Understanding SSS_STATEMENT_COUNT_EXCEEDED Error in NetSuite

Error Summary

Error:

SSS_STATEMENT_COUNT_EXCEEDED  
Script Execution Statement Count Exceeded

Script Type: User Event Script
Function Triggered: afterSubmit
Environment: Production
Error Time: 09/19/2025 09:41 AM
Execution Time: 0.00s

What This Error Means

This is a SuiteScript governance error triggered when the script exceeds NetSuite’s maximum statement count limit during execution.

NetSuite allows a maximum of 10,000 script statements to be executed in User Event scripts.
A “statement” refers to any JavaScript operation, including variable assignments, comparisons, loops, function calls, and API calls (e.g., record.load(), search.run()).

Likely Root Causes

Tthe afterSubmit function likely exceeded the 10,000-statement limit due to one or more of the following:

Processing large loops (e.g., iterating over many item lines or sublist rows).
Using inefficient logic, such as:
Nested loops
Redundant calculations
Unnecessary data handling
Performing record.load() or search operations inside loops.
Triggering other scripts or workflows recursively.

Recommended Fixes & Best Practices

1. Optimize Loops

Minimize operations inside loops.
Avoid nested loops when possible.
Use in-memory data structures (Map or Object) for lookups instead of repeated search.lookupFields() or record.load().

2. Avoid Record Loads in Loops

If you need to process multiple records, gather them via search (e.g., search.create().run().getRange()).
Load records outside the loop when possible.

3. Split or Offload Heavy Logic

Move complex processing to a Map/Reduce script or Scheduled Script.
User Event scripts should handle only lightweight logic.

4. Prevent Redundant Processing

Avoid reprocessing lines already handled.
Use flags like custcol_landed_cost_applied to track processed lines (as used in this script).

5. Debug with Logging

Use log.debug() statements to trace where the script reaches before failing.
Helps identify which section exceeds the statement count.