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Control access to Business Central using security groups

Note

Azure Active Directory is now Microsoft Entra ID. Learn more

Security groups make it easier for administrators to manage user permissions. For example, for Business Central online, they're reusable across Dynamics 365 applications, such as SharePoint Online, CRM Online, and Business Central. Administrators add permissions to their Business Central security groups, and when they add users to the group the permissions apply to all members. For example, an administrator can create a Business Central security group that gives salespeople the ability to create and post sales orders. Or, let purchasers do the same for purchase orders.

Note

This article describes how to grant certain permissions to users based on their membership of a security group. To control whether users can access an environment based on their membership of a security group, see Manage Access to Environments.

Business Central online and on-premises

You can use security groups for the online and on-premises versions of Business Central. Depending on your version, create groups in one of the following ways:

Afterward, create a corresponding security group in Business Central, and then link it to the group you created. To learn more, go to Add a security group in Business Central.

Note

If you've set up a special type of user with a Windows Group license type in a version of Business Central on-prem that's earlier than 2023 release wave 1, when you upgrade Business Central converts the user to a security group. The new security group has the same name as the Windows group name. The security group gives you a better overview of the group members and their effective permissions.

Add a security group in Business Central

  1. Choose the Lightbulb that opens the Tell Me feature 1. icon, enter Security Groups, and then choose the related link.

  2. Choose New to create a group.

  3. Create the link to your group, as follows:

    • For Business Central online, choose the group in the Microsoft Entra security group name field.
    • For Business Central on-premises, choose the group in the Windows group name field.

Note

The users show in the Members card on the FactBox pane or the Security Group Members page only if they're added as users in Business Central. To learn more about adding users, go to To add users or update user information and license assignments in Business Central.

Assign permissions to a security group

  1. On the Security Groups page, choose the group, and then choose the Permissions action.

  2. Assign permissions in the following ways:

    • To assign permission sets individually, in the Permission Set field, choose the permissions to assign.
    • To assign multiple permission sets, choose the Add multiple action, and then choose the sets to assign.

  3. If you want the permission sets to apply only to a specific company, set the Company column to that company. If you want the permission set to apply to all companies, leave the Company column blank. Learn more.

Create Users According to Licenses
Set Up Business Central Access in Teams with Microsoft 365 Licenses
Learn about groups and access rights in Microsoft Entra ID
Microsoft Entra security groups