Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting Documentation
Index

System Requirements

This page outlines the technical requirements for running Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting in your Business Central environment.

Business Central Version

Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting requires:

Component Minimum Version
Business Central server 28.x.x.x
AL runtime 17.x.x.x

Use Business Central 2026 release wave 1 (28.x.x.x) or later. The extension requires the AL runtime introduced with that release. See Microsoft's runtime compatibility table.

Version labels in this guide identify major release families. Install compatible updates within those families; Business Central checks the exact requirements carried by the app package.

The extension is compatible with:

  • Business Central Online (SaaS)
  • Business Central On-Premises

Deployment Options

Business Central Online (SaaS)

For cloud deployments:

  • The extension is available through Microsoft AppSource
  • No additional infrastructure required
  • Automatic updates through AppSource

Business Central On-Premises

For on-premises deployments:

  • Publish, synchronize and install the .app file using the Business Central Administration Shell — see Installation
  • Ensure your server meets the minimum version requirements
  • Configure API endpoints appropriately for your network

Licensing Requirements

Production Environments

A valid license key is required for all production environments. License keys are:

  • Tenant-specific (tied to your Azure AD tenant)
  • Environment-specific
  • Time-limited (subscription-based)

Sandbox Environments

Business Central Online sandboxes can use Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting without a license key for testing and development purposes. On-premises sandboxes require a key.

Only indicators and the API pages are license-gated; spreadsheets, report distribution and inter-company reporting work without a license.

Network Requirements

Outbound Connections

Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting makes outbound HTTPS connections to:

  • check.hougaardlicense.com - License validation service
  • api.github.com and raw.githubusercontent.com - Indicator Library Import (downloads the standard indicator definitions)
  • The AI provider endpoint you configure - the Spreadsheet Agent (via the AL AI Services app)
  • Application Insights ingestion - telemetry (license events only, see below)

If the environment blocks HttpClient requests for the app (a sandbox or on-premises setting), a Configuration Problem page appears asking you to turn on Allow HttpClient Requests for the Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting app in Extension Management; its link opens the app's settings directly. Firewall restrictions do not trigger this page — they surface as connection errors instead.

API Access

If using the Web Services features, ensure:

  • API endpoints are accessible from your network
  • Appropriate authentication is configured for external clients
  • Firewall rules allow inbound connections (for on-premises)

Browser Compatibility

Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting works with all browsers supported by Business Central:

  • Microsoft Edge (recommended)
  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari

Permissions

Users of Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting need:

  1. AFR_Hgd permission set (captioned Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting): Grants access to the app's tables and pages
  2. Standard Financial Reports permissions: Access to row definitions and column definitions
  3. Table-specific permissions: Read access to source tables, plus modification/insertion rights for editable regions — see Permissions Setup

Dependencies

Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting depends on three other apps:

App Publisher Required Major Version
AL Compiler and Interpreter Hougaard 5.x.x.x
AL AI Services Hougaard 5.x.x.x
Statistical Accounts Microsoft 26.x.x.x or later; use the version supplied with your BC release

AppSource installs the two Hougaard apps automatically; on-premises they must be published and installed before this app. Statistical Accounts is part of the standard Business Central application.

Performance Considerations

For optimal performance:

  • Use SumIndex fields where available for Sum calculations
  • Limit the number of records processed by using appropriate filters
  • Consider the complexity of indicators when designing reports
  • Test indicator performance using the built-in test feature

Telemetry

Advanced Spreadsheets and Reporting sends telemetry data to Application Insights for license validation events only (registration, check, expiry, error), tagged with the registration key. No business data is transmitted. The license check itself sends your tenant id, environment name and registration key to check.hougaardlicense.com.