# NetSuite Workflow Troubleshooting Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/netsuite-workflow-troubleshooting-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A five-step diagnostic for SuiteFlow workflows that do not initiate, skip actions or behave differently in imports and integrations. ## Category netsuite ## Erp NetSuite ## Audience - NetSuite administrator - SuiteFlow developer - Business analyst ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Find the workflow and its instances **Items:** Open Customization > Workflow > Workflows and filter by record type to find every workflow on the record On the affected record, open System Information and check the Active Workflows and Workflow History subtabs No instance in Workflow History means the workflow never initiated; an instance means it started and the problem is inside it Check whether more than one workflow, or a user event script, acts on the same record and field Note the workflow owner and the last person who edited it #### Initiation **Items:** **Text:** Release Status is Released; Testing runs only for the owner, Not Initiating never starts on its own, Suspended stops it **Critical:** true Initiation is set correctly: Event Based or Scheduled Event types include the event that happened (Create, Edit, View, Approve and so on) **Text:** Context types include how the record was saved: User Interface, CSV Import, Web Services, RESTlet, scheduled and other script types **Critical:** true Trigger type on initiation matches the moment you expect (Before Record Load, Before Record Submit, After Record Submit) The initiation condition or saved search condition is true for this record The user's role and subsidiary are in scope if the workflow is restricted Execute As Admin is set if the actions need permissions the user lacks #### Logging **Items:** **Text:** Check Enable Logging on the workflow definition while debugging **Critical:** true Reproduce the event, then open the instance from Workflow History and read the execution log for each state, action and transition Look for actions logged as not executed because their condition was false Turn logging off again when finished to keep logs small #### States, triggers and conditions **Items:** **Text:** Client triggers (Before User Edit, Before Field Edit, After Field Edit, After Field Sourcing, Before User Submit) only fire in the user interface, never in CSV import or web services **Critical:** true Server action triggers match the event: an After Record Submit action does not run on view Condition formulas are valid and reference field IDs, not labels Transitions are evaluated in order; an earlier transition with a true condition wins States with Do Not Exit Workflow keep the instance open; check whether that blocks re-entry on the next save Lock Record actions use the Before Record Load trigger; confirm how they behave for imports and scripts in your account Set Field Value actions that must change the saved record run on Before Record Submit Scheduled transitions and scheduled initiation run on NetSuite's workflow schedule, not instantly #### Changes and removal **Items:** Before editing a Released workflow with running instances, check how your account versions it and how running instances will behave Test changes in a sandbox or with the workflow in Testing status first Cancel or complete active instances before removing a workflow Prefer making a workflow inactive or Not Initiating when you need to keep its history Check the order in which user event scripts and workflows on the same record run, using the script execution log and the workflow execution log **Scoring Note:** Most workflows that 'do nothing' fail on a critical item: Testing status, a missing context type, client triggers in a server context, or logging that was never on. ## Content **Intro:** This checklist diagnoses NetSuite SuiteFlow workflows that do not start, skip actions or behave differently for imports and integrations. Work from the record's Workflow History outwards: whether an instance exists tells you whether to look at initiation or at the states inside. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Open the record where the workflow should have acted, then go group by group. The first group tells you which of the next two to focus on: if the record's Workflow History has no instance, the workflow never initiated and the cause is in release status, event or context types, trigger or condition. If an instance exists, enable logging, reproduce the event and read the execution log, which shows each action and whether its condition passed. The last group covers safe changes. Export the ticked list into the ticket so the fix and the evidence stay together. #### Where things live in NetSuite **Body:** Workflows are listed at Customization > Workflow > Workflows and edited in the Workflow Manager. The definition holds Release Status, Execute As Admin, Enable Logging, initiation (event based or scheduled), event types, context types, trigger type and the initiation condition. On any record, System Information shows Active Workflows and Workflow History; opening an instance from history shows the states it visited and, when logging was on, the execution log. To run a workflow on demand, set it to initiate on an event you can control, call it from another workflow, or start it from SuiteScript with the N/workflow module's initiate function. #### Worked example **Body:** An approval workflow on purchase orders works for buyers but not for orders created by the procurement integration. Workflow History on an integration order shows no instance, so the problem is initiation. Release Status is Released, the event type includes Create, but context types list only User Interface. Adding Web Services lets it initiate. The first approval state then sets a field on Before User Submit, which is a client trigger and never fires for web services, so the field stays empty. Moving the action to Before Record Submit fixes it. The admin turns logging off after confirming both changes in the execution log. #### Common mistakes **Body:** Leaving a workflow in Testing after go-live, so it works for the owner and nobody else. Selecting only User Interface in context types and then importing records by CSV. Using client triggers for logic that must also run in imports and integrations. Writing conditions against field labels or display text. Having a workflow and a user event script set the same field, so the result depends on execution order. Deleting a workflow to fix it, and losing the history auditors wanted. Leaving logging on permanently on a high-volume record. **Cta:** If you want admins to ask in plain English why a workflow did not fire on a given record, with the definition and history read for them, we can set that up on your NetSuite account. **Faq:** #### Where are NetSuite workflow logs? **Answer:** Check Enable Logging on the workflow, reproduce the event, then open the record, go to System Information > Workflow History and open the instance. Its execution log lists each state entered, each action and whether it ran, and each transition. Without logging enabled you see the states visited but not the per-action detail. #### How do I find all workflows in NetSuite? **Answer:** Go to Customization > Workflow > Workflows. Filter or sort by record type to see every workflow on, for example, Sales Order or Purchase Order, with release status and owner. For a single record, the Active Workflows and Workflow History subtabs under System Information show which workflows actually ran on it. #### Why does my workflow work in the UI but not in CSV import? **Answer:** Either CSV Import is not selected in the workflow's context types, or the actions use client triggers such as Before Field Edit or Before User Submit, which only run in the browser. Add the context type and move logic to server triggers such as Before Record Submit or After Record Submit. #### How do I delete a workflow in NetSuite? **Answer:** Open the workflow in the Workflow Manager and use its delete option, after cancelling or completing any active instances. If the history matters for audit or troubleshooting, set the workflow to inactive or Not Initiating instead of deleting it. Test removal in a sandbox if other workflows call it. ## Search terms netsuite workflow logs, netsuite workflow history, how to find workflows in netsuite, netsuite how to execute a workflow, netsuite workflow conditions, how to delete a workflow in netsuite, netsuite workflow not triggering, netsuite workflow release status --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json