ExtendSync gives users full control over how emails are attached to NetSuite.
This guide explains the differences between One-Time Save, Thread-Based Autopilot, Email Address-Based Autopilot, and Global Autopilot, and when to use each one for best results.
🎥 Watch the video or continue reading below to learn how and when to use each method effectively.
🧠 First Things First
Just because it's easy to add emails to NetSuite doesn't mean every email belongs there.
Before attaching an email, ask yourself:
"Will this information be helpful to others in the organization?"
If the answer is yes — save it.
If not, leave it out to avoid unnecessary clutter.
One-Time method
Attaches one specific email to a NetSuite record.
Ideal for isolated conversations or emails you don't need future replies for.
Gives you full manual control over which emails are visible in NetSuite.
✅ Example Use Case:
A customer sends a one-time inquiry about an invoice, and you want to log that single email to their record without syncing the full reply chain.
Autopilot for Emails
Thread-based Autopilot
Automatically syncs all future replies and responses in an email thread.
Best for transaction-based records that are time-bound, such as:
Estimates
Opportunities
Sales Orders
Keeps related communication organized under one record without syncing unrelated messages.
✅ Example Use Case:
A sales rep is negotiating an opportunity with multiple follow-up replies. Thread-based Autopilot ensures every related message stays attached to that Opportunity record.
Email Address-Based Autopilot
Tracks and syncs all emails to/from a specific address to selected NetSuite records — automatically.
Best for entity-level records (Customers, Contacts, Leads, Prospects).
Ideal for long-term relationships where every email is relevant to the account.
Email Address-based Autopilot (To/From/CC) functionality is limited to the primary folder and the sent folder in your Outlook.
✅ Example Use Case:
A prime example of how we use email Autopilot at CloudExtend lies with our Customer Success team. For each subscription, there is a primary customer contact. That contact's email address is on email Autopilot ensuring every conversation automatically appears in NetSuite — even if handled by different CSMs over time.
⚠️ Caution:
Be selective when enabling Email Address–Based Autopilot. Every email exchanged with that address, even unrelated ones, will sync to NetSuite.
Global Autopilot ⭐
Admin-configured org-wide sync — no end-user setup required.
Best for organizations that want all enrolled users to sync automatically without individual configuration.
Supports shared mailboxes, domain exclusions, auto-create contacts, and attachment sync — all set once by the admin.
End users will see an 'Auto-sync enabled by admin' label in the ExtendSync panel when Global Autopilot is active.
✅ Example Use Case:
An enterprise org has 200 users across multiple departments. The admin enables Global Autopilot once in the portal, sets domain exclusions to block internal email domains, and all enrolled users begin syncing relevant emails to NetSuite automatically — with zero user-side configuration needed.
🏢 Admins: See Admin: Enable & Configure Global Autopilot for setup instructions.
Things to Avoid
❌ Avoid This | 💡 Why |
Adding your own email address or a colleague's email address to Autopilot | This will cause all internal messages to sync to the same record(s). |
Enabling Autopilot without reviewing the record | Ensure that the record type is appropriate (e.g., Customers for address-based, Opportunities for thread-based). |
Enabling Global Autopilot without configuring domain exclusions | Without exclusions, internal email domains may sync to NetSuite, creating clutter. Always set domain exclusion rules before going live with Global Autopilot. |
Allowing the Global Autopilot connection owner token to expire without renewal | If the admin connection owner's token expires, Global Autopilot sync will stop for all enrolled users. Ensure the connection owner keeps their NetSuite session active. |
Canceling Autopilot
Canceling Autopilot is addressed here in our FAQ.
⚠️ Note for Global Autopilot users:
Global Autopilot cannot be turned off by end users.
If you see the 'Global Autopilot enabled by Admin' label, contact your CloudExtend admin to adjust or disable sync.
Diagram
Use this diagram to help understand our recommended best practices. Your own needs may vary, but we've found this to be a common starting ground.
Summary
ExtendSync offers multiple ways to sync emails with NetSuite:
One-Time Save: Manually attaches a single email to a NetSuite record. Best for occasional or one-off emails.
Autopilot (Enterprise): Automatically syncs entire email threads or emails from a specific sender. Ideal for ongoing conversations.
Global Autopilot (Enterprise): Admin-configured org-wide sync. No end-user action required.
Method | Best For | How it Works |
One-Time Save | Saving a single email to a specific record | Manually attach an email to a NetSuite record |
Thread-Based Autopilot | Conversations related to a single transaction | Automatically syncs all replies in the same email thread |
Email Address-Based Autopilot | Ongoing correspondence with a contact, customer, or any entity records | Attaches all emails from a specific email address to a designated NetSuite record |
Global Autopilot ⭐ Enterprise | Org-wide automatic sync for all enrolled users, including shared mailboxes. Configured once by the admin. | Admin sets up domain rules, exclusions, and error handling in the portal. Emails sync automatically for all enrolled users within 30–60 seconds. |