If a user updates a phone number in the NetSuite UI almost any format is accepted. However, if a user attempts to update a phone number via SOAP web services (ie through an app like CloudExtend) NetSuite performs a different validation and may reject your format. This article will explain the formats required by NetSuite as well as a suggested workaround if your format is rejected.
When CloudExtend is used to add/update a Contact record the following validations are performed to be consistent with NetSuite's own field level validations for updates via SOAP web services.
Main Phone | No validation required as NetSuite itself does not perform any validations
Mobile | Must be entered in the following formats:999-999-9999, 1-999-999-9999, (999) 999-9999, 1(999) 999-9999 or 999-999-9999 ext 9999
Home Phone | Must be entered in the following formats:999-999-9999, 1-999-999-9999, (999) 999-9999, 1(999) 999-9999 or 999-999-9999 ext 9999
Office Phone | Must be entered in the following formats:999-999-9999, 1-999-999-9999, (999) 999-9999, 1(999) 999-9999 or 999-999-9999 ext 9999
See the steps below to skip the NetSuite validation for home phone, mobile phone, and office phone, allowing all phone numbers for saving contact records.
NetSuite Prerequisites
Permission Settings
Permissions set to FULL for the following fields for the user role:
Custom Entity Fields
Custom Entry Forms
Custom Fields
Create Custom Fields
Step 1: In NetSuite, go to Customization> Lists, Records & Fields> Entity Fields and create the 3 fields below (or just the one you need).
Home Phone (Custom)
Mobile Phone (Custom)
Office Phone (Custom)
Step 2: To validate if the new custom fields exist in the Contact form. Go to List> Relationships> Contacts > New
Step 3: In the sub list, go to the Custom tab and the custom fields should be added to the form.
Create NetSuite Custom Workflow
This workflow will copy the value from the custom field to your actual phone field whenever a record is saved.
Step 1: Go to Customization> Workflow> Workflows> New
(1) Record Type: Contact
(2) Name: <Preferred Custom Name>
(3) ID: _ + <Preferred ID Name>
(4) Release Status: Testing
- Change to Release after testing
(5) Initiation: Event Based
(6) Event Definition:
- Check On Create
- On View or Update
(7) Trigger Type: Before Record Submit
(8) Event Type:
- Create
- Edit
(9) Contexts: SOAP Web Services
Step 2: Double-click on the box then New Action and select Set Field Value.
Step 3: Populate the fields below:
(1) ID: _ + <Field ID>
(2) Trigger On: Before Record Submit
(3) Events Type:
- Create
- Edit
(4) Contexts: SOAP Web Services
(5) Field: Set Native Field
(6) From Field> Field > Set Custom Field
Step 4: Repeat step 2 depending on how many custom fields needed to be set. In the example below, three custom fields are created so I need to create one action for each custom field.
Adding Custom fields in CloudExtend Outlook
Step 1: Click the three dots then select Settings.
Step 2: Clear the Cache. Your profile will be logged out of CloudExtend, log back in.
Step 3: Click the + sign and select Contact the configure the fields to be used in the CloudExtend Contact form.
Step 4: Customize your field setting then click Update.
Exclude the native fields
Home Phone
Mobile Phone
Office Phone
Add custom fields
Home Phone (Custom)
Mobile Phone (Custom)
Office Phone (Custom)
Creating Contact record with New Phone Number Custom Fields
Now, you are ready to create a contact record using the custom fields via CloudExtend.
Once saved, NetSuite will save the record and the custom fields will be under the Custom tab containing the phone numbers values.
⚠️ Note: Ensure that the Workflow release status is set to Release.
