Global rules define the default merge behavior for each document type. They determine which documents are automatically included when you print or email a sales order, invoice, purchase order, or other supported document.
Global rules are Level 1 in the rule hierarchy. They apply to all documents of a given type unless overridden by partner rules.
Open the global rules list
Choose the Search icon (Alt+Q), enter Doc. Merge Global Rules, and then choose the related link.
Alternatively, open the Doc. Merge Setup page and choose the Global Rules action.
Create a new rule
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On the Doc. Merge Global Rules page, choose the New Rule action.
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On the Doc. Merge Global Rule Card, fill in the fields as described in the following sections.
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Set the Active field to Yes when the rule is ready to use.
General fields
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Document Type |
The document type this rule applies to, for example S.Invoice or P.Order. |
|
Sequence No. |
The position in the merge order. Sequence 1 is reserved for the main report. Additional documents start at sequence 2. |
|
Description |
A free-text description of the rule for your reference. |
|
Active |
Enables or disables the rule. Inactive rules are ignored during document list building. |
|
Attach Separately |
When enabled, the document matched by this rule is attached as a separate email file instead of being merged into the PDF. Learn more at Email handling. |
Source configuration
The Source Type field determines where the system looks for documents. Depending on the selected source type, different configuration fields become available.
Document Attachment
Matches files attached to the Business Central document through the standard Document Attachments feature.
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
File Name Pattern |
Wildcard pattern to match file names. Use |
|
Exclude File Name Pattern |
Comma-separated patterns to exclude. For example: |
|
File Type Filter |
Filter by file extension, for example |
Examples:
|
Pattern |
Matches |
|---|---|
|
|
All files |
|
|
Contract_2024.pdf, Contract-signed.pdf |
|
|
All PDF files (alternatively, use the File Type Filter) |
|
|
Invoice_0001.pdf, Invoice_2024.pdf |
Incoming Document
Matches files linked through the Business Central Incoming Documents feature.
The same pattern matching fields are available as for Document Attachment.
BC Report
Includes a rendered Business Central report as PDF. You can specify the report directly or use a report reference template.
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Report ID |
The ID of the report to render. Use this for direct report inclusion. |
|
Report Reference Entry No. |
Links to a report reference template for cross-document lookups (for example, including shipment notes with an invoice). |
Important Report ID and Report Reference are mutually exclusive. Use one or the other, not both.
Learn more about report references at Set up report references.
Static Document
Includes a pre-uploaded document from the Static Documents list.
|
Field |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Static Document Code |
The code of the static document to include. |
Learn more at Set up static documents.
Configuration status
The rule card displays a Configuration Status indicator:
|
Status |
Meaning |
|---|---|
|
Ready |
The rule is fully configured and active. |
|
Incomplete |
Required fields are missing for the selected source type. |
|
Inactive |
The rule is disabled (Active = No). |
Reorder rules
On the Doc. Merge Global Rules list page, use the Move Up and Move Down actions to change the sequence order. The sequence determines the position of documents in the merged PDF.
Delete a rule
On the Doc. Merge Global Rules list page, select the rule and choose the Delete Rule action.
Note Deleting a global rule does not affect existing document lists that were already built from that rule. To update existing documents, use the Rebuild action on the document composition.