BC Tip #9 - Report Layout Options and Setups Explained
- Ben Cole
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 12 hours ago
My name is Ben Cole and this is my ninth video in a series of weekly tips for D365 Business Central.
Report Layouts in Business Central is more than choosing a template. It is a layered system of repositories, global defaults, document-specific selections, and customer-level overrides that together control which report a user sees, prints, or emails. This guide walks through the key places to manage report layouts, what each setting controls, and practical tips for multi-company and custom-extension scenarios.
Please also note that Business Central refers to most outputs as reports. So we are not necessarily talking about Income Statements and Balance Sheets here, but rather Sales Invoices, Purchase Orders, Customer Statements, and the like.
Table of Contents
Report Layouts - The Central Repository
The Report Layouts page is the central repository for every report template in the database. This includes out of box reports, reports from 3rd party extensions, as well as customer reports you may have created. From here you can search for a report ID, export a template, or create a new iteration to load a modified template into.
Common export formats are Word and RDLC. Keep in mind these rules:
Out-of-box templates cannot be edited directly. Create a copy, modify that copy, and upload it back.
Word layouts are required if you want to use custom email body text for outgoing emails. They generally are more editable from an appearance standpoint as well, but may be more difficult when it comes to spacing and alignment.
RDLC layouts are supported for printing and emailing but are not supported for email body templates. It also requires that you have report builder installed in order to edit these reports. RDLC reports tend to get some backlash for their appearance(being more archaic), but can be great options when you need a lot of control over the fields and spacing within a report.
There are also options for Excel and External Report Layouts - for more information on all layout types - check out Microsoft Learn.
Below is a screenshot of the Report Layout screen inside of Business Central. Here you can see it filtered to show Sales Invoice Layouts. Note that the 1306 Layout is the out of box Business Central standard report, but we also have others that have come from customizations and 3rd party extensions that we will talk about next.
For more information on creating, modifying, replacing, or renaming layouts - check out Microsoft Learn.
Custom Report Layouts
Custom Report Layouts gives extra control when you need different iterations of a layout or need layouts per company or per scenario. You can have multiple instances of the same report ID and assign them to different companies so you do not have to switch company context to manage templates.
Note that this page is being phased out over time as user-defined reports become more prominent. For now, custom report layouts are a useful tool when working across multiple legal entities. For more information on the phase out, click here. To get ahead of these changes, you can use the Migrate to System Layouts function in order to move these from Custom Report Layouts to the Report Layouts, and they will be marked as user defined.
Report Layout Selection
The Report Layout Selection page is the single most important place for defining default templates across the entire database. This is where you tell Business Central which layout to use when this report ID runs. This is defined by Report ID, so for each Report ID, you will see 1 default format. Please note that in the example below, there are multiple report IDs for Sales Invoices. It is important that you check out the next section to define for Sales Invoices, which report ID you want to use as the default.
When you change the layout type here, it also updates the default in the Report Layouts repository. Use this page to enforce consistency for standard documents like sales invoices and purchase orders.
Report Selection - Sales
Report Selection - Sales is a layer on top of the global default. Remember from above where there were multiple sales invoice report IDs. Here is where you assigns specific report IDs to each sales document type and provides a few additional controls:
Document specific template assignment so things like invoices, credit memos, and statements can each be assigned individually. This comes in handy especially when you have custom reports that fall outside of the standard numbering range. For example, if you created a custom invoice that is not report 1306 which is the system default.
Ability to configure email body templates when sending documents by email. Remember the email body requires a Word layout.
Support for attachments using any layout format, including RDLC.
A Sequence field that controls the order in which multiple documents are printed or emailed (hint - you can send multiple if desired)
If you need multiple documents sent with a single process, you can add additional document types and sequence them. For example, a custom app that produces statements with invoice attachments can be included by specifying the extension report ID here.
Below you will see examples of the Sales Invoice Selection using our standard 1306 Report ID and the Customer Statement using a custom report ID of 71276778 which allows open invoice attachments when sending statements.
Other report selection pages
The selection concept is repeated for other functional areas. You will find corresponding setup pages for:
Purchasing
Inventory
Bank accounts
Projects
Warehouse
Cash Flow
Treat each area the same way: set sensible global defaults by report number, then use document-level selections to assign the correct report number and manage exceptions. For more information on all of the options, click here.
Customer-level overrides: Document Layouts on the Customer Card
For the highest level of control, you can override templates on the customer card. Navigate to a customer, open the Customer tab, and choose Document Layouts. These settings override both the global and the sales document selections for that specific customer.
Typical use cases include customers that require a customized statement or an invoice format that differs from the standard company-wide layout.
Please note that if this section is not filled out, it will inherit the settings above from the Report Selection - Sales.
In the below, we can see that our customer will be sent a custom invoice format. Additionally, they will not receive the customized statements that is the default globally, but rather they will receive the out of box statement, report id 1316.
Practical tips and checklist
Make copies of standard reports before editing so you preserve the out-of-box templates and retain a rollback point.
Use Word layouts when you need custom email bodies; otherwise the email body editor will be unavailable.
Assign layout at the right layer - report selection - sales for your overall company report ID selection, and customer document layouts for one-off customer requirements.
Common scenarios and how to solve them
Need a different invoice for a specific legal entity? Create a custom layout instance and assign it to that company via Customer Document Layouts
Want to send a custom statement with invoice attachments? Add the custom report ID to Report Selection - Sales to enable enhanced functionality.
Need a personalized email message for invoices? Switch the invoice layout to Word and then use the email body editor on the Report Selection - Sales page.
For more emailing horsepower - check out Invoice and Statement Delivery.
FAQ
How do I enable a custom email body for invoices?
Use a Word layout for the invoice template and then edit the email body on the Report Selection - Sales page. Email bodies are not supported for RDLC templates.
Can I modify out-of-box report templates directly?
No. Out-of-box templates cannot be edited directly. Create a copy of the report layout, modify the copy, and upload the modified template.
How do I differentiate between the different report layout options in D365 Business Central?
For starters, you will create and store your reports in the Report Layouts within Business Central. For each Report ID, you will use the Report Layout Selection to define which layout is the default for that Report ID. Then you will use the Report Selection - Sales and/or the Customer Document Layouts in order to define the specific Report ID that should be used by default when generating documents.
Do I have to use the Customer Document Layouts?
No, these are only needed if the customer has a unique layout that is different from the Report Selection - Sales selection.
Final thoughts
Effective reporting in Business Central is about layering control where it makes sense. Use global defaults for consistency, document selections for process-specific needs, and customer overrides for individual exceptions. That approach keeps templates manageable while allowing the flexibility required by real-world business processes.
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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