Status is "Open" |
| is any of | Multiple values | Type is any of "Invoice", "Credit Memo" |
| is within | Date range | Date is within "This Month" |
| contains | Text search | Name contains "Corp" |
| greater than | Numeric | Amount greater than 1000 |
Common Summary Types
| Summary | Description |
|---|---|
| GROUP | Group results by this column |
| SUM | Total of numeric values |
| COUNT | Number of records |
| AVG | Average value |
| MIN/MAX | Minimum/Maximum value |
Next Steps
| Goal | Go To |
|---|---|
| Create a saved search | Creating Searches → |
| Learn filter operators | Filters & Operators → |
| Add formula columns | Formulas → |
| Use in scripts | SuiteScript Integration → |