The E-Documents framework sends and receives structured electronic documents, such as Peppol BIS 3 invoices and credit memos. It replaces the older electronic document setup on document sending profiles and is what Microsoft builds on for e-invoicing mandates, payment information, and EDI.
Several countries now require e-invoicing between businesses, France and Germany among them, and the framework received steady updates through 2026. Payment handling became generally available in update 28.4, and version 29.0 added EDI exchange as a preview. This guide covers the base setup that every scenario needs.
When to Use This
- A customer or a public authority requires Peppol invoices.
- Your country has an e-invoicing mandate, and a local connector exists for it.
- Vendors send you structured invoices, and you want them to become purchase documents without retyping.
- You plan to use the Payables Agent, which imports PDF invoices through the same Inbound E-Documents list.
Step 1: Create an E-Document Service
The service defines the format and, optionally, the connector that transports the documents.
- Search for E-Document Services using
Alt + Q. - Select New.
- On the General FastTab, fill in:
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Code | A short code, for example PEPPOL |
| Description | What the service is for |
| Document Format | PEPPOL BIS 3 for the generic Peppol format, or Data Exchange for formats defined through data exchange definitions |
| Service Integration | The access point connector, if one is installed. Leave No integration to export and import files manually. |
| Is a Clearance | Only if your country uses a clearance model, where the tax authority approves invoices before they reach the customer |
Local versions add their own formats. Germany has XRechnung and ZUGFeRD, France has a Peppol variant for the French mandate, and Australia and New Zealand use PINT A-NZ. Create one service per format.
If a connector is installed, select Setup Service Integration to enter credentials and endpoint URLs. Connectors from Microsoft partners such as Avalara, Pagero, Continia, Logiq, SignUp, and ForNAV are available.
Step 2: Choose the Documents to Export
- On the service, select Configure documents to export.
- On E-Document Service Supported Source Document Types, add the document types the service should handle, for example Sales Invoice and Sales Credit Memo.
Only add types that the selected format supports.
Step 3: Configure Importing
If you receive e-documents through this service, fill in the Importing FastTab:
| Field | Typical setting |
|---|---|
| Automatic Import | On, if a connector delivers documents |
| Automatic processing | Off at first, so someone reviews each document before a purchase invoice is created |
| Validate Receiving Company | On, to catch documents addressed to another company |
| Lookup Item Reference | On, if you maintain vendor item references |
| Lookup Item GTIN | On, if your items have GTINs |
| Lookup Account Mapping | On, to map incoming text to G/L accounts |
| Verify Totals | On |
| Batch Start Time and Minutes between runs | How often import jobs run |
Turn on Automatic processing once you trust the item references and account mappings. Until then, the review step catches mapping gaps.
Step 4: Set Up the Workflow
E-documents are sent through a workflow, not directly from posting.
- Search for Workflow Templates.
- If E-Document Workflow Templates isn’t listed, select Reset Microsoft Templates and close the page.
- Search for Workflows and select New Workflow from Template.
- Choose Send to one service or Send to multiple services, then select OK.
- In the Then Response field, select Send E-Document using setup and choose your service.
- Turn on Enabled.
If you use more than one workflow, add a condition on the document sending profile in the On Condition column. Without conditions, every workflow runs for every e-document.
Step 5: Create a Document Sending Profile
- Search for Document Sending Profiles and select New.
- Fill in Code and Description on the General FastTab.
- On Sending Options, set:
| Field | Setting |
|---|---|
| Electronic Document | Extended E-Document Service Flow |
| E-Document Workflow | The workflow from step 4 |
| Yes, if the customer also gets the document by email | |
| E-Mail Attachment | PDF & E-Document or E-Document when emailing |
Extended E-Document Service Flow is what switches the profile to the new framework. The legacy electronic document options don’t use it.
Step 6: Assign the Profile to Customers
- Open the Customer Card.
- Set Document Sending Profile to the profile you created.
Or select Default on the profile to use it for every customer without a profile of their own.
Check the master data Peppol needs before you send the first invoice: the company’s and customer’s VAT registration numbers, GLN where required, and addresses with country codes.
When you post and send a sales invoice for that customer, the workflow exports the e-document and passes it to the service.
Step 7: Check Sent and Received Documents
- E-Documents lists every e-document with its status per service.
- Inbound E-Documents lists received documents. From there you can open the document, see what was imported, and create the purchase document if Automatic processing is off.
- On posted documents such as Posted Sales Invoice, select Create to make an e-document for an invoice posted before the setup existed, or Open to view the existing one.
Payments in E-Documents
Payment handling in the framework entered preview in update 28.2 and became generally available in 28.4. It lets the framework handle payment information related to e-documents, which matters most in countries where the e-invoicing mandate also covers payments. What you can exchange depends on your format and connector, so check with the connector provider before you plan for it.
EDI Exchange (Preview)
Version 29.0 added Exchange EDI documents in public preview. It extends the framework from invoices to order traffic, starting with Peppol BIS 3 document types such as order exchange and remittance advice, and it is open to other formats based on local or customer standards.
If you already exchange e-invoices with a trading partner, this is where orders with the same partner will go. Keep it in a sandbox until it reaches general availability.
Demo Data and Retention
To try the framework without real data, search for Contoso Demo Tool, enable the Common Module and Warehouse Module, then generate the E-Documents Contoso Module. You get demo items, sample Peppol documents, and configured services and workflows.
E-documents are often subject to legal retention periods. On E-Document Services, select Retention Policy to set up policies for the e-document logs and data storage.
FAQ
Can I use e-documents without a service provider? Yes. With No integration, Business Central creates the files, and you send or import them yourself. Most companies use a connector once volumes grow.
Do I need one service per customer? No. One service per format is enough. Customers who need different formats get different document sending profiles.
The Payables Agent processes PDF invoices through the same inbound list. See How to Set Up the Payables Agent in Business Central.