When integrating with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, every implementation is unique —especially when it comes to requirements for extracting, tracking, or syncing data. Whether you’re pulling large volumes of records, monitoring real-time changes, or connecting across multiple companies, SmartConnect offers a suite of powerful data sources tailored to your specific needs.
If you’re new to D365 Business Central APIs, I recommend starting with our Introduction to Business Central APIs before diving in. Throughout this post, I’ll reference different API types to help clarify what’s possible with SmartConnect.
In this post, we’ll break down the most popular SmartConnect data sources for D365 Business Central— including when to use each and provide some real-world use cases. Let’s dive in and find the best fit for your integration scenario.
Bulk Data Source Types
The Dynamics 365 Business Central Bulk OData Query data source is our most popular data source for extracting data from D365 Business Central. It is easy to use and will incorporate custom fields and logic without additional development.
Framework – Can be either Query or Page data types.
Use Cases
- Extracting a list of active item inventory levels filtered by location.
- Integrating with custom ISV solution fields and tables.
The OData API Query data source is our highest-performing option for bulk queries. It uses Microsoft’s most efficient APIs to retrieve data and supports accessing linked records.
Framework – Can be either Query or Page data types.
Use Cases
- Querying Posted Sales Invoices with linked Customer, Invoice Lines, and Item detail.
- Integrating with a custom ISV solution that provides 3rd-party APIs as part of their solution.
The Bulk Popdock Query data source is ideal for scenarios where the required data spans multiple D365 Business Central companies or environments. It enables you to easily merge data from multiple environments into a single query, allowing for streamlined many-to-one integrations.
Framework – Powered by Popdock’s BC API queries.
Use Cases
- Export all Customer Ledger Entries from multiple companies to a data warehouse.
- Compare D365 Business Central inventory level to a web shop and only update the web shop if the price or inventory is different than D365 Business Central.
Change Data Source
The Dynamics 365 Business Central Change data source is our most flexible option, providing table-level access to any D365 Business Central data. It’s ideal for tracking updated master data and detecting deleted records.
Framework – Raw table data that isn’t dependent on a Query or Page.
Use Cases
- Track changes to Customer record and push updates to a CRM Account.
- Track for deleted Sales Quotes and removing them from the CRM system.
Realtime Data Source (Webhooks)
The Dynamics 365 Business Central Real-time data source is powered by the D365 Business Central webhooks and is most popular for time -sensitive or event -driven data.
Framework– Only supported on API Page data types.
Use Cases
- Update customer support level in a helpdesk system when an invoice is created.
- Update a web shop in real-time when inventory level changes.
How Do I Get Started with Extracting Data from D365 Business Central?
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FAQs
Yes. Both SmartConnect supports custom APIs created through App Source apps or Per Tenant Extensions (PTE).
Yes. SmartConnect works with the on-premises version of Business Central through both the ODataV4 and API endpoints.
Yes. SmartConnect supports the Standard API v2.0 webhooks.
Support for 3rd-party custom webhooks will be added in late 2025.
Yes, but this requires custom development to enable the functionality.