TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL (Transact-SQL)
Applies to: 
SQL Server
Azure SQL Database
Azure SQL Managed Instance
Returns the number of triggers executed for the statement that fired the trigger. TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL is used in DML and DDL triggers to determine the current level of nesting.
Transact-SQL syntax conventions
Syntax
TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL ( [ object_id ] , [ 'trigger_type' ] , [ 'trigger_event_category' ] )
Arguments
object_id
Is the object ID of a trigger. If object_id is specified, the number of times the specified trigger has been executed for the statement is returned. If object_id is not specified, the number of times all triggers have been executed for the statement is returned.
' trigger_type '
Specifies whether to apply TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL to AFTER triggers or INSTEAD OF triggers. Specify AFTER for AFTER triggers. Specify IOT for INSTEAD OF triggers. If trigger_type is specified, trigger_event_category must also be specified.
' trigger_event_category '
Specifies whether to apply TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL to DML or DDL triggers. Specify DML for DML triggers. Specify DDL for DDL triggers. If trigger_event_category is specified, trigger_type must also be specified. Note that only AFTER can be specified with DDL, because DDL triggers can only be AFTER triggers.
Remarks
When no parameters are specified, TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL returns the total number of triggers on the call stack. This includes itself. Omission of parameters can occur when a trigger executes commands causing another trigger to be fired or creates a succession of firing triggers.
To return the total number of triggers on the call stack for a particular trigger type and event category, specify object_id = 0.
TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL returns 0 if it is executed outside a trigger and any parameters are not NULL.
When any parameters are explicitly specified as NULL, a value of NULL is returned regardless of whether TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL was used within or external to a trigger.
Examples
A. Testing the nesting level of a specific DML trigger
IF ( (SELECT TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL( OBJECT_ID('xyz') , 'AFTER' , 'DML' ) ) > 5 )
RAISERROR('Trigger xyz nested more than 5 levels.',16,-1)
B. Testing the nesting level of a specific DDL trigger
IF ( ( SELECT TRIGGER_NESTLEVEL ( ( SELECT object_id FROM sys.triggers
WHERE name = 'abc' ), 'AFTER' , 'DDL' ) ) > 5 )
RAISERROR ('Trigger abc nested more than 5 levels.',16,-1)
C. Testing the nesting level of all triggers executed
IF ( (SELECT trigger_nestlevel() ) > 5 )
RAISERROR
('This statement nested over 5 levels of triggers.',16,-1)