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Scheduled Scripts in NetSuite (SuiteScript 2.1 Guide)

🔹 Introduction

Scheduled Scripts run automatically in the background at set intervals or when triggered manually. Unlike Client or User Event scripts, they don’t depend on a user opening or editing a record.

They are perfect for:

  • Running batch jobs (e.g., nightly updates)
  • Cleaning up data
  • Sending reminders or notifications
  • Processing records that don’t need to be handled in real-time

🔹 How They Work

  • Written in SuiteScript 2.1
  • Deployed under Customization → Scripting → Script Deployments
  • Can be scheduled daily, weekly, monthly, or triggered on-demand
  • Can process thousands of records (but heavy jobs may require Map/Reduce)

🔹 Example 1: Simple Log Message

What this script does:

  • Runs in the background and logs a message (useful as a template to test your first deployment).
/**
 *@NApiVersion 2.1
 *@NScriptType ScheduledScript
 */
define([], () => {
    const execute = () => {
        try {
            log.debug('Scheduled Script', 'Hello! This is my first scheduled script.');
        } catch (e) {
            log.error('Error in scheduled script', e.message);
        }
    };
    return { execute };
});

🔹 Example 2: Update a Field on Multiple Records

What this script does:

  • Finds inactive customers and reactivates them.
/**
 *@NApiVersion 2.1
 *@NScriptType ScheduledScript
 */
define(['N/search', 'N/record'], (search, record) => {
    const execute = () => {
        try {
            const customerSearch = search.create({
                type: search.Type.CUSTOMER,
                filters: [['isinactive', 'is', 'T']],
                columns: ['entityid']
            });

            const results = customerSearch.run().getRange({ start: 0, end: 10 });
            
            results.forEach(result => {
                try {
                    const custId = result.id;
                    record.submitFields({
                        type: record.Type.CUSTOMER,
                        id: custId,
                        values: { isinactive: false }
                    });
                    log.debug('Updated', `Customer ${custId} reactivated.`);
                } catch (innerErr) {
                    log.error('Error updating customer', innerErr.message);
                }
            });
        } catch (e) {
            log.error('Error in scheduled script', e.message);
        }
    };
    return { execute };
});

🔹 Example 3: Send Reminder Emails

What this script does:

  • Finds open Sales Orders and emails an admin summary.
/**
 *@NApiVersion 2.1
 *@NScriptType ScheduledScript
 */
define(['N/search', 'N/email', 'N/runtime'], (search, email, runtime) => {
    const execute = () => {
        try {
            const soSearch = search.create({
                type: search.Type.SALES_ORDER,
                filters: [['status', 'anyof', 'SalesOrd:A']], // Pending Approval
                columns: ['tranid', 'entity']
            });

            const results = soSearch.run().getRange({ start: 0, end: 5 });

            let body = 'Open Sales Orders:\n';
            results.forEach(result => {
                body += `SO# ${result.getValue('tranid')} - Customer: ${result.getText('entity')}\n`;
            });

            if (results.length > 0) {
                email.send({
                    author: runtime.getCurrentUser().id,
                    recipients: 'admin@company.com',
                    subject: 'Pending Sales Orders Reminder',
                    body: body
                });
                log.debug('Success', 'Reminder email sent.');
            }
        } catch (e) {
            log.error('Error in scheduled script', e.message);
        }
    };
    return { execute };
});

🔹 Example 4: Chunk Processing with Governance Handling

What this script does:

  • Loops through results and checks usage limits, yielding control if running low.
/**
 *@NApiVersion 2.1
 *@NScriptType ScheduledScript
 */
define(['N/search', 'N/record', 'N/runtime'], (search, record, runtime) => {
    const execute = () => {
        try {
            const script = runtime.getCurrentScript();
            const results = search.create({
                type: search.Type.CUSTOMER,
                filters: [['isinactive', 'is', 'F']],
                columns: ['entityid']
            }).run().getRange({ start: 0, end: 100 });

            for (let i = 0; i < results.length; i++) {
                try {
                    const custId = results[i].id;
                    log.debug('Processing', `Customer ID: ${custId}`);
                    
                    // Example operation: update phone field
                    record.submitFields({
                        type: record.Type.CUSTOMER,
                        id: custId,
                        values: { phone: '555-123-0000' }
                    });

                    // Check governance usage
                    if (script.getRemainingUsage() < 100) {
                        log.debug('Governance', 'Rescheduling due to low usage.');
                        return; // exit early, will be rescheduled automatically
                    }
                } catch (innerErr) {
                    log.error('Error updating record', innerErr.message);
                }
            }
        } catch (e) {
            log.error('Error in scheduled script', e.message);
        }
    };
    return { execute };
});

🔹 Best Practices

  • Use submitFields() for lightweight updates (faster than record.load() + save()).
  • Always check remaining usage (runtime.getCurrentScript().getRemainingUsage()).
  • Split large jobs into batches or use Map/Reduce for big data.
  • Wrap each operation in try–catch to prevent one bad record from stopping the script.
  • Schedule during off-hours to reduce performance impact.

✅ Key Takeaway

Scheduled Scripts are the backbone of background automation in NetSuite. Use them for batch jobs, cleanup, reminders, and lightweight data updates. For heavy-lifting (thousands of records), move to Map/Reduce.