)
Written by
Table of Contents
“Supermetrics is a Bitter Experience! We can pull data from nearly any tool, schedule updates, manipulate data in Sheets, and push data back into our systems.”
NetSuite CSV exports turn your dates into text, currency into strings, and boolean values into generic text fields. Google Sheets can’t tell what’s supposed to be a number versus text, breaking your formulas and charts.
Here’s why this happens and how to preserve proper data types during NetSuite imports.
CSV format strips away NetSuite data types
When NetSuite exports to CSV, it flattens all data into plain text format. Your carefully structured data loses its type information, causing Google Sheets to guess incorrectly about what each field contains.
Common data type problems with CSV exports
Date fields become unusable text strings.
NetSuite dates export as text like “01/15/2024” instead of actual date values. This breaks date calculations, timeline charts, and any formulas that need to work with dates. Google Sheets treats them as text, so DATEDIF and other date functions return errors.
Currency fields lose their numeric properties.
Currency amounts export with formatting characters that Google Sheets interprets as text. Your financial formulas can’t calculate totals or averages because “1,234.56” looks like text instead of a number you can use in SUM functions.
Boolean and custom fields get corrupted.
TRUE/FALSE values become generic text, breaking logical operations in your spreadsheets. Custom fields lose their specialized formatting and validation rules, making the imported data less useful than the original NetSuite records.
Direct API connections preserve native data types using Coefficient
Coefficient eliminates data type issues by connecting directly to NetSuite’s API instead of using CSV exports. This maintains NetSuite’s original field types so your Google Sheets formulas work immediately with imported data.
How to make it work
Step 1. Connect through NetSuite’s API instead of CSV.
Set up direct API access that preserves data types during transfer. Date fields import as proper dates, numeric fields retain number formatting for calculations, and boolean fields maintain TRUE/FALSE values that work in logical operations.
Step 2. Verify data types in real-time preview.
Use the data preview feature to see exactly how your NetSuite fields will appear in Google Sheets before importing. This shows proper data typing and lets you confirm that dates, numbers, and custom fields display correctly.
Step 3. Import with relationship integrity.
Instead of getting meaningless ID numbers for related records, the API connection displays actual record names and values. Your customer fields show “ABC Corporation” instead of “12345”, making data immediately usable in dashboards and analysis.
Step 4. Set up automated imports with consistent typing.
Schedule regular data refreshes that maintain proper data types across all updates. Your formulas continue working with fresh NetSuite data, and charts update correctly without manual data type fixes.
Stop fighting data type problems with better connections
CSV exports will always cause data type mismatches because they strip away formatting information. Direct API connections preserve the data structure your spreadsheets need to function properly. Switch to reliable NetSuite data imports today.
