Setting up number series in Business Central for each document type

What number series in Business Central control

Almost every record needs a number that is unique within its table. A number series supplies the next one automatically. So two users who create sales orders at the same moment never collide. The same mechanism numbers master records, open documents, posted documents, journal lines, warehouse activities and production orders.

Good numbering also helps people. A prefix shows at a glance what a number refers to. So nobody mistakes a posted sales invoice for a purchase order. Auditors look for unbroken sequences on posted invoices and credit memos. That makes the design of those series a control as well as a convenience.

How to create number series in Business Central

Search for No. Series and choose New. Enter a Code and Description. Then open the Lines action. On the line, fill in the Starting No., for example SI-000001. You can add an Ending No. and a Warning No. too. The warning alerts users before the series runs out. Increment-by No. sets the step between numbers.

Back on the series, three checkboxes matter. Default Nos. makes the system assign numbers automatically. Manual Nos. lets a user type a number instead. Date Order forces numbers to follow posting dates, which some auditors require for posted invoices. Include enough digits, so the series does not overflow in busy periods.

Linking number series in Business Central to documents and records

A series does nothing until a setup page points to it. Open Sales and Receivables Setup and find the Number Series FastTab. It has fields for Customer Nos., Quote Nos., Order Nos., Invoice Nos., Posted Invoice Nos., Posted Shipment Nos. and more. Purchases and Payables Setup and Inventory Setup have matching FastTabs.

Journals take their series from the batch. On a general journal batch, No. Series numbers the lines as users enter them. Posting No. Series can give a different number at posting. Customer and item templates can carry their own series. That helps when different types of record need different prefixes.

Relationships, gaps and yearly series

The Relationships action links several series, so a user can pick between them. One example is separate order series for two sales offices. The user clicks the assist button on the No. field and selects the series. This is simpler than it sounds, and it saves you from building customizations for a common need.

A setting on the series line controls whether gaps are allowed. Allowing gaps lets the system hand out numbers faster under heavy load. But deleted drafts then leave holes. So do not use it for posted invoice series, where people expect a continuous sequence. For yearly prefixes, add a new line with a Starting Date.

Keeping number series in Business Central healthy

Decide on a convention before go-live and write it down. Cover the prefix, the separator, the number of digits and which series allow manual entry. Keep unposted and posted documents on different series. Unposted documents get deleted, and they would leave holes in the posted sequence. Set warning numbers so nobody meets an empty series by surprise.

When you migrate, set Starting No. above the highest number you carried over from the old system. Then imported records and new ones never clash. Check the No. Series list from time to time for series close to their end. If your numbering has drifted, our consultants are glad to help tidy it.

Number series in Business Central: questions and answers

Can we change number series in Business Central after go-live?

Yes. You can add a new line with a new starting number, or point the setup field to a different series. Existing records keep their numbers. Avoid editing the last number used by hand unless you are sure that no duplicates will result. A short test in a sandbox shows what the next number will be.

Why does Business Central say the number cannot be entered manually?

The series on that field has Manual Nos. switched off, so the system accepts only automatic numbers. Either let the system assign the number by leaving the field and moving on, or enable Manual Nos. on the series if typing is right for that record type. Pick the first option for documents, since it keeps the sequence clean.

Should customers and vendors keep their old numbers?

Often, yes. Staff know the numbers, and they appear on past paperwork. Import records with their existing numbers and allow manual numbers during migration. Then start the automatic series above the highest imported value, so new records continue cleanly.

Are gaps in invoice numbers a problem?

For posted sales invoices and credit memos, auditors generally expect a continuous sequence. So keep gaps switched off on those series and never delete posted documents. For orders, quotes and master records, gaps are normal and cause no harm.

How do we restart numbering each fiscal year?

Open the series lines and add a new line. Give it a Starting Date on the first day of the new year and a Starting No. that carries the new prefix. Business Central switches to that line on its own once the posting date reaches it. So you set it up once, before the year turns, and then leave it alone.

Related setup pages

Number series in Business Central are one of several foundations that you lay early in a project. These pages cover the wider implementation checklist, posting groups and the audit trail that document numbers support. Read them together, because numbering, posting setup and approvals all shape each other. Our consultants can look at your planned numbering before go-live and point out clashes that are cheap to fix now and costly later. For the product detail, see Create number series, on Microsoft Learn.