SuiteScript Governance and Usage Limits in NetSuite

Introduction

NetSuite uses a SuiteScript governance model to manage system performance and prevent scripts from consuming excessive resources. Each script type and SuiteScript API consumes a specific number of usage units. Once the script exceeds its allowed units, execution is terminated automatically to protect the system.

If you’ve ever faced the SSS_USAGE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED error, it’s likely your script hit one of these thresholds.

How SuiteScript Governance Works

SuiteScript usage is tracked in two ways:

1. By Script Type – Each type (User Event, Client, Scheduled, Map/Reduce, etc.) has its own time and resource limits.
2. By API Call – Each SuiteScript API method consumes a fixed number of usage units (for example, loading a record uses more than reading a field).

When limits are exceeded, NetSuite automatically stops script execution to prevent performance degradation.

Map/Reduce Script Data Size Limits

Map/Reduce scripts are designed for large-scale data processing, but they also have strict limits on data size:

Tip:
When using mapContext.write() or reduceContext.write(), keep keys under 3,000 characters and values under 10 MB. Avoid using keys to pass dynamic or long strings — use values instead.

Common SuiteScript API Governance Units

Below is a reference table of typical governance unit consumption by SuiteScript 2.x APIs.
(Values are approximate and may vary slightly depending on NetSuite release updates.)

These numbers help developers design scripts that stay well within usage limits — particularly important for Scheduled or Map/Reduce scripts handling large data sets.

Script Type Usage Limits (Approximate)

Note: When a script exceeds its time or usage threshold, it automatically reschedules (for Map/Reduce) or stops execution.

Error Handling and Governance Enforcement

NetSuite internally detects scripts that might run endlessly or execute excessive loops.
If detected, it throws the error:

SSS_INSTRUCTION_COUNT_EXCEEDED
Indicates a potential infinite loop or unending recursion.

To prevent this:

• Always include loop exit conditions.
• Limit recursion and nested logic.
• Avoid unnecessary while loops without termination logic.

Monitoring Script Usage

You can check remaining usage units in your script with:

const runtime = require('N/runtime');
log.debug('Remaining Usage:', runtime.getCurrentScript().getRemainingUsage());

This is especially useful to decide when to reschedule a script or yield control before hitting limits.

Best Practices to Prevent Governance Issues

✅ Batch Processing: Process records in small chunks (for example, 500 per batch).
✅ Avoid Redundant Loads: Only load records when necessary.
✅ Optimize Searches: Use filters, columns, and saved searches instead of large unscripted searches.
✅ Cache Data: Use N/cache module or temporary variables.
✅ Monitor Logs: Avoid excessive logging that consumes script time.
✅ Use Map/Reduce for Heavy Jobs: They auto-handle concurrency and rescheduling.

Key Takeaway

SuiteScript governance is NetSuite’s way of balancing performance and stability across accounts.
By understanding usage units, optimizing API calls, and writing efficient scripts, you’ll:

• Avoid timeouts and governance errors.
• Improve overall script performance.
• Keep your integrations and automations running smoothly.

Related Resources

• SuiteScript 2.x API Governance (Oracle Documentation)
• NetSuite Script Type Usage Unit Limits
• SuiteScript 2.x Modules Overview