business-central-mcp

bc_query

Read-only

Query Business Central records in bulk via OData with server-side filtering, sorting, and field selection. Fetch many sales orders, customers, or G/L entries without UI navigation.

Instructions

Reads records from Business Central in bulk using the Standard API v2.0 (OData/REST on port 7048). Use bc_query for efficient server-side filtered, sorted, and projected reads over many records — for example, fetching all open sales orders, listing customers in a city, or pulling G/L entries for a date range. This is far more efficient than using bc_open_page + bc_read_data for bulk reads because filtering and projection happen on the server before any data is transferred.

When to use bc_query: structured data retrieval over standard BC entities, when you need 2+ records with specific field selection, when you want server-side filter/sort/OData operators ($filter, $select, $top, $orderby, $expand), or when you need to inspect a large dataset without driving the BC UI. Entity names are BC Standard API v2.0 names (camelCase): customers, vendors, items, salesOrders, salesInvoices, purchaseOrders, purchaseInvoices, generalLedgerEntries, accounts, journals, journalLines, companies, employees, dimensions, dimensionValues, currencies, paymentTerms, shipmentMethods, paymentMethods, countriesRegions, unitsOfMeasure, taxGroups, contacts. Pass filter as OData $filter syntax (e.g., "city eq 'London'", "amount gt 1000", "postingDate ge 2024-01-01"). Pass select as comma-separated field names (e.g., "number,displayName,city") to limit response size. top defaults to 100 if omitted — pass explicitly to get more or fewer rows. Queries are company-scoped automatically; pass company to target a specific company (see bc_list_companies). The special "companies" entity is the one exception — it is the top-level environment list (not company-scoped), so the company parameter is ignored for it; query it to discover available companies.

When NOT to use bc_query: do not use for UI-driven flows (navigating pages, clicking buttons, filling forms — use bc_open_page + bc_execute_action for those). Do not use bc_query for posting, writing, or triggering BC business logic — OData reads are read-only; use bc_write_data and bc_execute_action for mutations. Do not use for custom/extension entities not in the Standard API v2.0 — those require the UI WebSocket tools. Auth: on-prem NavUserPassword uses HTTP Basic; BC Online (SaaS) uses device-code — when sign-in is needed the tool returns DEVICE_LOGIN_REQUIRED with a verification URL and code to show the user, and a retry after they sign in runs the query. bc_query does not need a /csh WebSocket session and does not open the SaaS sign-in window.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`top`	No	Maximum number of rows to return. Defaults to 100 if omitted to prevent accidental full-table scans. Pass explicitly to get more rows.
`entity`	Yes	BC Standard API v2.0 entity name (camelCase). Examples: customers, vendors, items, salesOrders, salesInvoices, purchaseOrders, generalLedgerEntries, accounts, companies, employees. See BC Standard API docs for the full list.
`expand`	No	OData $expand for related entities. Examples: "salesLines", "customer($select=displayName)". Use sparingly — expanded entities increase response size significantly.
`filter`	No	OData $filter expression for server-side filtering. Examples: "city eq 'London'", "amount gt 1000", "postingDate ge 2024-01-01 and postingDate le 2024-12-31", "contains(displayName, 'Contoso')". Applied by BC before returning data.
`select`	No	Comma-separated OData $select field names to limit response size. Examples: "number,displayName,city", "id,amount,postingDate". Omit to return all fields.
`company`	No	Override the BC company name for this query. Defaults to the server-configured company (BC_ODATA_COMPANY or first available company). Use when querying a specific company in a multi-company BC environment.
`orderby`	No	OData $orderby expression. Examples: "displayName asc", "postingDate desc", "amount desc,number asc".

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`rows`	Yes
`count`	No
`entity`	Yes
`hasMore`	Yes
`cappedAt`	No
`rowCount`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed1 schema field changedv2.0.0Oct 15, 2026

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "cappedAt": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "count": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "entity": {
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "hasMore": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "rowCount": {
+      "type": "number"
+    },
+    "rows": {
+      "items": {},
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "entity",
+    "rows",
+    "rowCount",
+    "hasMore"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

First observedv1.5.0Jul 29, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations establish read-only/openWorld, but the description adds substantial behavior beyond them: the auth models (HTTP Basic for on-prem NavUserPassword vs device-code for BC Online), the DEVICE_LOGIN_REQUIRED return with verification URL/code, and the fact that it needs no /csh WebSocket session and does not open the SaaS sign-in window. This is exactly the extra context annotations cannot carry.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose, usage, exclusions, and auth are clearly front-loaded in labeled blocks, and every section carries information an agent needs. It is verbose, however, and the entity list and OData examples partially restate the schema, adding some redundancy to an already long description.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 7-parameter read tool with an output schema, the description covers everything needed to call it correctly: entity scope, filter/projection syntax, pagination default (top=100), company scoping, the 'companies' exception, auth flow, and explicit exclusions. Return values are correctly left to the output schema.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the structured baseline is 3; the description still adds value with a full camelCase entity enumeration, OData $filter/$select/$top/$orderby usage examples, and the subtle 'companies' exception where the company parameter is ignored. These go beyond what the schema alone conveys, though some OData examples duplicate the schema descriptions.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

Opens with a specific verb+resource+mechanism: 'Reads records from Business Central in bulk using the Standard API v2.0 (OData/REST on port 7048).' It explicitly contrasts itself with sibling tool combinations (bc_open_page + bc_read_data) and explains why the agent would choose it, so it is distinguishable without opening any schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Dedicated 'When to use' and 'When NOT to use' sections name concrete alternatives: bc_open_page + bc_execute_action for UI flows, bc_write_data/bc_execute_action for mutations, and the UI WebSocket tools for custom entities. The selection conditions (2+ records, field projection, server-side filter/sort) are explicit rather than inferred.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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