Fix NetSuite CANNOT_CONVERT Error

How to fix CANNOT_CONVERT

1. 1Read the error text and note which value and target it names; the Script Execution Log line immediately before the error shows the setValue or format.parse call that triggered it.
2. 2For record fields, check the field's actual type under Customization > Lists, Records & Fields > the field record; date fields need a JavaScript Date object or a correctly parsed value, not a raw string.
3. 3For N/format.parse(), confirm the type option (format.Type.DATE, format.Type.CURRENCY, format.Type.INTEGER, and so on) matches the actual shape of the string you are passing, since a mismatched type is the single most common cause.
4. 4When the source value comes from a CSV import, saved search result, or external API, log its typeof and raw content before the conversion call, since a numeric-looking value can still arrive as a string with extra whitespace or currency symbols.
5. 5For currency and float fields, strip formatting characters (currency symbols, thousands separators) before parsing; NetSuite's format.parse does not strip these for you.
6. 6For date fields fed by an integration, normalize the incoming date string to the account's date format under Setup > Company > General Preferences before calling format.parse, or use format.parse with an explicit format.Type rather than relying on the browser locale.
7. 7Wrap the conversion in a try/catch during development and log the raw input value on failure, so a bad upstream value produces a clear diagnostic instead of a bare CANNOT_CONVERT.

format.parse is the most common trigger

var parsedDate = format.parse({
  value: '2026-09-28',
  type: format.Type.DATE
});
// If the account or field expects a different locale format,
// normalize the string before calling format.parse rather than after.

Debugging pattern that isolates the source

Common pitfalls

• !Passing a raw string to a date field instead of a parsed Date object or a value run through format.parse with the correct type.
• !Assuming a saved search formula column returns the same JavaScript type as the underlying field.
• !Not stripping currency symbols or thousands separators before parsing numeric fields.
• !Using the wrong format.Type in format.parse for the actual shape of the input string.
• !Ignoring locale differences between an external system's date format and the NetSuite account's configured date format.
• !Only testing with clean, hand-typed sample data instead of real integration payloads that include whitespace or unexpected formatting.