Auditing Primary Data and Configuration Changes in NetSuite
The information in this topic applies only to System Notes unless it's identified as a System Notes v2 feature. For more information about System Notes v2, see System Notes v2 Overview,
This section covers NetSuite features for tracking changes, including links to related topics. This background about NetSuite’s auditing capabilities is intended to assist you in developing a strategy to achieve your control objectives. This content will be updated as new information is added and as existing procedures are refined, so check back regularly for updates.
Tools for Auditing in NetSuite
NetSuite provides system notes that track many data and configuration changes. You can tell whether a record, or a group of configuration settings, supports system notes based on whether a System Notes subtab is available on its NetSuite page. For more information about system notes, see System Notes Overview.
You can use NetSuite’s search capabilities to access system notes for auditing purposes.
-
A general system note search shows system notes for all record types. You can filter searches by record type to see only the system notes for that type. See Searching System Notes.
-
You can include system notes details in search results for supported record types. For example, a customer search can show system notes fields related to changes made to the customer record. This is possible because of a join between system notes records and their related parent records. See Defining an Advanced Search.
-
System notes include a Context field. This field describes how the change was made. For example, users and external systems can make updates through the user interface, web services, SuiteScript, and other methods. Each of these methods is a different context. See Understanding the Context for Changes.
NetSuite provides predefined audit trails for many frequently used records. Audit trails are pre-defined searches of system notes, with set filters and results.
-
An audit trail link, available at the top of most list pages, shows system notes for a particular record type. See Viewing an Audit Trail for a Record Type.
-
The audit trail for transaction records is available at Transactions > Management > View Audit Trail. See Using the Transaction Audit Trail.
Also see Auditing Data Changes using Searches.
Many record types also include a History subtab where you can track updates to each record, including line-level changes.
You can use the deleted record search to find details about deleted records. See Searching for Deleted Records.
Auditing Changes to Enabled Features
The Enable Features page (Setup > Company > Enable Features) indicates which features are currently enabled for use in a NetSuite account. Even though there's no System Notes tab, the page still supports system notes.
To track system notes for the Enable Features page, create a saved search and choose the Enable Feature filter for the Record Type field of the search. Run this search regularly to track changes to enabled features.
The Enable Features page includes a link to an Audit Trail page. You'll find it in the More list in the upper right of the page. See Auditing Account Preferences.
Auditing Changes to Configuration Settings
Changes to general configuration settings that have a financial impact are logged in system notes. System notes cover such areas as company information, general preferences, accounting lists, and tax setup.
For a list of the specific pages covered, see System Notes for Changes to Configuration and Setup Pages.
The Company Information page (Setup > Company > Company Information) has a System Notes subtab. Most other configuration pages don't have this tab.
To get system notes for these pages, create a system note saved search and set a filter for the Record Type field of the search. For example, for system notes for the Company Information page, choose the Company Information filter. For the General Preferences and Accounting Preferences pages, choose the Company Preferences filter. For an accounting list, set a filter that matches the name of that list.
The General Preferences and Accounting Preferences configuration pages include a link to an Audit Trail page. You'll find the link in the More list in the upper right of the page. See Auditing Account Preferences.
Tracking Roles and Permissions
You can use searches to return details about role and permission assignments in your NetSuite account.
System Notes
-
NetSuite offers a simple role search to find specific roles or view role details. For information about running simple searches, see Defining a Simple Search.
-
You can use the SuiteScript Search APIs to create and automate role searches. For more information see N/search Module.
-
You can create advanced employee and role record saved searches to find information about roles and permissions. For example, you can verify permissions for a role, or for an employee and their role. For information about auditing permissions, see Use Searches to Audit Roles and Use Searches to Audit Permissions By Employee.
-
A History subtab on the Access tab of the Employee record shows changes to roles and global permissions assignments for the employee. The History subtab shows the date and time, user, and description for each change.
-
NetSuite offers a feature to compare the differences in permissions between roles. See Showing Role Permission Differences.
-
System notes for roles and permissions only track changes related to primary fields and doesn't capture change information made on available tabs.
System Notes v2
-
You can access System Notes v2 for roles and permissions by clicking System Notes in the upper right of the Role page.
-
For information about System Notes v2, see System Notes v2 Overview.
-
For more information about System Notes v2 for roles and permissions, see Viewing System Notes v2.
Auditing Changes to Customization Objects
See the following for tips for tracking changes to customizations in your account:
Custom Lists, Custom Records, and Custom Transactions
Each custom list definition page has a History subtab and a System Notes subtab. The main difference between the tabs is that the System Notes subtab includes the context for changes.
Each custom record type definition page also has a History subtab and a System Notes subtab. The System Notes subtab has additional fields, and the History subtab includes Notes.
-
To include system notes fields in a custom record type search, you can select them on the Results tab of the saved search definition page.
-
To create a system note saved search that returns system notes for a custom record type, choose the record type name as a filter for the Record Type field of the search.
Custom transaction type definition pages don't have a History subtab or System Notes subtab.
-
To include system notes fields in a custom transaction type search, select them on the Results tab of the saved search definition page.
-
To search for a custom transaction type, create a Transaction search and set the Type field to the specific custom transaction type.
-
To create a system note saved search that returns system notes for all transactions, including custom transaction types, choose the Transaction filter for the Record Type field of the search.
Custom Fields
Custom field definition pages for most types of custom fields have a History subtab and a System Notes subtab, both of which are displayed under History. These two subtabs have a few differences in their fields.
For security reasons, system notes for fields with encrypted stored values mask old and new field values, displaying asterisks only.
History and system notes are supported for different types of custom fields, including entity, item, transaction body, transaction column, transaction item option, and others.
Currently, history and system notes aren't supported for custom item number fields or custom segments.
Custom Forms
Each custom form definition page has a History subtab. For each change, this subtab lists the date and time, user, type of change, and notes.
History is supported on custom entry forms, custom transaction forms, and custom address forms.
SuiteScripts
Script and script deployment record activity is logged on the System Notes subtab.
Each system note for script or script deployment changes includes the following information:
-
Date when the change was made
-
Who made the change
-
Context for the change (for example, UI)
-
Type of change, for example, Edit
-
Field changed
-
Old value
-
New value
Script and script deployment records created before 2016.2 have a History subtab and a System Notes subtab. The History subtab lists logged activity that occurred before 2016.2, and the information about this subtab is no longer updated.
During script execution, a detailed log is generated when either a script encounters an error, or when the N/log Module is used. See Using the Script Execution Log Tab and Setting Script Execution Log Levels.
You can view the current and past runtime statuses of all SuiteScript scheduled scripts in your account. See Scheduled Script Status Page. A similar page monitors the status of map/reduce scripts. See Map/Reduce Script Status Page.
You can view a list of all record types with associated user event or global client scripts in your account. See The Scripted Records Page.
You can manage script file changes outside of NetSuite using the source control management system used by script developers.
Plug-in Implementations
Plug-in implementation record activity is tracked on the System Notes subtab.
System notes also track changes to Custom GL Lines Plug-in configuration changes.
Each system note for a change to a plug-in implementation includes the following information:
-
Date when the change was made
-
Who made the change
-
Context for the change (for example, UI)
-
Type of change, for example, Edit
-
Field changed
-
Old value
-
New value
Plug-in implementation records created before 2016.2 have a History subtab and a System Notes subtab. The History subtab lists logged activity that occurred before 2016.2, and the information about this subtab is no longer updated.
Workflows
The Workflow Manager in NetSuite includes information about changes to the workflow definition. For more information, see Workflow Definition Page History Subtab. You can view workflow history statistics and delete workflow instances and history records on the Workflow History Record Statistics dialog. When you delete workflow instances and history records, the event is logged on the Workflow Definition Page History subtab. The user who initiated the deletion receives an email confirming that the deletion is complete. See Deleting Workflow Instances and History Records. Additionally, you can choose to save workflow instances and history records for workflows.
You can specify whether workflow instances and history records are saved for workflows. You can enable the Only When Testing option to generate workflow history records only when the Release Status is set to Testing. See Disabling History for a Workflow.
You can run a search to get a list of completed or in-progress workflow instances for one or more workflow definitions. See Workflow Instance Search. You can search system notes to check for workflow changes. For more information about workflow changes in system notes search results, see Workflow Definition Page History Subtab.
To track actions and transitions that workflow performs on a record for each state, you can enable logging. For more information, see Workflow Execution Log. You can choose to delete history records from the database after the workflow finishes or is canceled. For more information, see Workflow History Subtab.
You can use workflow revisions to track the nature and number of changes made to a workflow. You can track workflow revisions on the Workflow Definition Page History subtab, and through system note searches with the Revision column. For details about the revision changes tracked on the Workflow Definition Page History subtab, see Workflow Definition Page History Subtab. For information about workflow definition revisions, see Workflow Revisions.
Customized Reports and Saved Searches
You can use the Analytics Audit Trail search to view changes to the definitions of saved searches, custom reports, report schedules, and financial report layouts. See Audit Trail Search.
Information about running saved searches is available in the saved search Execution Log and the Saved Searches list. See Auditing Saved Search Execution.
Tracking User Logins
You can use the Login Audit Trail to keep track of user logins and locations. See Login Audit Trail Overview. This specialized search also tracks tokens associated to users, for accounts that use token-based authentication. See Troubleshoot Token-based Authentication (TBA).
System Notes track password change information for employee, customer, vendor, partner, and prospect records. The system notes include details about who made the change, when, and the type of change. Examples of change types include USER_CHANGE, USER_RESET, EXPIRED, ADMIN_SET, GENERATED, and others.
If a user has access to roles in different NetSuite accounts, the password changes are also tracked in those accounts. For more information, see Password Changes Are Logged in System Notes on Entity Records.
Tracking Emails
The Sent Email List shows all email sent from your account. You can view both email that was delivered successfully and undelivered email.
The Sent Email feature tracks the following details for all outbound email:
-
Send date and sender (From)
-
Recipients (To/Cc/Bcc), message ID, subject
-
Email delivery status per recipient
For more information about how you can view the Sent Email List, incorporate new saved searches, and schedule saved searches, see Using the Sent Email List.
Tracking Key Financial Record Audit Trails
See the following for tips for tracking changes to key financial records:
General Transaction Audit Trail
NetSuite tracks every transaction change, including when a user creates, changes, or deletes a transaction. This data includes details about users involved, their actions, roles, the date and time of changes, affected accounts, and the amount after the change. This historical data may be referred to as system notes, audit trail, or history. NetSuite offers several ways to view historical details about changes made to transaction records. For more information, see the following help topics:
Tracking Transaction Deletion
The deleted record search type lets you find details about records that have been deleted. To search for deleted transactions, choose the Transaction filter for the Record Type field of the search. For more information, see Searching for Deleted Records.
In some countries, you're legally required to provide a reason whenever you delete a transaction. The Use Deletion Reason feature helps you meet this requirement and record the reason for deleting a transaction. The field that tracks deletion reasons is also available to SuiteScript and web services. For details, see Recording a Reason for Deleting a Transaction.
Tracking Revenue Recognition Changes
System notes are available for advanced revenue management records, including revenue arrangements, revenue elements, revenue recognition rules, revenue recognition plans, and advanced revenue setup records. For details, see Change Information for Revenue Recognition Records.
Tracking Changes to Items
An audit trail link is available on the Items list page. This link takes you to a simple search page where you can search for items by old or new values, as well as by other field values.
Each item record has a System Information subtab that includes system notes, a list of active workflows, and workflow history.
Tracking Changes to Journal Entries
Each journal entry record has a System Information subtab with system notes, a list of active workflows, and workflow history.
Tracking Changes to Projects
An audit trail link is available on the Projects list page. This link takes you to a simple search page where you can search for items by old or new values, as well as by other field values.
Each project record has a System Information subtab that includes system notes, a list of active workflows, and workflow history.
Tracking GL Audit Numbering
The GL Audit Numbering Sequences page shows general ledger audit numbering information specific to the accounting period in which the sequence was run, even if the period is closed. Each numbering sequence is saved as a separate record with a maintained history. You can also create a GL numbering sequence from the GL Audit Numbering Sequences page. For details, see Viewing GL Audit Numbering Sequences.
You can customize financial reports including the Trial Balance, Balance Sheet, and Income Statement to include or exclude general ledger audit numbered transactions. You can also filter transactions on reports through the GL Audit Number field. For details, see Reports and Saved Searches.
System-Generated Journal for NetSuite OneWorld
NetSuite provides a system-generated, read-only journal. This journal represents the general ledger impact of payments that are at different states of completeness in your system.
To view system journals, on the bill payment record, click the Related Records subtab. Choose the number associated with the system journal you want to view. You must have at least View level of the Make Journal Entry permission to view system journals.
For additional information about system-generated journals, see System-Generated Journals for Payments.