This article is relevant if you are working with NetSuite and you need to be able to be logged in to work in multiple accounts or work both in the Sandbox and Production at the same time.
Background
Since 2018, NetSuite has been working on expanding its global reach which includes upgrades to more data center capacities. In this effort, they are working to move away from hosting separate domains for sandbox and release preview accounts.
During this migration, sandbox accounts are provisioned by having a new account ID. For example, if your production NetSuite account ID is 884090 then your Sandbox account becomes 884090_SB1. These conventions are not strict and they are controlled by NetSuite. With the new convention, your single production login allows you to switch from your Production account to the Sandbox account via the upper right-hand Roles drop-down menu.
However, when you switch accounts using NetSuite’s Roles dropdown, you are effectively logged out of the account you were previously in. This is even true if you opened NetSuite by launching a separate browser window or tab. Many find this behavior frustrating.
NetSuite Enterprise Login Option
One of our senior consultants recently discovered what appears to be an undocumented feature. As with everything NetSuite undocumented, use this tip with caution as things can change.
You can gain secure access to NetSuite using the following URL by modifying the “c” parameter to target the account ID you wish to log into. For example, if the target account you wish to log into is 4061036, craft the following URL:
https://system.netsuite.com/app/login/secure/enterpriselogin.nl?c=4061036
NetSuite will properly redirect your login page to the correct data center that is associated with that account and then supplies you with a page to log into as normal. Once in, all appears normal.
Use Case Considerations for Multiple NetSuite Login
This feature presents a major opportunity to be both in the new Sandbox and Production account at the same time. However, we consultants that are in our client’s accounts with our own logins can immediately see greater productivity — we finally can open many browser tabs and quickly switch between multiple production, sandbox and release preview accounts. I like that!
In my testing of this valuable feature, it appears to work if you are in the same browser. For example, I use Chrome. But at times, I use the Brave web browser instead. The feature will log you out of the previous browser if you log in with a new browser.
Note, in my understanding of NetSuite data center migration and watching how the NetSuite SuiteApp evolution is unfolding, NetSuite plans to target having the account ID in the domain name in addition to the “c” URL query parameter (i.e., <account ID>.<service>.netsuite.com) . Thus, I suspect we will see a transition of the way this feature works in due course.
Addendum September 6, 2018
It appears I may be mistaken. This feature works if the target account is on a different domain than the one that you are currently logged into. Thus the adage, “your mileage may vary” comes to mind.
Increase your NetSuite Productivity
I suspect this tip will help many in the NetSuite community and I am grateful for members on my professional services team that hold our high standards for care as they work to satisfy our clients’ ongoing NetSuite enhancement and support requirements. Perhaps you would like to get closer to us and work together? If so, let’s have a conversation.
I use Google Chrome’s multiple user profiles feature to access my production and sandbox accounts simultaneously and find it to work well.
Obviously as a consultant/developer having an individual Chrome profile for each client(and each environment) you have would be unworkable (e.g. bookmarks aren’t shared, you can move tabs between different profiles’ windows), but it’s quite handy for the in-house admin
Thank you David for the suggestion. Good to remember the profile feature on browsers.
Marty