Posting Preview (Preview Posting) shows you the types of entries Business Central will create before you post, so you can spot setup mistakes and avoid messy corrections.
Posting Preview Explained Badly
Posting a document in Business Central is a bit like releasing a swarm of tiny accountants into your database. Once they’re in, they start stamping entries everywhere: G/L, VAT, customer, vendor, inventory… like over-caffeinated librarians filing books into random shelves.
Posting Preview is you standing at the door with a clipboard saying, “Before you all charge in and redecorate my ledgers, show me what you’re planning.”
You press Preview Posting, and Business Central basically hands you a “spoiler” for your own financial future. You get to peek at the types of entries that would be created if you posted right now. If you notice something ugly—like VAT going somewhere suspicious, or the wrong posting group steering costs into the wrong place—you can step away from the cliff before you jump.
Think of it as a dress rehearsal. Same stage, same actors, none of the embarrassment is permanent.
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Posting Preview in Business Central (The Better Explanation)
In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Posting Preview (labelled in the product as Preview Posting) lets you simulate posting for a document or journal and then review the different types of entries that will be created – without actually posting anything.
Microsoft’s own guidance is clear: on documents and journals that can be posted, you can use Preview Posting to see what posting will create.
Where you’ll find it
You’ll typically see Preview Posting in the Posting action group on pages such as sales and purchase documents and many journals. It sits alongside actions like Post, Post and Send, and similar options.
What it’s actually useful for
Posting Preview helps you validate outcomes before you commit anything, especially when:
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You’ve changed posting setup (posting groups, VAT setup, inventory posting setup, dimensions rules)
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You’re troubleshooting why entries are landing in the “wrong” place
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You’re training users who post transactions and you’d rather they learn without detonating month-end
It’s not just “nice to have”. It’s the closest thing Business Central gives you to a safe, controlled “show me what will happen” button. If your team doesn’t use it, you’re basically choosing rework as a lifestyle.
Standard vs Extended Posting Preview
Business Central includes an enhanced experience often referred to as extended posting preview, designed to make large previews easier to read—especially around G/L and VAT. When this is enabled, you can preview posting using the Preview Posting action (and Microsoft notes a keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Alt+F9 in the extended context). The preview can also offer a hierarchical view to group entries for clearer review.
You can enable the newer display by setting Posting Preview Type to Extended in General Ledger Setup.
What Posting Preview does not do
Let’s be blunt: Posting Preview is a preview, not a time machine.
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It doesn’t post the document or journal.
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It doesn’t create ledger entries in your database.
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It won’t replace proper testing or good setup—but it massively reduces “post first, regret later”.
A practical habit worth stealing
Before posting anything high-impact (large invoices, purchase accruals, inventory adjustments, payroll journals), make Preview Posting part of the routine.
It’s faster than reversing entries, cleaner than audits full of corrections, and it makes you look like the adult in the room.
Posting Preview FAQs
What is Posting Preview (Preview Posting) in Business Central?
It simulates posting and shows the types of entries that Business Central will create when you post a document or journal, without actually posting.
Where can I find Preview Posting?
On most postable documents and journals, it’s in the Posting actions alongside options like Post and Post and Send.
Does Posting Preview create ledger entries?
No. It’s a simulation for review—no entries are committed to the ledgers.
What’s the difference between Standard and Extended posting preview?
Extended provides a clearer way to review large previews, including grouping for G/L and VAT and an optional hierarchical view for readability.
How do I enable Extended Posting Preview?
Go to General Ledger Setup and set Posting Preview Type to Extended.
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