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Why files end up scattered across four places
Every team attaches something. AP attaches the supplier's PDF to the purchase invoice. Sales attaches a signed quote, and operations attaches a certificate of conformity to an item. Over a few years, the same kinds of documents spread out. They sit in the Business Central database, personal OneDrive folders, an old shared drive, and a SharePoint site from the last migration.
The cost shows up at audit time and at month end. An auditor asks for the invoice behind a posted entry and someone has to search. A customer disputes a delivery and the signed proof sits in a salesperson's inbox. Meanwhile, attachments inside Business Central count toward database storage. You can see that capacity limit in the Business Central admin center.
An integration project is really a filing decision first and a technical build second. First learn which documents record a transaction, who needs to open them, and how long you must keep them. After that, the tooling choice is usually obvious.
Questions to answer before choosing a design
- ✓Which document types must open from the ERP record in one click
- ✓Who outside Business Central, such as auditors or project managers, needs read access
- ✓How long you keep each type, and who may delete it
- ✓Whether you name files by document number, vendor, customer or project
- ✓Which SharePoint metadata columns should mirror Business Central fields
- ✓What happens to attachments already stored in the database
Three ways to connect records and libraries
Microsoft's own file features
Recent Business Central releases work with OneDrive for opening and sharing files. They also include an external file storage framework with a SharePoint connector for some scenarios.
- ✓Nothing extra to host or pay for
- ✓Check which scenarios your version covers before designing around it
- ✓Little control over folder structure and metadata
Power Automate flows
A flow copies a file to a library when someone creates or posts a record. It then writes the link or key fields back to Business Central.
- ✓Good fit for scanned invoices and signed documents
- ✓Needs a named flow owner and error alerts
- ✓You choose the library structure and columns
AL extension calling Microsoft Graph
Code inside Business Central uploads files to SharePoint through Microsoft Graph and stores a link on the record.
- ✓Upload happens in the same action as attaching
- ✓Suits strict naming and folder rules
- ✓You maintain the extension through Business Central updates
A filing plan that suits most mid-sized finance teams
Moving existing attachments without losing the trail
- 1
Measure what is there
Report attachments by table, file type and size, so you know whether this is a tidy-up or a real migration.
- 2
Agree the target structure
Create libraries, folders and metadata columns first, and test permissions with one person from each team.
- 3
Move in batches with a log
Export files with their record keys, upload them, and keep a log pairing each file with its new link.
- 4
Replace, then remove
Write the link back to the record and confirm it opens before you delete the database copy. Start with a single document type.
SharePoint and Business Central questions we hear
Does Business Central store attachments in SharePoint automatically?
Not by default, because Business Central saves standard attachments in its own database. Microsoft has added OneDrive features and an external file storage framework that can use SharePoint in some scenarios. These change between releases. For anything beyond that, a Business Central SharePoint integration uses a flow or an extension to move files and store links. We design it once you agree your filing rules.
Will users need a separate SharePoint licence?
Only if their current Microsoft 365 plan does not include SharePoint, which most business plans do. Check user by user rather than assuming, especially for people on frontline or lower-tier plans. You can give external people such as auditors guest access to one library. Confirm current licence terms on Microsoft's site or with your licensing partner.
Can SharePoint permissions follow Business Central permissions?
No, the two permission models are separate, so you secure each library on its own terms. In practice that means grouping files by who may see them, for example keeping payroll-related documents out of a general finance library. We map Business Central roles to SharePoint groups during design so nobody gains access by accident.
More Business Central SharePoint integration questions
Is it worth moving old attachments out of the database?
Often yes, when attachments take up a large share of database storage or when people without Business Central need them. A size report by table answers the question quickly. Many teams move open items and recent years and leave older attachments in place until their retention date passes.
What about files shared in Microsoft Teams?
Files posted in a Teams channel live in the SharePoint site behind that team, so the same library design applies. If finance or project teams live in Teams, pointing Business Central links at the team's library keeps everything in one place. It also means channel owners become part of your retention and permission plan.
Talk to us about your project.
Tell us what you run today and what has to change. A senior consultant replies with a written next step.