🧩 SuiteFlow Basics & Approval Workflows in NetSuite

Introduction

SuiteFlow is NetSuite’s no-code automation engine, allowing you to create workflows that respond to record changes—such as approvals, status updates, field changes, and notifications—without writing SuiteScript.

Whether you’re automating invoice approvals, purchase order routing, or employee onboarding, SuiteFlow provides a visual builder that links business rules directly to record actions.

💡 Why Use SuiteFlow?

✅ SuiteFlow is the backbone of process automation in NetSuite.

🧱 Step 1: Enable SuiteFlow

1. Go to Setup → Company → Enable Features → SuiteCloud tab
2. Check ✅ SuiteFlow (Workflow Management)
3. Save your changes.

You’ll now see Customization → Workflow → Workflows in your navigation.

⚙️ Step 2: Create Your First Workflow

Example: Invoice Approval Workflow

1. Navigate to Customization → Workflow → Workflows → New
2. Select:
   • Record Type: Transaction → Invoice
   • Sub Types: All
3. Name: Invoice Approval Workflow
4. Set:
   • Release Status: Testing
   • Initiation: On Create / On Update
   • Trigger Type: Before Record Submit / After Record Submit

✅ Click Save to open the Workflow Editor.

🧩 Step 3: Define Workflow States

States are stages in your business process.
Example states for an approval workflow:

Add states in the Workflow Editor → Diagram → Add State.

🧮 Step 4: Add Transitions Between States

Transitions define how a record moves between states.
For example:

• From Pending Approval → Approved
• From Pending Approval → Rejected

Each transition requires a condition or button trigger.
Use Transition → New Condition:

If Total Amount ≥ 5000 → Manager Approval
Else → Auto Approve

✅ You can use formulas like {total} >= 5000 in the condition builder.

🧠 Step 5: Add Actions in Each State

Common state actions include:

Example:

• In Approved state → Action: Set field Status = Approved
• In Rejected state → Action: Set field Status = Rejected

⚙️ Step 6: Add an “Approve” and “Reject” Button

1. In the Pending Approval state, click New Action → Add Button
2. Button 1: Approve → Transition to Approved
3. Button 2: Reject → Transition to Rejected

✅ These buttons appear directly on the Invoice record for approvers.

🧾 Step 7: Send Email Notifications

Add a Send Email Action under the Pending Approval state.

Example:

• Recipient: Role → Accounting Manager
• Subject: “Invoice ${tranid} Requires Approval”
• Body: Dear ${recipient.firstname}, A new invoice <b>${tranid}</b> from ${entity} requires your approval. Please log in to review and take action.
• Include Record Link: ✅

✅ Add separate notifications for Approved and Rejected states.

🧰 Step 8: Conditional Approvals by Amount

You can route approvals by amount thresholds.

Example conditions:

• If Total < 5,000: Auto-approve
• If Total between 5,001–25,000: Manager approval
• If Total > 25,000: CFO approval

Use Transition Conditions + Roles to define routing logic.

✅ You can also call Custom Workflow Action Scripts for multi-level routing.

🧩 Step 9: Workflow Testing & Activation

1. Save your workflow in Testing mode.
2. Create a sample invoice and verify:
   • State transitions
   • Email notifications
   • Field updates
3. Once verified → set Release Status: Released.

✅ Workflow becomes active for all future records.

🧮 Step 10: Real-World Examples

✅ Each can be built using SuiteFlow’s visual builder and actions.

🧱 Step 11: Workflow Best Practices

🧰 Step 12: Combine with SuiteScript

Enhance workflows by integrating with scripts:

• Workflow Action Scripts: Add complex validations
• User Event Scripts: Sync data on approval
• Suitelet Triggers: Display custom approval dashboards

✅ Hybrid workflows = best of no-code + low-code.

📚 Related Tutorials

• 👉 Custom Workflow Actions
• 👉 Advanced Approval Workflows

❓ FAQ

Q1. Can I trigger workflows only on update?
Yes — set Initiation to “On Update Only.”

Q2. Can one record have multiple workflows?
Yes — NetSuite executes all active workflows matching the record type.

Q3. Can I auto-approve records under a threshold?
Yes — add a transition condition checking {total} < 5000.

Q4. Can I track who approved a record?
Yes — use a custom field “Approved By” populated via Set Field Value action.

🧭 Summary

SuiteFlow turns NetSuite into an intelligent, automated system — allowing you to build workflows that manage approvals, update data, and notify users, without writing code.
From simple email alerts to multi-level approvals, workflows streamline business processes while maintaining control and visibility.

Mastering SuiteFlow is the first step to building scalable automation across your NetSuite environment.