BC Tip #4 - Recurring Sales Lines
- Ben Cole
- Oct 8
- 4 min read
Updated: Nov 10
Hello everyone, my name is Ben Cole and this is my fourth video in a series of weekly tips for D365 Business Central. In this quick guide I’ll walk you through how to set up and use Recurring Sales Lines to speed up sales document entry in D365 Business Central. I’ll cover the setup, how to create templates on the customer card, the three application options (Manual / Automatic / Always Ask), and show the sales order demo so you can see these templates in action.
Table of Contents
Why use Recurring Sales Lines?
Recurring Sales Lines let you define default lines that automatically populate on sales documents for a customer. If you sell the same item, charge item, or GL-based line frequently to a customer, recurring lines save clicks, reduce errors, and make document creation more consistent.
Quick setup: default quantities
Before you create templates, there’s a small setup tweak I recommend. In Sales & Receivables setup you can toggle defaults so that whenever you add a GL account or item to a sales document the quantity defaults to one. This saves a quick extra step when creating orders.
How to create Recurring Sales Lines on a customer
Recurring templates are created on the customer card and can be unique per customer. Here’s the step-by-step:
Open the customer card for the customer you want to set up.
From the customer card go to Related → Sales → Recurring Sales Lines.
Create a Code for the template. A customer can have multiple recurring templates, so codes help you manage them. If you only need one template per customer, I often reuse the customer number as the code for simplicity.
Adding lines, descriptions, quantities and amounts
On the Recurring Sales Lines window add each line you want defaulted onto the sales document. For each line provide:
Description
Quantity
For GL accounts and charge items you can also set a dollar amount
If you use dimensions, fill those out for each line
Note: currently you cannot set a dollar amount for regular inventory items in the Recurring Sales Lines setup — leave the amount blank for items and the system will use the item pricing on the sales document.
Choose how recurring lines are applied
At the far right of the Recurring Sales Lines window you’ll see three application options:
Manual — lines are available but you must click to bring them onto a sales document.
Automatic — lines are automatically added when the sales document is created for that customer.
Always Ask — you’ll be prompted to add the recurring lines when creating the document.
These options can be set per sales document type (quote, order, invoice, etc.), giving you control over behavior across documents.
Demo: See it in action on a Sales Order
With a template set to Automatic, creating a new sales order for the customer will immediately add your recurring lines. Add the customer to a blank sales order and the lines appear in accordance with your template. If you enabled the quantity-default toggle earlier, any new GL or item line will default to a quantity of one.
This setup reduces data entry time and ensures consistent lines on repeat orders.
Tips, best practices and limitations
If a customer only needs one template, use the customer number as the template code to keep things simple.
Use dimensions on recurring lines to ensure revenue and analysis flows to the correct cost centers or projects.
Remember: amounts can be preset on GL and charge lines but not on inventory items — item pricing will come from item cards or sales pricing instead.
Pick the application mode (Manual / Automatic / Always Ask) based on when the lines should apply and how much control you want for each sales document type.
FAQ
Can I create multiple recurring templates for the same customer?
Yes. You must assign a unique code to each template so the system can distinguish between them. In this case, you likely want to use a manual or always ask application method to ensure the correct lines are being pulled in.
Will recurring lines change existing sales orders?
No. Recurring lines apply at the time the sales document is created. Existing documents are not retroactively modified.
Can I set a unit price for inventory items in a recurring line?
No. The recurring lines interface does not currently support entering a dollar amount for standard inventory items. For items, pricing will be determined by item/unit price or sales price setup when the sales document is processed.
How do I make recurring lines optional?
Choose the Always Ask or Manual option so that when a sales document is created the user is prompted to include or skip the recurring lines.
Will dimensions set on recurring lines be respected on the sales document?
Yes — fill in dimensions on the recurring line to have those values applied when the line is added to the sales document.
Conclusion
Recurring Sales Lines are a small configuration that delivers big productivity wins—especially for repeat services, charges, or GL-based lines.
Set the default quantity, create simple templates on the customer card, choose how they apply, and watch sales orders populate themselves. Give it a try and save time on every repeat sale.
If you want more practical D365 Business Central tips, check out the channel for weekly tips and examples. Thanks for reading — have a great day!
Ready to optimize your Business Central environment with guidance from a BC expert?
Contact Ben Cole at Ben@BenColeBC.com or (214) 433-0923.
Ben Cole is passionate about making Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central work smarter for real people—users and partners alike. With roots in public accounting, Ben’s seen firsthand how automation and clever solutions can transform the Business Central experience. He’s known for breaking down complex topics with a dash of wit and plenty of practical advice. If you want to get more out of Business Central (and maybe even enjoy the process), Ben’s your go-to guide.
(214) 433-0923
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