Document numbering in Business Central is controlled by number series. Each document type, sales order, purchase invoice, posted credit memo, and so on, is linked to a number series that determines what number gets assigned when the document is created or posted.
The assignment happens in the setup pages for each module: Sales & Receivables Setup and Purchases & Payables Setup. This guide explains how to navigate those pages and map the right number series to each document type.
How Document Numbering Works
When a user creates a new sales order, Business Central reads the Order Nos. field in Sales & Receivables Setup, finds the linked number series, and assigns the next available number. The same process applies when a document is posted, the posted document gets its number from a separate series (e.g. Posted Invoice Nos.).
Unposted and posted documents use separate number series by design. This means a sales order numbered SO-00042 might generate a posted invoice numbered SINV-00019. Keeping them separate makes it easier to identify document status from the number alone.
Configure Sales Document Numbering
- Search for Sales & Receivables Setup using
Alt + Q. - Select the Number Series tab.
- Assign a number series to each relevant field:
| Field | Document Type |
|---|---|
| Customer Nos. | New customer records |
| Quote Nos. | Sales quotes |
| Order Nos. | Sales orders |
| Invoice Nos. | Sales invoices (unposted) |
| Posted Invoice Nos. | Sales invoices after posting |
| Credit Memo Nos. | Sales credit memos (unposted) |
| Posted Credit Memo Nos. | Sales credit memos after posting |
| Return Order Nos. | Sales return orders |
| Posted Return Receipt Nos. | Return receipts after posting |
Click the lookup button next to any field to select from the list of configured number series.
Configure Purchase Document Numbering
- Search for Purchases & Payables Setup using
Alt + Q. - Select the Number Series tab.
- Assign a number series to each relevant field:
| Field | Document Type |
|---|---|
| Vendor Nos. | New vendor records |
| Quote Nos. | Purchase quotes |
| Order Nos. | Purchase orders |
| Invoice Nos. | Purchase invoices (unposted) |
| Posted Invoice Nos. | Purchase invoices after posting |
| Credit Memo Nos. | Purchase credit memos (unposted) |
| Posted Credit Memo Nos. | Purchase credit memos after posting |
| Return Order Nos. | Purchase return orders |
| Posted Return Shipment Nos. | Return shipments after posting |
View and Manage No. Series Lines
Each number series has one or more lines that define the actual number ranges.
- Search for No. Series using
Alt + Q. - Find the series you want to review and select Lines from the ribbon.
- The No. Series Lines page shows the current range, the last number used, and any warning threshold.
If a series is running low, add a new line with a higher starting number and a future starting date. Business Central will switch to the new line when the date is reached.
Manual vs. Automatic Numbering
Whether users can enter document numbers manually depends on two fields on the number series record:
- Default Nos., when enabled, the next number is assigned automatically on document creation.
- Manual Nos., when enabled, users can type a number instead of accepting the automatic one.
If both are enabled, the automatic number appears but can be overridden. If only Manual Nos. is enabled, users must always enter a number themselves.
To change these settings, open the No. Series page, find the series, and edit the fields directly on the list or open the record.
For a full overview of how to create and configure number series from scratch, see How to Configure Number Series in Business Central.