The quick answer
Check a Narrative Insights summary in two passes. First, match every amount it quotes to a row on the Income Statement. Second, read what each sentence says the amount belongs to, because a right number in the wrong place still passes the first pass. In this example the narrative says total expenses of $206,685.25 were "primarily driven by" $214,380.40 in Cost Of Sales. Both figures are real report lines, but on the standard Income Statement Cost Of Sales is its own section above Gross Profit, and Gross Profit less Total - Expense equals Net Ordinary Income, so Total - Expense doesn't include it. Fix the sentence before you share the text.
The screenshots show sample data. Person and operating-company names are fictional. Use your own records and values when following the steps.
Before you start
Narrative Insights has to be enabled under Setup > Company > AI Preferences, on the Narrative Insights subtab. It draws on a usage limit shown in that area, and what you get can vary by account and release, so check yours. You also need access to the Income Statement itself. Customized financial reports aren't supported, so this walkthrough uses the standard Income Statement.
Generate Insight writes about the report as it's displayed: the period, the subsidiary context, and the column. Set those first and click Refresh. If you change a filter afterward, refresh and generate the narrative again, because an existing summary doesn't update itself.
The narrative is AI-generated and can contain wrong figures, wrong attributions, or both. Generating it again can also change the wording, so check the exact version you plan to share. Section names and layout can differ by report and release. The screenshots show what this account displayed. The Generate Insight button and its wait message are labeled the way they appear here, so look for them by name if your release moves them.
01. Set the period and refresh
Go to Reports > Financial > Income Statement. The report opens on Aug 2026 only. To summarize January through August, change From in the footer to Jan 2026 and leave To at Aug 2026. Leave Subsidiary Context and Column as they are for this example, then click Refresh. Period reads Custom once the report covers the new range.
02. Read the key lines first
Before you generate anything, read the lines the narrative is likely to quote. Here Total - Income is $525,150.00, of which 4000 - Product Sales is $486,250.00. Total - Cost Of Sales is $214,380.40, which leaves Gross Profit of $310,769.60. Total - Expense is $206,685.25, with 6100 - Salaries & Wages the largest line at $142,600.00. Net Ordinary Income and Net Income are both $104,084.35. Having these in your head first is what makes the next steps quick.
03. Generate the narrative
Click Generate Insight in the footer, next to Refresh and Customize. The button is unavailable while the window shows "Please wait while your summary is being prepared," which here says it could take up to 30 seconds.
When it finishes, Narrative Insights opens beside the report with Executive Summary, Top 5 Findings, Key Risks, and Key Opportunities. Below those sections the window has a Was this Insight helpful? line and a notice that the content is generated by AI and can make mistakes. In the screenshots the window is shorter than its content, so those last lines sit below the visible part. That notice is a warning. It doesn't tell you the summary was checked.
04. Match each figure to a report line
Keep the report next to the narrative and walk the amounts one at a time. Net income of $104,084.35 in the Executive Summary matches the Net Income row. In Top 5 Findings, $486,250.00 of $525,150.00 matches 4000 - Product Sales and Total - Income, $310,769.60 matches Gross Profit, and $142,600.00 matches 6100 - Salaries & Wages. Every amount here is a real report line. If one weren't, you'd already have found the problem.
05. Check what each sentence claims
Matching amounts is necessary, but it doesn't finish the job. Now read what each sentence says the amount belongs to. Watch phrases like "driven by," "largest," "majority," and "increased." In the Executive Summary, the narrative says total expenses reached $206,685.25, "primarily driven by" $214,380.40 in Cost Of Sales and $142,600.00 in 6100 - Salaries & Wages.
Look at the report. Total - Cost Of Sales (214,380.40) is its own section above Gross Profit, and it's larger than Total - Expense (206,685.25). A part can't be larger than the total it's supposed to drive. The numbers are right and the sentence is wrong.
06. Confirm it with the report's arithmetic
On the standard Income Statement layout, Gross Profit is Total - Income less Total - Cost Of Sales, and Net Ordinary Income is Gross Profit less Total - Expense. Here 310,769.60 less 206,685.25 is 104,084.35, which is the Net Ordinary Income row. If Total - Expense included Cost Of Sales, that subtraction wouldn't work. Scope this to the layout on screen. A customized report or a different row hierarchy can present sections differently.
Check the result
- Every amount in the narrative matches a row on the report for Jan 2026 to Aug 2026.
- The sentence tying $214,380.40 of Cost Of Sales to total expenses is the one that fails.
- Gross Profit $310,769.60 less Total - Expense $206,685.25 equals Net Ordinary Income $104,084.35.
Now fix the sentence before you share it. For example: "Cost of sales was 214,380.40, and operating expenses were 206,685.25, led by salaries and wages of 142,600.00." Keep the period and subsidiary context with the copied text so a reader knows what it covers.
This report covers one stretch of months with no comparison column, so it can't back up words like "increased" or "declined". For a trend you need a comparison column or a prior period. Here Net Income equals Net Ordinary Income, but that's this example's result. Other income or expense on your report can separate them.
Common questions
Can a Narrative Insights summary be wrong when every number matches the report?
Yes. Each amount can be a real report line while the sentence around it puts the amount in the wrong place. Here $214,380.40 is Total - Cost Of Sales, but the narrative describes it as driving a $206,685.25 expense total. Check the figures first, then check what each sentence says they belong to.
Is Cost Of Sales included in Total - Expense on the NetSuite Income Statement?
Not on the standard layout used here. Cost Of Sales has its own section above Gross Profit, and Total - Expense comes after it. Gross Profit less Total - Expense equals Net Ordinary Income, which confirms they're separate. A customized report or different row structure can change this, so check the report you actually run.
Does Generate Insight use the filters I set on the report?
It summarizes the report as it's displayed, so set the period, subsidiary context, and column and click Refresh first. If you change a filter afterward, refresh and generate the narrative again. An existing summary doesn't update itself.
What should I check before sharing an AI-generated income statement summary?
Match every quoted amount to the exact report row, then test each claim about how the amounts relate. Be careful with "driven by," "largest," "majority," and "increased." Recompute Gross Profit and Net Ordinary Income from the report, and keep the period and subsidiary context with the text you share.
Do I need to generate the narrative again if the wording changes?
Generating it again can produce different wording even when the report hasn't changed. So check the version you intend to share and don't carry a check across versions.
Where is the Generate Insight button, and why might it be unavailable?
In this account it sits in the report footer next to Refresh and Customize. It's unavailable while the summary is being prepared. It may also be unavailable if Narrative Insights is disabled, the monthly usage limit is used up, or the report isn't a supported standard one. Check Setup > Company > AI Preferences and the remaining allowance. Placement and labels can vary by release.