Business Central integration: connecting Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central
Business Central offers the REST API v2.0 with standard objects such as customers, items, orders and invoices. If fields are missing, you write a custom API in AL. Business Central reports changes by webhook. Sign-in runs through Microsoft Entra ID with OAuth 2.0. A custom integration pays off when a ready-made connector does not cover your data completely.
What Business Central is and who uses it
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central is an ERP from Microsoft. It covers financial accounting, purchasing, sales and warehouse, among other things. It runs as a cloud service (online) or on your own servers (on-premises).
Which interfaces Business Central offers
| Component | What applies according to Microsoft Learn |
|---|---|
| API v2.0 | REST API for standard objects, enabled by default online. Supports filter, expand, batch and deep insert. |
| Custom APIs | Standard APIs cannot be extended with fields. Instead, the AL code is copied and published as a custom API. |
| Authentication | OAuth 2.0 through Microsoft Entra ID. For services without a user there is service-to-service sign-in with client credentials and the permission API.ReadWrite.All. The app is enabled on the "Microsoft Entra Applications" page; the permission set SUPER is not allowed for apps. |
| Webhooks | Subscriptions to objects such as customers, items, sales orders and sales invoices. They expire after three days unless renewed. Notifications arrive bundled, with a 30-second delay. |
The limits for Business Central online are documented: per user 6,000 OData requests in a sliding 5-minute window, 5 requests processed concurrently, at most 20,000 records per response and 100 operations per batch. A request may run for 8 minutes. If a limit is exceeded, Business Central responds with HTTP 429. If more than 1,000 records change within 30 seconds, you get one collective notification instead of individual ones, and the integration has to reload the data using a filter.
Typical connections and data objects
- Items and prices go to the shop hourly
- Stock is reported to the shop every 15 minutes
- Sales order is created from the shop, status is reported back by webhook
- Sales invoice is handed to your tax advisor's accounting daily
- Customer account (debtor) is reconciled on change
Common connections are Shopware with Business Central and Business Central with DATEV. For Shopify, Microsoft offers its own Shopify connector. The intervals are examples.
Where standard connectors reach their limits
Custom fields
Additional fields from extensions are not part of the standard APIs. Without a custom API they cannot be read out.
Bulk changes
Price runs or imports trigger collective notifications. A connector that only handles individual notifications misses changes.
Expiring subscriptions
Webhook subscriptions expire after three days. Without automatic renewal, the connection silently stops.
Limits
Many single requests hit the limits quickly. Filter, expand and batch save requests.
How we connect Business Central
We register a dedicated app in your Microsoft Entra tenant and give it only the rights it needs in Business Central. Where standard APIs are missing, we write a custom API as an AL extension. We renew webhook subscriptions automatically and reload collective notifications with a filter. On HTTP 429 the integration waits and tries again. More under shop-ERP integration and operation and monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Does Business Central have an API?
Yes. API v2.0 is enabled by default in Business Central online. You can also publish custom APIs in AL.
Does integration also work with Business Central on-premises?
Yes, the APIs are available on-premises as well. There they have to be enabled and sign-in through Microsoft Entra ID has to be set up. Limits and webhook settings are configurable there.
Is there a ready-made connector for Shopware?
We did not find a Shopware connector from Microsoft; there are solutions from third-party providers. When a custom integration pays off is described on the page Shopware with Business Central.
Sources
- Microsoft Learn: API (v2.0) for Dynamics 365 Business Central, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Service-to-service authentication, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Working with webhooks, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Operational limits for Business Central online, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Working with API limits, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
- Microsoft Learn: Shopify Connector, retrieved on 20 Oct 2026
Connections with Business Central
Business Central → DATEV
Postings, customers, vendors and documents from Business Central for your tax advisor in DATEV: what partner apps do, where mapping breaks, how we solve it.
Shopware → Business Central
Connect Shopware 6 to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: which connectors exist, where API and webhooks set limits and how we build it.
Related
Shopware → Business Central
Connect Shopware 6 to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central: which connectors exist, where API and webhooks set limits and how we build it.
Business Central → DATEV
Postings, customers, vendors and documents from Business Central for your tax advisor in DATEV: what partner apps do, where mapping breaks, how we solve it.
Shop-ERP connection
Products, stock levels, prices and orders synced automatically between shop and ERP.
