Module Overview
NetSuite reports display transaction information in real time. You can view summary data, drill down to details, navigate to individual transaction records, and search within reports. Understanding these navigation features helps you quickly find the data you need.
Summary vs. Detail Views
Most NetSuite reports offer two ways to view data: summary (aggregated totals) and detail (individual transactions).
📊 Summary View
Displays aggregated totals grouped by dimension (customer, item, date, etc.)
- High-level overview of data
- Totals and subtotals by group
- Click amounts to drill down
- Best for quick analysis
📋 Detail View
Shows individual transactions that make up the aggregated totals
- Line-by-line transaction list
- Click to open individual records
- Research and audit trail
- Best for investigating specifics
Navigation Flow
→
→
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Click Back
Return to Report
Drill-Down Navigation
🔗 View Detail Link
From the summary view, click View Detail to see all underlying transactions that make up the aggregated total.
- In Summary View, locate the total you want to investigate
- Click View Detail to see all transactions
- Click Back to Summary to return to the overview
💰 Click Amount Values
Click directly on an amount in the summary view to see only the transactions for that specific group.
- In Summary View, click on a specific amount (e.g., $15,000 for Customer A)
- The detail view shows only transactions from that single group
- This is more targeted than "View Detail" which shows all transactions
💡 Example: Sales by Customer Report
You want to review this year's sales transactions for a specific customer.
- Navigate to the Sales by Customer report
- In the summary view, locate your customer in the list
- Click the amount next to that customer's name
- The detail view shows all sales transactions for that customer only
- Click any transaction to open the full record (invoice, sales order, etc.)
- Click Back to return to the report
Using the Find Field
🔍 Search Within Reports
The Find field lets you search for specific text within a report without leaving the page.
- Enter a search term in the Find field
- Press Tab or Enter to activate the filter
- Matching text is highlighted in the report
- Red markers appear in the navigation pane showing where matches are found
- Click a marker to jump to that section of the report
💡 Pro Tip
The Find field is especially helpful for navigating large reports. Instead of scrolling through hundreds of rows, search for the customer, item, or value you need and jump directly to it using the navigation markers.
Drill-Down Balloons
💬 Hover Indicators
When you hover over clickable fields in a report, drill-down balloons appear to indicate what will open when you click.
- Balloons tell you if clicking opens a detail view or a specific record
- This feature is enabled by default
- Can be disabled in Report Options if preferred
Opening Individual Records
📄 From Detail View to Transaction
The detail view provides a convenient way to navigate to and research related transactions.
- In the detail view, locate the transaction you want to open
- Click the transaction number or linked field
- The full transaction record opens
- Click Back in your browser to return to the report
Expand & Collapse Groups
⬆️⬇️ View Levels
Reports with grouped data can be expanded or collapsed to show different levels of detail.
- Up Arrow (↑) — Collapse all groups to see only top-level totals
- Down Arrow (↓) — Expand groups to see subtotals and subgroups
- Continue clicking Down Arrow to expand level by level
- Useful for getting a quick overview vs. detailed breakdown
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Summary View shows aggregated totals; Detail View shows individual transactions
- Click amounts to drill down to transactions for a specific group
- Use the Find field to search and navigate large reports quickly
- Drill-down balloons indicate what opens when you click
- From detail view, click transactions to open the full record
- Expand/Collapse controls let you adjust the level of detail displayed