In Dynamics 365 Business Central, managing user access is critical, but it’s not just about what users can do. It’s also about what data they can see.

Standard permissions control what actions users can take (like read, insert, modify, or delete) at the table level. However, they don’t control which specific records within those tables users can access.

Security filters add an extra layer by limiting access at the record level—so users can only view or work with specific data within a table, based on defined criteria.

Without that level of control, users may see data that isn’t relevant to their role, which can lead to confusion or potential compliance concerns.

In this month’s Business Central Tip of the Month, we’ll explore how security filters provide an added layer of control by restricting access to specific data within tables, helping organizations improve data security and ensure users only see what they need.

Tip summary: Control data visibility with security filters

Security filters in Business Central enable record-level security, allowing you to limit which data users can access within a table. Instead of giving users visibility into all records, you can define filters that restrict access based on specific fields, such as customer, salesperson, or location.

For example, you can configure a user to only see sales records tied to their salesperson code, ensuring they don’t have visibility into other users’ data.

Security filters are applied through permission sets, giving administrators a flexible and scalable way to enforce data access policies across the organization.

This level of control helps:

• Protect sensitive data
• Improve user focus by reducing irrelevant information
• Support compliance and audit requirements

Steps: How to set up security filters in Business Central

Step 1: Open Permission Sets

1. Use the Search (magnifying glass) in Business Central.
2. Navigate to Permission Sets.
3. Select the permission set you want to modify.

Note: If a permission set has a Type of Extension or System, it cannot be edited. Only User-Defined permission sets can be modified to add security filters.

Step 2: Access table permissions

1. Within the permission set, select Permissions.
2. Locate the table you want to apply a filter to (for example, Customer, Sales Header, or Vendor).

Step 3: Define the Security Filter

1. In the Security Filter column, select the field to open the Table Filter page.
2. Choose the Field Number (such as Salesperson Code or Location Code).
3. Enter the Field Filter value to limit access (for example, a specific code or range).
4. Save the filter.

This defines which records the user can access within that table.

Step 4: Assign the permission set

Assign the updated permission set to the appropriate users or user groups. Once applied, users will only see records that meet the defined filter criteria.

Step 5: Test and validate

After setup, test the user experience to confirm that data visibility is working as expected and aligns with your security requirements.

Why this tip matters

Security Filters enhance data security in Business Central by controlling not just what users can do, but what data they can see. By limiting access to relevant records, organizations can reduce risk, improve usability, and ensure users stay focused on the information that matters most.

If you’d like help configuring security filters, reviewing your permission structure, or optimizing data access in your Business Central environment, our Business Central experts are here to help. Contact us today to strengthen your system’s security and usability and be sure to check back next month for another Tip of the Month.