Understanding the Context for Changes
When viewing data about records, you can view the context for each change. The context describes how the change was made. For instance, changes can be made through the UI, web services, SuiteScript, and other methods. Each method is a type of context. For a full list of contexts, see Available Context Values.
You can view context data in any of the following ways:
-
Each change to a record is typically recorded in a system notes record. This record includes context and other details about the change. To learn how to find system notes records and use the System Notes search type, see Searching System Notes. To learn how to find system notes data using the Audit Trail feature, see Viewing an Audit Trail for a Record Type.
-
When a record is deleted, you can typically view the context for the record’s deletion. You do this using the Deleted Record search type. For more information about this search type, see Searching for Deleted Records.
Context was introduced in Version 2014.2. Before this release, context data wasn't collected. For that reason, you can't see the context for changes made before your account was upgraded to Version 2014.2.
When working with context values, keep the following in mind:
Some Contexts Occur Within Other Contexts
Some context values are more specific and fall under broader categories. For example, UI is a context, but there are also more specific contexts within it. In these cases, the system uses the more specific label. For example:
-
All CSV imports are initiated through the user interface, but a change made by the Import Assistant is labeled as CSV, not UI.
-
If a user does a Mass Update from a mobile device, the context is labeled as Mass Update, not Mobile.
Related Changes May Share a Single Context
Note that if one change triggers another change, the system usually lists the same context for both changes, even if they occurred in different ways. The listed context is the context for the change that started the series of events.
The reason for this behavior is as follows: The system doesn't save a context value for each discrete field change. Rather, the system logs a context value for each operation, such as a save operation, which may include many field changes. However, a System Notes record is created for each field change, and each one needs a context.
The following examples illustrate this concept:
-
A scheduled workflow runs and changes Field A on a record. If this workflow triggers a SuiteScript that changes Field B, both changes are listed as Scheduled Workflow.
-
A user edits a record, triggering a workflow that makes more changes. All changes have the same context, which is UI.
-
The CSV Import Assistant imports a record, which triggers a workflow that makes changes to the new record. The context for all changes is CSV Import.