How-ToAdministration

Set Up Customer and Vendor Templates in Business Central

Configuration templates in Business Central let you define default values for customers and vendors, making data entry faster and ensuring new records are set up consistently.

Stein Sæstad
7 min read

When you create a large number of customers or vendors, entering the same posting groups, payment terms, and VAT settings on every record is time-consuming and prone to inconsistencies. Configuration templates solve this by letting you define a set of default field values that get applied automatically when a new record is created.

Templates are especially useful during data migrations and go-lives, but they are equally practical for ongoing use whenever a new customer or vendor is onboarded.

Accessing Configuration Templates

  1. Search for Configuration Templates using Alt + Q.
  2. The page lists existing templates. Each template targets a specific table, for customers, the table is Customer (18); for vendors, it is Vendor (23).

Creating a Customer Template

  1. On the Configuration Templates page, select New.
  2. Fill in the header fields:
    • Code: a short identifier, for example CUST-DOM for domestic customers.
    • Description: a readable name, for example Domestic Customer.
    • Table ID: enter 18 for the Customer table, or use the lookup to find it.
  3. In the Configuration Template Lines section, add a line for each field you want to pre-fill. For each line:
    • Field Name: select the field from the lookup (for example, Gen. Bus. Posting Group, VAT Bus. Posting Group, Customer Posting Group, Payment Terms Code, Payment Method Code, Currency Code).
    • Default Value: enter the value to apply (for example, DOMESTIC for Gen. Bus. Posting Group).

Typical fields to include in a customer template:

FieldExample Value
Gen. Bus. Posting GroupDOMESTIC
VAT Bus. Posting GroupDOMESTIC
Customer Posting GroupTRADE
Payment Terms Code30 DAYS
Payment Method CodeBANK
Currency Code(blank for local currency)
Reminder Terms CodeSTANDARD
Salesperson Code(optional)
  1. Select Save or close the page when done.

Creating a Vendor Template

The process is identical, but use Table ID 23 for the Vendor table. Typical fields for a vendor template:

FieldExample Value
Gen. Bus. Posting GroupDOMESTIC
VAT Bus. Posting GroupDOMESTIC
Vendor Posting GroupTRADE
Payment Terms Code14 DAYS
Payment Method CodeBANK
Currency Code(blank for local currency)
Purchase Code(optional)

Applying a Template When Creating a New Customer or Vendor

When you create a new customer, Business Central may prompt you to select a template automatically if templates exist for the Customer table. If not prompted:

  1. Open the new Customer Card or Vendor Card.
  2. From the ribbon, select Process > Apply Template (the exact label may vary by version, look for Apply Configuration Template).
  3. Select the template from the list.
  4. Select OK.

Business Central fills in all the fields defined in the template. You can then override individual fields as needed.

Applying a Template When Importing Customers or Vendors

During data migrations using Configuration Packages or RapidStart, you can assign a template to the import. Any fields not included in the import data will be filled by the template’s default values. This reduces the number of columns you need to prepare in your import file.

Updating Existing Records from a Template

You can also apply a template to records that already exist, which is useful when you need to update a group of customers or vendors with new default values.

  1. Open the Customers or Vendors list.
  2. Select the records you want to update (use shift-click or ctrl-click to select multiple).
  3. From the ribbon, select Process > Apply Template.
  4. Choose the template to apply.
  5. Confirm that you want to overwrite existing values.

Business Central updates the selected records with the template values. Only the fields defined in the template are changed, other fields are left as they are.

Notes on Template Maintenance

  • If your posting group structure changes, update the relevant templates to reflect the new defaults. Existing records are not changed unless you re-apply the template.
  • You can create multiple templates for different customer or vendor types, for example, separate templates for domestic and international customers, or for intercompany vendors.
  • Templates do not validate business logic. Make sure the posting groups and payment terms you enter in the template actually exist in the system before applying the template.

To manage which users can create or modify customers and vendors, see How to Configure Security Groups in Business Central.