SuiteScript Deployment Strategies — Sandbox, Production & SDF Workflow

Introduction

A great script is useless if it’s deployed incorrectly. Poor deployment practices can lead to lost changes, broken dependencies, or even production downtime.

This blog explains how to design a safe, repeatable SuiteScript deployment process using sandbox testing, SuiteCloud Development Framework (SDF), and version control.

1️⃣ Understanding Environments

✅ Always build and test in Sandbox, then move to Production through controlled SDF deployment.

2️⃣ Why Use SDF (SuiteCloud Development Framework)?

SDF lets you develop, version, and deploy customizations outside the browser:

• Source-controlled XML and script files
• Command-line deployments (suitecloud deploy)
• Dependency management (manifest file)
• Support for CI/CD integration (GitHub Actions, Azure Pipelines)

3️⃣ Setting Up Your SDF Project

Step 1: Install SuiteCloud CLI

npm install -g @oracle/suitecloud-cli

Step 2: Authenticate to Your Account

suitecloud account:setup

Step 3: Create a Project

suitecloud project:create --type AccountCustomization --projectname MySuiteScripts

Step 4: Add Scripts and Objects

Place your files under FileCabinet/SuiteScripts/ and reference them in manifest.xml.

4️⃣ Sample manifest.xml

<manifest projecttype="ACCOUNTCUSTOMIZATION">
  <dependencies>
    <features>
      <feature id="SUITESCRIPT" required="true"/>
    </features>
  </dependencies>
  <files>
    <path>FileCabinet/SuiteScripts/ue_auto_approval.js</path>
  </files>
  <objects>
    <object type="script" scriptid="customscript_ue_auto_approval"/>
  </objects>
</manifest>

✅ Defines dependencies, files, and record objects to be deployed together.

5️⃣ Deployment Workflow

6️⃣ Testing Checklist Before Go-Live

7️⃣ CI/CD Automation Example (GitHub Actions)

name: Deploy to NetSuite
on: [push]
jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - run: npm install -g @oracle/suitecloud-cli
      - run: suitecloud account:setup --authid ${{ secrets.NS_AUTH_ID }}
      - run: suitecloud project:validate
      - run: suitecloud project:deploy --account ${{ secrets.NS_ACCOUNT }}

✅ Enables automated testing and deployment whenever you push to main branch.

8️⃣ Rollback & Version Control

• Tag each release (e.g., v1.0.3) in Git.
• Maintain a rollback branch with last-known-good scripts.
• In SDF, use --backup flag to retain previous deployed version.

9️⃣ Common Deployment Issues

🔒 10. Best Practices

✅ Always deploy from Sandbox → Production.
✅ Validate before deploying with project:validate.
✅ Use Git for change tracking and peer reviews.
✅ Document each deployment and rollback procedure.
✅ Use SDF CLI parameters for secure tokens instead of storing credentials in scripts.

Conclusion

A structured deployment process is the foundation of professional NetSuite development.
By adopting SDF, version control, and CI/CD pipelines, you can deploy scripts safely and repeatably—without downtime or data loss.

Your goal: “Automate once, deploy everywhere confidently.”