ExtendSync provides four methods for saving Outlook emails to NetSuite:
One-Time Save
Thread-Based Autopilot
Email Address-Based Autopilot
Global Autopilot
The right method depends on whether you need to save one message, follow a specific conversation, capture ongoing communication with a person, or automate email synchronization across your organization.
Autopilot availability: Thread-Based Autopilot, Email Address-Based Autopilot, and Global Autopilot require ExtendSync Enterprise Edition.
đĽ Watch the video or continue reading below to learn how and when to use each method effectively.
đ§ 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 â save it.
If not, leave it out to avoid unnecessary clutter.
Compare the Email-Saving Methods
Method | Best for | How it works | Configured by |
One-Time Save | One email or an isolated conversation | Saves the selected email to one or more NetSuite records | End user |
Thread-Based Autopilot | A conversation tied to a specific transaction or business process | Saves the selected email and future replies in the same conversation | End user |
Email Address-Based Autopilot | Ongoing communication with a specific person | Saves eligible incoming and outgoing emails involving the selected email address | End user |
Global Autopilot | Organization-wide email automation | Applies administrator-defined rules to emails for enrolled users and shared mailboxes | Administrator |
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.
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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.
Thread-based Autopilot
Available with Enterprise Edition
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.
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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
Available with Enterprise Edition
Tracks and syncs all emails to/from a specific address to selected NetSuite records â 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.
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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 â even if handled by different CSMs over time.
â ď¸ Caution:
Be selective when enabling Email AddressâBased Autopilot. Every email exchanged with that address, even unrelated ones, will sync to NetSuite.
Global Autopilot â
Global Autopilot allows administrators to configure organization-wide email synchronization from the CloudExtend Admin Portal.
Unlike Thread-Based and Email Address-Based Autopilot, Global Autopilot does not require end users to create individual associations.
Administrators can:
Select participating users and shared mailboxes.
Configure email and domain exclusions.
Control how emails match NetSuite records.
Choose what happens when no matching record is found.
Enable Contact auto-creation.
Configure attachment behavior.
Review synchronization logs and retry failed emails.
When Global Autopilot is active, matching emails typically sync within 30â60 seconds of being sent or received.
End users see Global Autopilot enabled by admin in the ExtendSync panel. They can review the applicable rules, but they cannot change or disable them.
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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 â with zero user-side configuration needed.
Global Autopilot and Attachments
Global Autopilot can include email attachments when the administrator enables attachment synchronization and completes the required configuration.
If the organization uses ExtendDocs, attachments can be stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, with secure links available in NetSuite.
Global Autopilot and Shared Mailboxes
Global Autopilot supports shared mailboxes.
Each shared mailbox requires:
An assigned ExtendSync license
A Shared Mailbox Manager
Active Microsoft and NetSuite connections for the assigned manager
The Shared Mailbox Managerâs NetSuite connection is used for synchronization, and that manager appears as the author of emails saved from the shared mailbox.
â ď¸ Practices to Avoid
â Avoid | Why |
Adding your own address or an internal colleagueâs address to Email Address-Based Autopilot | Internal messages involving that address may be saved to the associated NetSuite records. |
Enabling Autopilot without confirming the selected record | Messages may be saved to an unrelated or overly broad record. |
Using Email Address-Based Autopilot for a conversation tied to one transaction | Unrelated messages involving the same address may also be saved. Use Thread-Based Autopilot instead. |
Enabling Global Autopilot without reviewing domain exclusions | Internal messages may be added to NetSuite unnecessarily. |
Enabling overlapping Autopilot associations without coordinating with other users | The same email may be saved more than once. |
Ignoring inactive NetSuite connections | Global Autopilot cannot sync email for an enrolled user without a valid NetSuite connection. |
Leaving an inactive Shared Mailbox Manager assigned | Synchronization for the shared mailbox stops until an eligible manager is assigned. |
Turn Off Autopilot
Thread-Based Autopilot
To stop saving future replies from a conversation:
Open the conversation in Outlook.
Open the ExtendSync add-in.
Go to the Autopilot section.
Click Cancel Autopilot.
Turning off Autopilot does not remove emails already saved in NetSuite.
Email Address-Based Autopilot
To remove an email-address association:
Open ExtendSync.
Go to Menu â Settings â Email Autopilot Associations.
Search for the email address.
Open the matching result.
Remove the appropriate NetSuite record association.
Future emails involving that address will no longer sync to the removed record through that association.
Global Autopilot
End users cannot disable Global Autopilot.
If Global Autopilot enabled by admin appears in ExtendSync, contact your CloudExtend administrator to review or modify the organizationâs configuration.
Diagram
Use this diagram to help you understand our recommended best practices. Your own needs may vary, but we've found this to be a common starting ground.
Quick Decision Guide
Use One-Time Save when:
You need to save only the selected email.
You do not need future replies to sync automatically.
Use Thread-Based Autopilot when:
The conversation relates to a specific transaction or process.
You want future replies from that conversation to remain together.
Use Email Address-Based Autopilot when:
Most communication with one person should be available in NetSuite.
The messages belong on an entity-level record.
Use Global Autopilot when:
Your organization needs consistent, administrator-managed automation.
Users should not need to configure individual associations.
Your organization needs centralized exclusions, matching rules, logs, or shared-mailbox automation.
What to Expect
After choosing the appropriate method:
One-Time Save adds only the selected email.
Thread-Based Autopilot continues saving future replies from the same conversation.
Email Address-Based Autopilot saves eligible messages involving the selected email address.
Global Autopilot applies the organizationâs rules to eligible emails for enrolled mailboxes.
Review the associated NetSuite record and confirm that the email appears under Communication â Messages.
Need Help?
If you need help choosing or managing an email-saving method:
Search the CloudExtend Help Center.
Use the in-app messenger.
When contacting Support, include the saving method, affected mailbox, selected NetSuite record, and screenshots when available.