Search Company Data within Business Central

🎯 Search Company Data Like a Pro

Ever find yourself thinking, “I know that record exists somewhere… I just can’t remember where I saw it”? We’ve all been there—and now, thanks to a slick new feature in Dynamics 365 Business Central, those days of endless clicking and guessing are (mostly) over.

With the “Search company data” functionality introduced in the 2023 Release Wave 1, Business Central is now giving you a faster, smarter way to find what you need—across your entire company database.

🔍 So, what is it?

The Search company data feature lets you search across multiple tables at once, without needing to know exactly where something is stored. Think of it like Ctrl + F, but across your whole business. You can now find records, entries, and pages that match a specific keyword, all from one place.

This isn’t just a search for pages or reports (like the classic “Tell Me” feature)—this is a full-blown search through your actual company data. For example, you can type in an invoice number, a vendor name, or a product SKU, and Business Central will show you every place that info appears—whether it's in sales orders, posted documents, or item records.

🚀 Why this matters

This feature is a big win for:

• New users, who may not know where data lives in the system yet

• Support teams, who need to investigate and cross-reference info quickly

• Busy humans, who just want answers without digging through 17 screens

It reduces clicks, saves time, and makes Business Central feel even more intuitive.

🧠 How it works

You’ll find the new “Search company data” option directly in the Tell Me window (aka Alt + Q). Just type in your search term, and select the new search option from the list. Business Central will return a filtered list of matches from relevant tables—along with the context of where those results live.

You can even click into the results to go directly to the source record. No breadcrumbs, no wild goose chases.

Example:

Here, I am searching for "Yellow"

I will select "Search Company Data." You can see with the yellow highlights, that the term "yellow" was matched with the records from the Items, Posted Sales Invoices, Posted Purchas Invoices, etc.

In the red rectangle you will see "Set up where to search." Select this to view and select other tables to include in the search.

When the new window opens you need to untoggle "Show only search enabled lists." Check the additional tables, then close the window.

After you have closed the windows, refresh your search by choosing "Start search" in the upper left-hand side. This will refresh your list and you should see any newly linked entries.

🛠 A few things to know

• Not every single table is searchable—Microsoft has curated a list of tables where search makes the most sense (and where it performs well).

• It’s optimized for speed and security, so it respects permissions and won’t expose records you don’t have access to.

• You can toggle which tables are included in the search from the Search Setup page, giving admins control over what gets indexed.

• 
  

🌟 Final thoughts

The “Search company data” feature is one of those small-but-mighty upgrades that makes a big difference in day-to-day usability. Whether you're chasing down a rogue invoice number or trying to verify a customer's history, this new search functionality helps you get to the answer faster—no detective hat required.

Go ahead, give it a try. You might just find what you didn’t even know you were looking for!