Simple Connect Documentation

Overview

Simple Connect is the simple way to export NetSuite Saved Searches into external software via REST. After setting up a Simple Connect User and a Simple Connect Search record, users can quickly and easily export the data they need.

Getting Started

Creating a Simple Connect User

  1. Log in to NetSuite.
  2. Navigate to Setup > Simple Connect > New Simple Connect User.
  3. Set NetSuite User Account to the employee who will use this account.
  4. The user will receive an email to complete the setup process.
  5. Set the Simple Connect Username.
  6. Choose a memorable username.
  7. Click Invite User.
  8. The employee will receive an email with a setup link. Click this link.
  9. On the Complete Simple Connect User Setup screen, set the Simple Connect Password.
  10. Password entry will be visible (not hidden), so be careful during screen sharing.
  11. Click Submit.

If the email isn't received, navigate to Setup > Company > Sent Email List to find the email.

Setting Up a Saved Search for Simple Connect

When creating a search that will be used with SimpleConnect, a ROWKEY must be created in the results column that uniquely identifies the row. Without this, you risk rows being dropped when pulling into Excel as the tool will consider rows with the same ROWKEY to be duplicates. For a search that returns one row per record, the ROWKEY can simply be the records internal id. For more complex searches, you may need to create a more complex ROWKEY to keep them unique. See examples below.

Example: Single Record per Row (e.g., Non-Inventory items)

  1. Navigate to Lists > Saved Searches > New.
  2. Select Item.
  3. Name the search (suggested prefix: SC).
  4. Set the search as Public.
  5. Add the first Criteria filter as:
  6. Formula Numeric: {internalid}
  7. Condition: Greater than
  8. Value: 0
  9. Add other desired criteria (e.g., Type is Non-inventory).
  10. Navigate to Results tab.
  11. First SORT BY field:
  12. Formula Numeric: {internalid}
  13. First result row:
  14. Formula Number: {internalid}
  15. Custom Label: ROWKEY

  16. Add additional result rows as needed. image

  17. Save the search.

Example: Multiple Rows per Record (e.g., Sales Order lines)

Use the same steps as above, but for the formula:

  • Formula example for multiple lines:
({internalid}*10000) + TO_NUMBER({line})

Set this formula for both the criteria and the ROWKEY in results.

Setting Up the Simple Connect Search Record

  1. Navigate to Setup > Simple Connect > Simple Connect Search > New.
  2. Populate the Saved Search field with the created search.
  3. Add Simple Connect Users to the sublist and assign the execution role.
  4. Save the record.
  5. A URL will populate for accessing search data.

Access Simple Connect via Excel

  1. Open Excel.
  2. Navigate to the Data tab.
  3. Click Get Data > From Other Sources > From Web.
  4. Paste the URL from the Simple Connect Search record.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Choose Basic on the authentication screen.
  7. Enter your Simple Connect username and password.
  8. Click Connect.
  9. Once data preview appears, click Load.

Tips for Simple Connect in Excel

Rename queries to match data clearly:

  • Double-click 'Queries', rename under 'Properties'. image

Updating search results:

  • Double-click your query to open the power query editor.
  • Remove 'Changed Type' and 'Promoted Headers'. image

  • Under "Applied Steps", click on Source and check the contents in this step. image

    The contents should look something like this:

    = Csv.Document(Web.Contents("https://examplesimpleconnecturl.com"),[Delimiter=",", Columns=20, Encoding=65001, QuoteStyle=QyoteStyle.None])

    If this step is specifying a format (delimiter, columns, etc.), this can all get removed. Modify the step so that it looks like this:

    = Csv.Document(Web.Contents("https://examplesimpleconnecturl.com"))

  • Click Refresh.

  • After refresh, click Use First Row as Headers.
  • If the power query is still using the old headers, delete Changed Type under "Applied Steps" again.
  • Click on Promoted Headers and refresh the query again.
  • Click Close & Load.

Sharing your excel document with another SimpleConnect User

  • The user will need to authenticate within excel to access the connection using their own SimpleConnect credentials

  • Under the data tab navigate to Get Data—>Data Source Settings...

    image

  • On the Data Source Settings page that appears, right-click on the connection string and click Edit Permissions

    image

  • This will bring up the edit permissions dialog, from here, click Edit...

    image

  • This will bring up the authentication screen. Typically this appears when the user first opens the document, but this is another way to get to this page.

    image

  • This should be set to "Basic". The username will be the SimpleConnect username, and the password will be the password the user generated using the email link that was sent when their account was created.

    • **Note: ** The user must be set up as a SimpleConnect user and be added to the applicable SimpleConnect searches. See Getting Started for information on user setup.
  • Following these steps should allow the user to successfully connect and pull data using the shared document.

Access Simple Connect via REST

  • Make a GET request to the URL provided in the Simple Connect Search record.
  • Authentication: Use Basic Auth with your username and password.
  • Results returned in CSV format.