Business Central Version 29 Is Here: What's New in 2026 Release Wave 2 (and What to Do Before Your Update)

What matters to a business owner

1. 01AI assistants get more useful: a new Copilot chat (public preview) and more AI agents that handle repetitive work such as matching purchase orders and checking expenses.
2. 02Online selling gets smoother: better Shopify handling for orders, returns, exchanges, and business-to-business (B2B) pricing.
3. 03Reports get easier to design and brand.
4. 04One old connection method is being switched off: if any of your tools talk to Business Central through "SOAP" web services on Microsoft pages, they will stop working in version 29. Check this first.
5. 05Microsoft schedules your update, so test before it lands, not after.

1. 01Online customers are updated automatically inside an update window your administrator can set in the Business Central admin center. The online rollout continues into early 2027.
2. 02On-premises customers choose when to upgrade. If you are on version 24 or earlier, you must first move to version 25, then to 29. Versions 25 to 28 can go directly.
3. 03Not every feature arrives on day one. Some are fully available, others are in preview. We flag which is which below.

1. 01Copilot chat (public preview). Ask questions in everyday language and get answers about your business data. It respects each person's permissions, and its interaction with Business Central data is read-only, so asking a question will not create, change, or delete records. Reaching Microsoft 365 work data may need a separate Microsoft 365 Copilot license.
2. 02Payables Agent improvements. Better matching of purchase order lines to supplier invoices: fewer hours of "does this invoice match that order?"
3. 03Expense Agent growth. Policy checks, approvals, and mileage rates that can vary by date range and vehicle type.
4. 04Agent control. One place to see tasks from all agents, easier permission management, and the ability to review AI-generated content right on the page where you work.
5. 05Data queries for AI tools. The MCP Server lets compatible AI tools query Business Central data without custom APIs.

1. 01Better handling of order changes, exchanges, and refunds
2. 02Support for B2B companies, catalogs, and customer-specific pricing
3. 03Help preventing conflicting prices from syncing
4. 04An updated, more secure connection to Shopify's newer API

1. 01Quote-to-cash in one system: quotes, orders, stock checks, shipping, invoicing, payments, and financial reporting connected together
2. 02Service tracking (Premium): service items, orders, contracts, and billing linked to inventory and finance
3. 03Automation with Power Automate: approvals, notifications, and data movement

If your main need is...

1. 01Quotes, stock, shipping, invoicing, and accounting in one place: Business Central.
2. 02Lead tracking, deal stages, sales forecasting, relationship management: Dynamics 365 Sales (often paired with Business Central).
3. 03Support cases, queues, knowledge base, multichannel customer support: Dynamics 365 Customer Service.
4. 04Servicing equipment, repairs, and contracts tied to billing and parts: Business Central Service Management (Premium).

1. 01Ask your IT team or Business Central partner to review the Web Services page for SOAP endpoints.
2. 02Move those connections to built-in APIs or OData (or custom extension pages).
3. 03Test in a sandbox before your update window.

1. 01Confirm your version, deployment type, licenses, and update window in the admin center.
2. 02List everything connected: extensions, custom reports, integrations, Dataverse mappings, Shopify, Power Automate flows.
3. 03Check for SOAP endpoints and plan the replacement.
4. 04Create a sandbox copy and run the update there first.
5. 05Test your sales flow: Customer, Quote, Order, Shipment, Invoice, Payment, including returns, credit memos, stock shortages, and pricing.
6. 06Test your service flow (Premium): Customer, Service Item, Service Order, Parts and Labor, Completion, Invoice, including contracts and warranty.
7. 07Test Shopify and Dataverse sync: errors, permissions, and reconciliation.
8. 08Pilot AI features separately and review the preview terms.
9. 09Clean your data: duplicate customers and messy item records hurt automation and AI equally.
10. 10Train users, plan rollback where applicable, and monitor closely after go-live.

1. 01AI is only as good as your data and permissions. Garbage in, shiny garbage out.
2. 02Preview features can change before they are final.
3. 03Integrations need an owner. Mapping fields is easy; maintaining them is the real job.
4. 04Premium-only features cannot be assumed for Essentials users.

1. 01When is Business Central 2026 release wave 2 released? Version 29.0 is the October 2026 major release. New environments get it first, and existing online environments are updated in their scheduled window, with the online rollout continuing into early 2027.
2. 02Will the update break my integrations? Possibly, if they rely on SOAP endpoints for Microsoft pages. Most standard integrations continue to work, which is why sandbox testing matters.
3. 03Is Copilot in Business Central safe to use? Copilot chat respects user permissions and is read-only for Business Central data. It is a public preview, so pilot it first and review the terms.
4. 04Does Business Central Essentials include Service Management? No. Service Management requires the Premium experience.
5. 05Do I need Dynamics 365 Sales if I have Business Central? Only if you need advanced pipeline management, forecasting, and relationship tools. Many distributors run well on Business Central alone.
6. 06Can small businesses benefit from version 29? Yes. Smaller teams often gain the most from automating repetitive work like invoice matching and expense checks.
7. 07Does version 29 affect my Shopify store connection? If you use the Shopify connector, update before December 31, 2026 so it stays on a supported Shopify API version.