User Types (BC Entity Mapping)

APD supports different user types through the Navision Type field, allowing portal users to be mapped to various Business Central entities.

Note: This page covers BC entity types (Customer, Vendor, etc.) that link portal users to BC records. For information about authentication methods (Native, Auth0, Microsoft Entra), see Users Overview.

Authentication vs Entity Mapping

APD has two separate user concepts:

Concept	Field	Purpose
Authentication Type	External User	How user logs in (Native/Auth0/Entra)
Entity Type	Navision Type	What BC record user represents

A user can use any authentication method with any entity type:

Authentication	Entity Type	Example
Native	Customer	Local customer portal
Auth0	Customer	Customer portal with SSO
Microsoft Entra	Customer	Enterprise customer portal
Microsoft Entra	Salesperson	Internal sales team portal

Understanding Navision Type

Purpose

The Navision Type field determines:

What BC entity the user represents
How <?no?> placeholder resolves
What data relationships apply
Default security filter behavior

Available Types

Type	BC Entity	Use Case
Customer	Customer	Customer portals
Vendor	Vendor	Vendor/supplier portals
Contact	Contact	Contact-based portals
Sales Person	Salesperson/Purchaser	Sales team portals

APD only supports these four BC entity types. There is no "User ID" entity type that maps to a BC user record — for employee portals, pick the closest BC entity (typically Sales Person) or leave the type blank.

Customer Type

Configuration

Navision Type: Customer
Navision Identification: 10000

Data Access

The <?no?> placeholder returns the Customer No. (10000).

Common Use Cases

Customer self-service portal
Order history viewing
Invoice downloads
Account information

Security Filter Example

Table: Sales Header (36)
Field: Sell-to Customer No. (2)
Value: %4

Customer sees only their own sales orders.

Template Example

<?open(Customer)?>
<?filter(Customer,"No.",no())?>
<div class="customer-info">
    <h2><?field(Customer,Name)?></h2>
    <p>Customer No: <?field(Customer,"No.")?></p>
    <p>Balance: <?field(Customer,"Balance (LCY)")?></p>
</div>
<?close(Customer)?>

Vendor Type

Configuration

Navision Type: Vendor
Navision Identification: V10000

Data Access

The <?no?> placeholder returns the Vendor No. (V10000).

Common Use Cases

Vendor/supplier portal
Purchase order viewing
Invoice submission
Payment status

Security Filter Example

Table: Purchase Header (38)
Field: Buy-from Vendor No. (2)
Value: %4

Vendor sees only their purchase orders.

Template Example

<?open(Vendor)?>
<?filter(Vendor,"No.",no())?>
<div class="vendor-info">
    <h2><?field(Vendor,Name)?></h2>
    <p>Vendor No: <?field(Vendor,"No.")?></p>
    <p>Balance Due: <?field(Vendor,"Balance Due (LCY)")?></p>
</div>
<?close(Vendor)?>

Contact Type

Configuration

Navision Type: Contact
Navision Identification: CT10000

Data Access

The <?no?> placeholder returns the Contact No. (CT10000).

Common Use Cases

CRM portal
Contact self-service
Marketing portals
Event registration

Security Filter Example

Table: Contact (5050)
Field: No. (1)
Value: %4

Template Example

<?open(Contact)?>
<?filter(Contact,"No.",no())?>
<div class="contact-info">
    <h2><?field(Contact,Name)?></h2>
    <p>Company: <?field(Contact,"Company Name")?></p>
    <p>Email: <?field(Contact,"E-Mail")?></p>
</div>
<?close(Contact)?>

Sales Person Type

Configuration

Navision Type: Sales Person
Navision Identification: JD

Data Access

The <?no?> placeholder returns the Salesperson Code (JD).

Common Use Cases

Sales team portal
Customer management
Commission tracking
Sales reporting

Security Filter Example

Table: Customer (18)
Field: Salesperson Code (86)
Value: %4

Salesperson sees only their assigned customers.

Template Example

<?open("Salesperson/Purchaser")?>
<?filter("Salesperson/Purchaser",Code,no())?>
<div class="salesperson-info">
    <h2><?field("Salesperson/Purchaser",Name)?></h2>
    <p>Code: <?field("Salesperson/Purchaser",Code)?></p>
    <p>Commission: <?field("Salesperson/Purchaser","Commission %")?></p>
</div>
<?close("Salesperson/Purchaser")?>

Extended Access

Sales portal typically includes:

<!-- My Customers -->
<?open(Customer)?>
<?filter(Customer,"Salesperson Code",no())?>
<?loop(Customer,'-')?>
    <tr>
        <td><?field(Customer,"No.")?></td>
        <td><?field(Customer,Name)?></td>
        <td><?field(Customer,"Balance (LCY)")?></td>
    </tr>
<?endloop(Customer)?>
<?close(Customer)?>

Choosing the Right Type

Decision Tree

Is the user external?
├── Yes: Is it a customer?
│   ├── Yes → Customer Type
│   └── No: Is it a vendor?
│       ├── Yes → Vendor Type
│       └── No → Contact Type
└── No: Sales-based / internal employee?
    └── → Sales Person Type (mapped to a Salesperson/Purchaser record)

Considerations

Factor	Recommendation
Customer self-service	Customer
Supplier portal	Vendor
CRM/Marketing	Contact
Sales team	Sales Person
Employee self-service	Sales Person (or leave type blank if no BC-entity link is needed)

No Type (Blank)

When to Use

General authenticated access
No BC entity mapping needed
Custom identification logic

Implications

<?no?> returns empty
No automatic data mapping
Manual filter configuration needed

Multiple Entity Access

Complex Scenarios

Some users need access to multiple entity types:

Example: Sales Manager

Navision Type: Sales Person
Navision Identification: JM

Security Filters: SALES|MANAGER

With appropriate security setup, this user can:

See their assigned customers (as Salesperson)
Access management reports (as Manager)

Custom Implementation

For complex multi-entity scenarios:

Use custom fields in APD User table
Create script actions for entity switching
Implement role-based views

Validation

Ensuring Valid Mapping

When setting Navision Identification:

Verify the entity exists in BC
Use correct format for the type
Test data access after configuration

Common Issues

Issue	Cause	Solution
No data showing	Wrong identification	Verify entity number
Wrong data	Type/ID mismatch	Check mapping
Error on login	Entity deleted	Update or clear mapping

Migration Considerations

Changing User Types

If user type needs to change:

Update Navision Type
Update Navision Identification
Review security filters
Test data access

Bulk Updates

For many users:

Export users
Update mapping in Excel
Import changes
Verify results

User Types (BC Entity Mapping)

Authentication vs Entity Mapping

Understanding Navision Type

Purpose

Available Types

Customer Type

Configuration

Data Access

Common Use Cases

Security Filter Example

Template Example

Vendor Type

Configuration

Data Access

Common Use Cases

Security Filter Example

Template Example

Contact Type

Configuration

Data Access

Common Use Cases

Security Filter Example

Template Example

Sales Person Type

Configuration

Data Access

Common Use Cases

Security Filter Example

Template Example

Extended Access

Choosing the Right Type

Decision Tree

Considerations

No Type (Blank)

When to Use

Implications

Multiple Entity Access

Complex Scenarios

Custom Implementation

Validation

Ensuring Valid Mapping

Common Issues

Migration Considerations

Changing User Types

Bulk Updates

Related Topics

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