The quick answer
Open the child, not the parent. In Global Search, use the item prefix, for example it:ridgeline jacket, and click the child whose name ends with the color and size you want. The record shows a Matrix Subitem tag, and Subitem of links to the parent. On Purchasing/Inventory, scroll to Locations and set View to Inventory to see Quantity On Hand, Quantity Committed and Quantity Available at each location. On Related Records, the Transactions list shows the purchase orders, receipts and sales orders for that exact variant. The parent holds no stock, so its own lists answer nothing about the variant.
The screenshots show sample data. Person, company, location and customer names are fictional. Use your own item and locations when following the steps.
Before you start
Example Supply Co. sells the Ridgeline Jacket in two colors and three sizes, so the item is a family: one parent and six children. A customer asks about the Olive jacket in Large. The question has two parts: where is it stocked, and which orders have used that exact variant.
A matrix parent is a placeholder that groups its children. In the usual setup the children hold the inventory and go on sales orders, purchase orders and quotes. That is why the parent can't answer either question. You need the child.
Your role needs access to item records and to the Related Records and Locations subtabs. The columns of the Locations list depend on the view and on the features enabled in the account, so yours can show more or fewer columns than the screenshots. This guide only reads records. It doesn't change anything.
01. Find the item in Global Search
Click Global Search and enter it:ridgeline jacket. The prefix it: limits the results to items. In the account used here, the first result was the parent, Ridgeline Jacket, and below it was one result for each child. The end of a child's name usually shows its color and size, depending on the Matrix Item Name Template, and the result order can differ in your account, so read each name and confirm the parent and options on the record. Click Ridgeline Jacket : Ridgeline Jacket-Olive-L.
02. Confirm it is the right child
The title is Ridgeline Jacket-Olive-L, with a Matrix Subitem tag beside it. Item Name/Number ends in Olive-L. The Display Name/Code reads Ridgeline Jacket, the same as the parent's, so use the item name to tell items apart. If two names look alike, check the Internal ID too. Subitem of shows the parent and links to it.
03. Follow Subitem of to the parent
Click the Subitem of link. The parent opens with a Matrix tag in place of Matrix Subitem, and its own Subitem of is normally blank. Scroll to Locations on the Purchasing/Inventory tab. In the account used here the list reads No records to show, because a parent holds no stock of its own. A blank list on the parent doesn't prove that no stock exists in the family, so read the children. Click Back to return to the child.
04. Read the stock by location
On the child, scroll to Locations on the Purchasing/Inventory tab and check that View is Inventory. The View list changes the columns, not the record. In the account used for testing, the list opened on Inventory Count for the signed-in user, which shows count settings instead of balances. Dallas Warehouse has 8 on hand, 3 committed and 5 available. Portland Warehouse has 31 on hand, none committed and 31 available. So the jacket is stocked at both warehouses, and Portland Warehouse holds most of it.
A row means the child has a record at that location. It is not the same as positive stock, and a location with no row may not be set up for the item or may not be visible to you. Quantity Available isn't always on hand less committed, because inventory status, reservations and your availability settings can change it.
05. Find the sales orders for this variant
Click the Related Records tab. The Transactions list shows every transaction for Ridgeline Jacket-Olive-L. In the account tested it was sorted by date, oldest first, and a long list paged after 25 rows. It mixes purchasing and sales documents, so use the Type column. Sales order SO-3012 is for Cedar Ridge Outfitters, 6 units, and SO-3055 is for Lakeshore Trading Co., 3 units. Both are for this exact variant. The other five children have their own rows, and the same customer can appear under more than one of them.
Check the result
- The title of the record is the child you want, with the Matrix Subitem tag.
- The Locations list shows its quantity at each location with View set to Inventory.
- Related Records lists the sales orders for this exact child.
- The parent's Locations list has no rows.
A fulfillment or an invoice is usually a later step of an order, not the order itself, but an invoice can also be created on its own, so check the links before you assume a sequence. To get only the sales orders for one child, use a transaction search with the type Sales Order and the item set to that child. It can return one row per matching line, so check Main Line and your other criteria. This guide did not build that search.
Common questions
How do I check stock for one size and color of a matrix item in NetSuite?
Find the child item, not the parent. In Global Search, use the item prefix and the item name, then open the child whose name ends with the color and size. On Purchasing/Inventory, scroll to Locations and choose the Inventory view to see Quantity On Hand, Quantity Committed and Quantity Available at each location.
Why does the parent matrix item show no inventory?
A matrix parent is a placeholder that groups its children. In the usual setup the children hold the stock and go on orders. In the account used here, the parent's Locations list had no rows. Don't treat that as proof that no stock exists, because the stock is on the children.
What does the Matrix Subitem tag mean?
It marks the record as a child of a matrix parent. The parent has a Matrix tag. The Subitem of field on a child links to its parent.
How do I find the parent from a matrix child item?
Click the Subitem of link on the child. It opens the parent item record. Use Back to return to the child.
How do I tell two similar matrix child items apart?
Use Item Name/Number, which carries the option values, and check Subitem of and the Internal ID. The Display Name/Code can be the same on the parent and every child. Search results can change order, so read each name before you open one.
Where do I see quantity on hand by location for an item?
On the item record, Purchasing/Inventory has a Locations list at the bottom. Set View to Inventory for quantities. Other views show count, planning or costing settings instead. The columns depend on the view and on the features in your account.
Why is Quantity Available not equal to on hand minus committed?
The list can reflect inventory status, order reservations, supply allocation, units and your availability settings, so on hand less committed is only the simple case. Check how your account defines available before you promise stock.
How do I find the sales orders for one specific variant of a matrix item?
Open the child item and click Related Records. The Transactions list shows its purchase orders, receipts, sales orders, fulfillments and invoices. Look in the Type column for Sales Order. For a definitive list, run a transaction search for sales orders with the item set to that child.
How do I find a child when I don't know its exact name?
Search with the parent's name and the item prefix, then read each child's name and options. Don't depend on the end of the name, because the naming template can differ. You can also run an item search filtered by Subitem of, or review the children listed on the parent's Matrix Items subtab.
Why can't I see a location or transaction that another user can see?
Role permissions, subsidiary and location access, inactive records, form customization and date filters can hide rows. A missing row can mean an access or filter issue rather than proof that no record exists.
How do I see inventory for the entire matrix family?
The parent doesn't give a family total. Review each child, or run a saved item search or report grouped by Subitem of, item and location. Decide whether you want on hand, committed, available or all three.
Why can't I find transactions on the parent matrix item?
Orders carry the child item, not the parent. The parent is a placeholder, so look at the children. Each child has its own Related Records, and the same customer can appear under several children.