Multiple selections are split, repeated, or missing
Check the separator and the complete intended set. Routing locations have their own whitespace requirements.
A selection is repeated
Message looks like
There is already an item with that name or name/parent combination
What it means
A multi-select column repeats the same value inside one cell, and NetSuite refuses the duplicate selection.
Import context: General imports.
Check this first
Find the multi-select column and remove any value or internal ID that appears twice in the same cell.
Show the steps
Steps for this error
- Find the multi-select field column in the file.
- Remove values that appear twice in the same cell, including repeated internal IDs.
- Retry one row.
Documentation checked September 16, 2026.
A separator splits an identifier
Message looks like
Multiple values found for a dropdown field that can only take one
What it means
The multi-select delimiter also appears inside a value, often an external ID with special characters, so one value reads as several.
Import context: Inventory items.
Check this first
Set the Custom Multi-Select Value Delimiter in Advanced Options to a character your data never contains.
Show the steps
Steps for this error
- On the import’s Advanced Options, set the Custom Multi-Select Value Delimiter to a character that does not occur inside your values, especially external IDs with special characters.
- Do not use a space or a character your data contains, such as a pipe or slash. A NULL setting behaves like a space.
- Retry one row.
Documentation checked September 16, 2026.
An item update would remove a subsidiary already in use
Message looks like
used on a transaction
What it means
The imported subsidiary list may replace the existing selections and leave out a subsidiary needed by earlier transactions.
Import context: Item records.
Check this first
Prepare the complete intended set in one multi-select cell, including subsidiaries that must remain. Check the separator and mapping. Do not solve this by changing the historical transactions.
Show the steps
Steps for this error
- Subsidiary is a multi-select field: list every subsidiary the item should keep in one cell, separated by the configured delimiter, rather than only the one being added.
- Map the item name to Item Name/Number and the combined value to Subsidiary.
- Retry one item and confirm no existing subsidiary was dropped.
Documentation checked September 16, 2026.
Routing locations need a separator or subsidiary check
Message looks like
Invalid location reference key
What it means
A routing location cannot be matched: a typo, a location outside the routing's subsidiary, or spaces around the multi-select delimiter.
Import context: Manufacturing routings.
Check this first
Check the location spelling and subsidiary, and remove spaces around the delimiter for multiple locations.
Show the steps
Steps for this error
- Check the location value for a typo.
- Confirm the location is valid for the routing’s subsidiary.
- For several locations, check the multi-select formatting: spaces around the delimiter cause this error.
- Retry one routing.
If that looks right
The routing-specific documentation warns about spaces around the multi-select separator. Check the accepted format for this routing import. Keep actual identifiers intact.
Documentation checked September 16, 2026.
Related errors
- NetSuite cannot identify the record to import
- NetSuite says the record already exists
- NetSuite cannot match an item in a CSV import
- The item unit or record type does not match
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