A Guide to Reading API Pages in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central provides a robust API framework that allows seamless integration with other systems and applications. Reading data from API pages in Business Central is a common requirement for businesses looking to automate processes, consolidate data, or connect Business Central with third-party applications. This article provides an in-depth guide to understanding and working with API pages in Business Central.

Table of Contents

1. What Are API Pages in Business Central?
2. Advantages of Using API Pages in Business Central
3. Why Use API Pages Over OData Pages in Business Central?
4. Getting Started with Business Central APIs
   1. Setting Up API Access
   2. Exploring API Pages
5. How to Read Data from API Pages
   1. Sending a GET Request
   2. Filtering and Querying Data
6. Best Practices for Reading API Pages
7. Common Use Cases for Reading API Pages
8. Integrating Business Central API Pages via Rapidi
9. Conclusion
10. FAQ

What Are API Pages in Business Central?

API pages are a type of web service endpoints provided by Business Central that allow external systems to interact with the data stored within the application. These pages expose Business Central data in a structured format, typically as JSON, making it easy to integrate with other applications via HTTP requests.

API pages in Business Central are distinct from standard pages, as they are designed for programmatic access rather than user interaction.

Advantages of Using API Pages in Business Central

API pages in Business Central offer several advantages that make them a critical tool for businesses:

1. Standardized Access: They provide a consistent and reliable way to access Business Central data using RESTful principles, which simplifies integration with modern applications and systems.
2. Real-Time Data: API pages enable real-time access to Business Central data, ensuring that connected applications always have the latest information.
3. Customizable and Extendable: Developers can create custom API pages tailored to specific business needs, allowing for flexibility and scalability.
4. OData Support: The use of OData query parameters allows filtering, sorting, and pagination, making data retrieval efficient and optimized for performance.
5. Cross-Platform Compatibility: Business Central APIs can be used with a wide variety of programming languages and tools, enabling integration with cloud services, mobile apps, and desktop solutions.
6. Secure Communication: The APIs support OAuth 2.0 authentication and HTTPS protocols, ensuring secure access to sensitive data.

These benefits make API pages an ideal choice for organizations seeking to enhance connectivity, streamline operations, and improve data-driven decision-making.

Why Use API Pages Over OData Pages in Business Central?

While both API pages and OData pages serve as web service endpoints in Business Central, API pages offer distinct advantages over OData pages:

1. Purpose-Built for Integration: API pages are designed explicitly for programmatic access and system-to-system integration. They are streamlined to expose only the essential fields and functionalities, reducing complexity and enhancing performance.
2. Improved Performance: API pages are lighter and better optimized for integration scenarios than OData pages, which can incur additional overhead due to their broader scope and flexibility.
3. Versioning and Extensibility: Business Central's API framework supports versioning, allowing developers to maintain backward compatibility when updates are made. This feature is not as robust in OData services.
4. Consistency Across Environments: API pages provide a uniform and predictable structure, making them more suitable for modern development practices and tools that expect RESTful APIs.
5. Built-In Authentication and Security: API pages leverage OAuth 2.0 and are better aligned with modern security standards than traditional OData endpoints, which may require additional configurations for similar security levels.
6. Ecosystem Compatibility: Many third-party tools, middleware, and integration platforms are optimized for REST APIs, making API pages more compatible with external systems.

For businesses focused on integrations, scalability, and performance, API pages are generally the preferred choice over OData pages.

Getting Started with Business Central APIs

1. Setting Up API Access

Before accessing API pages, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

• Authentication: Set up OAuth 2.0 authentication for secure API access. Azure Active Directory (AAD) is commonly used for this purpose.
• User Permissions: Ensure the user accessing the API has appropriate permissions. Assign the necessary roles in Business Central to grant access to the data.

API URL Structure:

Business Central exposes two main types of endpoints:

• OData endpoints (legacy) under /ODataV4/
• Modern Business Central API endpoints under /api/v2.0/

The recommended structure for the Business Central API pages is:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/<tenant_id>/<environment_name>/api/v2.0/

Example – retrieving companies:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/<tenant_id>/<environment_name>/api/v2.0/companies

The /api/v2.0/ path is versioned and optimized for integrations, whereas /ODataV4/ is used for OData web services created within Business Central.

2. Exploring API Pages

Microsoft provides a wide range of predefined API pages that you can use directly. Examples include:

• Companies: Retrieves details about companies in Business Central.
• Customers: Fetches customer information.
• Items: Provides details on inventory items.

Discovering Available APIs

To list all available API pages in your environment, you can send a GET request to:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/<tenant_id>/<environment_name>/api/v2.0/

This returns a catalog of all published API endpoints, including their entity names and version numbers.

To learn more, please visit Microsoft's Business Central API documentation.

How to Read Data from API Pages

It's easier than you think to read data from an API page; you simply need to send an HTTP GET request. It's a straightforward process that you'll quickly become familiar with. However, please keep in mind that with Rapidi, you don't need to manually handle HTTP requests – API page connectivity is already embedded. Specify the correct endpoint URL in your Rapidi connection setup, and Rapidi will automatically read and process the data from the Business Central API.

1. Sending a GET Request

To read data from an API page, use an HTTP GET request.

Example Request:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/<tenant_id>/<environment>/api/v2.0/companies

Response:

{
  "value": [
    {
      "id": "12345678-1234-1234-1234-1234567890ab",
      "name": "Cronus International Ltd.",
      "address": "1234 Main St",
      "city": "London",
      "country": "UK"
    }
  ]
}

2. Filtering and Querying Data

Business Central APIs are designed to put you in control. They fully support OData query parameters, allowing you to filter, sort, and paginate data as needed.

Example with Filtering:

https://api.businesscentral.dynamics.com/v2.0/<tenant_id>/<environment>/api/v2.0/customers?$filter=displayName eq 'CRONUS International Ltd.'

Best Practices for Reading API Pages

1. Secure Your APIs: Always use HTTPS and ensure proper authentication methods, such as OAuth 2.0, to secure API endpoints. This ensures that your data is always safe and protected.
2. Optimize Queries: Use OData query parameters like $filter, $select, and $top to limit the data returned and reduce the payload size.
3. Handle Throttling: Business Central enforces API request limits. If you encounter a 429 Too Many Requests response, implement retries with exponential backoff.
4. Monitor API Usage: Regularly monitor API usage to ensure it aligns with Business Central licensing and does not exceed limits.

Common Use Cases for Reading API Pages

1. Data Integration: Synchronize Business Central data with other ERP systems, CRMs, or custom applications.
2. Reporting: Extract data for external reporting tools like Power BI or Tableau.
3. Automation: Automate workflows by fetching real-time data from Business Central.

Integrating Business Central API Pages via Rapidi

Rapidi is fully compatible with Business Central API pages, allowing companies to connect Business Central with other systems such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or legacy ERPs.

Unlike older OData web services, API pages in Business Central are REST-based and lightweight, making them ideal for high-volume and real-time integrations.

Rapidi can read and write data directly through these API endpoints and handle features such as filtering, pagination, and delta logic.

This compatibility enables seamless synchronization of tables or data entities such as Customers, Items, or Sales Orders — all while maintaining security and performance.

Conclusion

Reading API pages in Business Central is an important skill for businesses aiming to take full advantage of their ERP system. With the proper setup and best practices, you can efficiently access and get the most out of your data in Business Central to drive integrations, reporting, and automation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Authentication & Setup

API Endpoints & Structure

Filtering & Querying

Error Handling & Rate Limiting

Custom APIs

Troubleshooting