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Uploading Files to NetSuite File Cabinet

Learn how to upload files to NetSuite's File Cabinet using Abstra connectors.

Prerequisites​

  • NetSuite connector configured with fileCabinet resource enabled
  • Basic Python knowledge

Basic File Upload​

Upload a file with minimal configuration:

from abstra.connectors import run_connection_action
import base64

# Read and encode file
with open("document.pdf", "rb") as f:
    file_content = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

# Upload to NetSuite
result = run_connection_action(
    "netsuite",
    "add_file",
    {
        "name": "document.pdf",
        "content": file_content,
        "fileType": "PDF"
    }
)

file_id = result['data']['id']
print(f"✓ Uploaded file ID: {file_id}")

Upload to Specific Folder​

# Upload to SuiteScripts folder
result = run_connection_action(
    "netsuite",
    "add_file",
    {
        "name": "my_script.js",
        "content": file_content,
        "fileType": "JAVASCRIPT",
        "folder": {"name": "SuiteScripts"}
    }
)

# Upload to SuiteFiles (default)
result = run_connection_action(
    "netsuite",
    "add_file",
    {
        "name": "report.xlsx",
        "content": file_content,
        "fileType": "EXCEL",
        "folder": {"name": "SuiteFiles"}  # Optional - this is the default
    }
)

Supported File Types​

File TypeParameter ValueExtensions
PDFPDF.pdf
ExcelEXCEL.xls, .xlsx
WordWORD.doc, .docx
Plain TextPLAINTEXT.txt
JavaScriptJAVASCRIPT.js
CSVCSV.csv
PNG ImagePNGIMAGE.png
JPEG ImageJPGIMAGE.jpg, .jpeg

Best Practices​

File Naming​

Use descriptive names with dates:

from datetime import datetime

# Good naming
filename = f"invoice_vendor123_{datetime.now().strftime('%Y%m%d')}.pdf"
filename = f"report_q4_2025_final.xlsx"

# Avoid generic names
# ❌ "document.pdf"
# ❌ "file1.xlsx"

Error Handling​

Always wrap uploads in try-except:

import base64

def upload_file_safely(file_path, file_type):
    try:
        with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
            content = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

        # Check file size (10MB limit)
        size_mb = len(content) * 0.75 / (1024 * 1024)
        if size_mb > 10:
            return {"error": f"File too large: {size_mb:.2f}MB (max 10MB)"}

        result = run_connection_action(
            "netsuite",
            "add_file",
            {
                "name": file_path.split('/')[-1],
                "content": content,
                "fileType": file_type
            }
        )
        return {"success": True, "file_id": result['data']['id']}

    except FileNotFoundError:
        return {"error": f"File not found: {file_path}"}
    except Exception as e:
        return {"error": f"Upload failed: {str(e)}"}

# Usage
result = upload_file_safely("invoice.pdf", "PDF")
if "error" in result:
    print(f"❌ {result['error']}")
else:
    print(f"✓ Uploaded: {result['file_id']}")

Batch Uploads​

Upload multiple files:

import os
import base64
from pathlib import Path

def upload_directory(directory_path, file_type="PDF"):
    uploaded_files = []

    for filename in os.listdir(directory_path):
        if not filename.endswith('.pdf'):
            continue

        file_path = os.path.join(directory_path, filename)

        with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
            content = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

        result = run_connection_action(
            "netsuite",
            "add_file",
            {
                "name": filename,
                "content": content,
                "fileType": file_type
            }
        )

        uploaded_files.append({
            "name": filename,
            "id": result['data']['id']
        })
        print(f"✓ Uploaded: {filename} (ID: {result['data']['id']})")

    return uploaded_files

# Usage
uploaded = upload_directory("./invoices", "PDF")
print(f"\n✓ Uploaded {len(uploaded)} files")

Troubleshooting​

"File size exceeds limit"​

NetSuite SOAP API has a 10MB limit:

import os

file_size_mb = os.path.getsize("large_file.pdf") / (1024 * 1024)
if file_size_mb > 10:
    print(f"❌ File too large: {file_size_mb:.2f}MB")
else:
    # Proceed with upload
    pass

"Invalid file type"​

Ensure file type matches content:

# ✅ Correct
run_connection_action("netsuite", "add_file", {
    "name": "report.pdf",
    "fileType": "PDF"  # Matches .pdf extension
})

# ❌ Incorrect
run_connection_action("netsuite", "add_file", {
    "name": "report.pdf",
    "fileType": "PLAINTEXT"  # Wrong type for PDF
})

Base64 encoding errors​

Always use binary mode:

# ✅ Correct - binary mode "rb"
with open("file.pdf", "rb") as f:
    content = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

# ❌ Incorrect - text mode "r"
with open("file.pdf", "r") as f:
    content = base64.b64encode(f.read()).decode('utf-8')

Next Steps​

Resources​