How-ToAdministration

How to Schedule and Automate Reports in Business Central

Learn how to schedule reports using the Job Queue, send reports by email automatically, and manage report layouts in Business Central.

Stein Sæstad
8 min read

Business Central can run and distribute reports automatically using the Job Queue. Instead of generating reports manually each week, you can schedule them to run at a set time and deliver the output by email or store it in the Report Inbox.

This guide covers how to set up scheduled reports, configure saved report settings, assign layouts, and route output to the right recipients.

Understand the Report Inbox

The Report Inbox is where scheduled reports land when they complete. Users can open it to view or download reports that ran in the background.

  1. Search for Report Inbox using Alt + Q.
  2. Open any entry to view the report output.

Reports stay in the inbox until deleted. This is useful for reports that run overnight so users can review them the next morning without re-running them manually.

Save Report Settings on the Request Page

Before scheduling a report, configure how you want it to run using the Request Page.

  1. Open any standard report, for example, Customer - Balance to Date.
  2. On the Request Page, set your filters, options, and date ranges.
  3. Select Save Settings and give the setting set a name.

Saved settings can be loaded each time the report runs, including from scheduled tasks. This means the scheduled job picks up the correct filters automatically.

Schedule a Report via the Job Queue

The Job Queue is the main mechanism for scheduling automated tasks, including reports.

  1. Search for Job Queue Entries using Alt + Q.
  2. Select New to create a new entry.
  3. Set Object Type to Run to Report.
  4. Set Object ID to Run to the report number you want to schedule.
  5. In the Report Request Page Options field, select the saved settings you configured earlier.
  6. Configure the Recurrence settings:
    • Set Run on Mondays, Run on Tuesdays, etc. as needed.
    • Set the Earliest Start Date/Time to control when the first run occurs.
  7. Set Status to Ready.

Once the entry is active and the Business Central service is running, the report executes automatically at the scheduled time.

Send Reports by Email Automatically

Reports can be emailed to recipients automatically when the job runs.

  1. On the Job Queue Entry, expand the Report Output Type section.
  2. Set Report Output Type to Email.
  3. Enter the recipient addresses in the Email Body or configure them through the report’s own email settings.

Some reports, such as statements and invoices, have dedicated email fields on their Request Page. For those, the Request Page settings control where the output goes.

For general-purpose reports, you can also route output to PDF and store it in the Report Inbox, then use a separate notification step.

Set a Report Layout

Business Central supports both RDLC and Word layouts for reports. You can assign different layouts per report and per use case.

  1. Search for Report Layout Selection using Alt + Q.
  2. Find the report you want to configure.
  3. In the Layout Type column, choose RDLC, Word, or External (for custom layouts).
  4. Select the specific layout in the Layout Name column.

RDLC layouts offer more precise formatting control and are common for financial documents. Word layouts are easier to edit without developer tools and work well for templates that non-developers maintain.

You can also manage layouts per company if you have multiple companies with different branding requirements.

Custom Layouts per Document Type

Business Central allows different layouts to be assigned for different document types within the same report.

  1. Search for Custom Report Layouts using Alt + Q.
  2. Select New Layout to create a copy of the built-in layout for a specific report.
  3. Edit the layout in Word or the RDLC designer.
  4. Return to Report Layout Selection and assign the custom layout to the report.

This is common when different customer groups receive invoices with different formats, or when different languages require adapted templates.

Review Sent Documents

Sent documents, invoices, reminders, statements, are archived automatically in Business Central.

  1. Search for Sent Documents using Alt + Q, or navigate to Posted Sales Invoices and find the Sent column.
  2. Open any posted document to see whether it was emailed and when.

The archive covers documents sent through the built-in email functionality. It does not capture emails sent outside of Business Central.

RDLC vs Word Layouts

Layout TypeBest ForEditable Without Dev Tools
RDLCComplex formatting, financial documentsNo, requires Visual Studio or Report Builder
WordCustomer-facing documents, templatesYes, edits in Microsoft Word
ExternalCustom layouts deployed as extensionsDepends on implementation

For automated reports that run in the background, either layout type works. The choice depends on who maintains the layout and how complex the formatting needs to be.

To control which users can configure job queue entries and report settings, see How to Configure Security Groups in Business Central.