Business Central offers several ways to get data out of the system. The right method depends on what you need: a quick snapshot for a spreadsheet, a formatted report for a PDF, a bulk extract for migration, or a live feed for an external application.
This guide covers the main export options and when to use each one.
Send to Excel
From any list page in Business Central, you can export the current view to a static Excel file.
- Open the list you want to export (e.g. Customer List, Item List, General Ledger Entries).
- Apply any filters to limit the data to what you need.
- Select Share in the top-right corner, then choose Send to Microsoft Excel.
- Business Central exports the visible rows and columns to an
.xlsxfile.
This export is read-only. The file has no connection back to Business Central. It captures the data as it exists at the moment of export.
Only visible columns are included. If a column is hidden in the list view, it will not appear in the export.
Edit in Excel
Edit in Excel also exports data to Excel, but with a live OData connection. Changes made in the workbook can be published back to Business Central.
This is covered in detail in How to Use Edit in Excel in Business Central. Use it when you need to make bulk edits, not just view data.
Exporting Reports to PDF or Excel
Reports in Business Central can be saved to PDF or Excel from the report request page.
- Open a report (e.g. Aged Accounts Receivable, Trial Balance).
- Set your filters and options on the request page.
- Select the dropdown arrow next to Print, then choose Send to → PDF or Send to → Microsoft Excel.
The Excel output for reports reflects the report’s layout, it is not a raw data export, but a formatted version of the report. For raw data, use the list page export or configuration packages.
Configuration Packages for Bulk Data Extracts
When you need a complete export of a table, all records, all fields, configuration packages are the most thorough option.
- Search for Configuration Packages and create a new package.
- Add the tables you want to export.
- Select Export to Excel to download the data as a structured Excel file.
This method is particularly useful for data migration, audits, or backing up setup data before a major change. Each table exports to its own worksheet.
See How to Import Data Using Configuration Packages in Business Central for full steps on creating packages.
OData Feeds and APIs
For programmatic or repeated access to Business Central data, use the OData API or REST API.
- Connect Power BI to Business Central using the built-in OData feed
- Use the REST API to pull data into any application that can make HTTP requests
- Use Power Automate to extract data on a schedule and write it to SharePoint, Dataverse, or other destinations
These methods are better suited for reporting pipelines and integrations than for one-off exports.
Comparison of Export Methods
| Method | Format | Write-back | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Send to Excel | Excel (.xlsx) | No | Quick ad hoc snapshots |
| Edit in Excel | Excel (.xlsx) | Yes | Bulk edits to records |
| Report to PDF | No | Formatted reports for sharing | |
| Report to Excel | Excel (.xlsx) | No | Formatted report output |
| Configuration Package | Excel (.xlsx) | Via import | Full table extracts, migration |
| OData / REST API | JSON / XML | Depends | Integrations, reporting pipelines |
Notes on Large Datasets
The Send to Excel export from a list page is subject to row limits. If you are exporting a table with tens of thousands of records, apply date or category filters to break the export into smaller pieces. Configuration packages do not have the same limit and are better suited for full-table exports.
For a focused guide on getting list data into Excel with and without writeback, see How to Export Data to Excel in Business Central.