SuiteScript Technical Design Document Template
A technical design document is the cheapest place to find a bad customization. This template gives NetSuite developers and consultants a consistent structure for describing a SuiteScript change before any code exists. Fill the fields and export a clean PDF or Word file for sign-off.
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SuiteScript Technical Design Document Template
TDD-014: Auto-set sales order ship date from item lead time
Company: Acme Precision Ltd Author: R. Mehta Date: 2026-10-20 SuiteScript version: 2.1 Script type: User Event Records touched: Sales Order, Item
1. Business requirement
When a sales order is saved, the expected ship date on each line should be set from the item's lead time plus the customer's transit days, so planners stop keying dates by hand.
2. Trigger and entry points
beforeSubmit on create and edit of Sales Order. Skipped when the context is CSV import or when the order status is Closed.
3. Processing logic
1. Load each line item's lead time custom field. 2. Add customer transit days from the entity record. 3. Write the result to the line's expected ship date. 4. Log a summary at Audit level.
4. Governance and performance
No record loads inside the line loop. Item lead times are read with one search before the loop. Expected usage well under the user event limit.
5. Error handling and logging
Wrap in try/catch. On failure log at Error level with the order internal ID and allow the save to continue so users are not blocked.
6. Script and deployment records
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Script ID | customscript_ |
| Deployment ID | customdeploy_ |
| Applies to | Sales Order, Item |
| Execute as role | |
| Audience / status | Testing |
| Log level | Debug in sandbox, Audit in production |
7. Test approach
Sandbox unit cases for create, edit, multi-line, zero lead time, missing transit days, and CSV import. Regression on order approval workflow.
Approvals
This is a starting structure, not a standard. Adjust sections to your change-control process. Keep script IDs consistent between sandbox and production so SDF or bundle deployments do not create duplicates.
Draft design docs from your scripts
Optional: talk to us about generating first-draft documentation from your existing scripts and saved searches.
Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.
How to use the template
Start with the business requirement in the words the requester used, then restate it as a trigger, a set of records and a processing sequence. Pick the script type deliberately: user event for record-save logic, client script for form behavior, scheduled or map/reduce for batch work, RESTlet or Suitelet for endpoints and custom pages. Export the document, attach it to the project ticket and get the functional owner to sign it before development starts.
- Write the requirement as one sentence a user would recognize
- Name every record type and custom field read or written
- State which execution contexts the script must skip, such as CSV import
- List what happens when the script fails
Why governance and error handling are in the design
Most production SuiteScript incidents come from two gaps: scripts that run out of governance units or concurrency on large volumes, and scripts that throw errors that block users from saving a record. Writing the governance approach and the failure behavior down forces the question early. A user event that can block a sales order save deserves a different answer from a nightly scheduled script that can simply retry.
Common mistakes
Teams often skip the deployment details and then discover that the script runs for every role, in every context, including integrations. Define the execution role, audience and status, and decide how you will deploy between accounts, for example with SuiteCloud Development Framework projects or a bundle. Also record the log level you want in production, since debug logging at volume is slow and noisy.
- No context filter, so imports and integrations trigger the script
- Record loads inside loops with no governance estimate
- Hard-coded internal IDs that differ between sandbox and production
- No rollback plan for data the script changes
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a design document for small scripts?
Not always a full one. For a small client script a half page covering trigger, records and failure behavior is enough. For anything that writes data on save, runs in batch or exposes an endpoint, the structured version pays for itself during review and support.
Which SuiteScript version should I choose?
SuiteScript 2.1 is the current language version and supports modern JavaScript syntax. Existing 2.0 scripts keep working. Choose 2.1 for new work unless a bundle or customer standard requires otherwise, and record the choice in the document.
Can I export this to Word?
Yes. Every template on this site exports to PDF and Word, so you can paste it into your change-control system or edit it further. Your entries stay in the browser and are not sent anywhere.
Who should sign the document?
At minimum the developer, the functional consultant or admin who owns the requirement, and a reviewer. Add the business owner when the script changes financial postings, approvals or customer-facing documents.
If you would rather generate first drafts of these documents from your existing scripts and saved searches, Netray can help build that against your own account.
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