The quick answer
Use Show Role Differences to compare a base role with another role, enable Only Show Differences, and inspect the resulting permission row. Then open the compared role under Manage Roles and verify the corresponding permission without saving changes.
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
You need permission to view role definitions and access to Show Role Differences. Identify the base role, the role being reviewed, and the permission you want to compare; this guide uses Procurement Clerk, Procurement Coordinator - West, and Purchase Order as example values. The comparison requires the Bulk Manage Roles permission.
01. Open Show Permission Differences Between Roles
Go to Setup > Users/Roles > Show Role Differences. The expanded Users/Roles menu displays Show Role Differences alongside Manage Roles. Select it to open the comparison form.
02. Choose the two roles
On Show Permission Differences Between Roles, set Base Role to Procurement Clerk and Compare To to Procurement Coordinator - West. Keep Only Show Differences enabled so matching permissions are excluded from the results. Select Show after reviewing the role selections.
03. Read the permission difference
The Role Permission Differences result shows Purchase Order under Transactions. In this displayed comparison, Procurement Clerk has Edit while Procurement Coordinator - West has View. This identifies a role-definition difference; it doesn't prove that a particular user can or can't complete a specific action.
04. Inspect the custom role permission
Open Manage Roles and inspect Procurement Coordinator - West. On the role form, review Permissions > Transactions and locate Purchase Order. The displayed level is View, matching the comparison; don't change the value or select Save.
Check the result
- The comparison result is titled Role Permission Differences.
- The Purchase Order row shows Edit for Procurement Clerk and View for Procurement Coordinator - West.
- The custom role form shows Purchase Order with level View, and no permission change is saved.
Common questions
How do I compare two NetSuite roles?
Go to Setup > Users/Roles > Show Role Differences, select the base role and the role to compare, then select Only Show Differences and click Show. The page and available roles can vary by account features, role permissions, and user access.
What does Only Show Differences do?
It filters the results to permissions whose settings differ between the selected roles. Matching permissions are hidden; it does not identify which setting is appropriate or change either role.
Where do I locate a permission difference, such as Purchase Order?
Use the comparison results to identify the permission and levels—for example, Edit in one role and View in the other. Then go to Setup > Users/Roles > Manage Roles, open the relevant role, select Permissions > Transactions, and inspect the permission without saving changes.
Does comparing roles prove that a user has or lacks access?
No. It identifies differences between role definitions only. Effective access can also depend on the user’s assigned roles, subsidiaries, restrictions, enabled features, custom permissions, forms, and account configuration; test the specific action under the affected role before drawing a conclusion.