Simple Object Designer Documentation
Index

Page Groups

Page groups (sections) help organize fields logically on card pages. This page explains how to create new groups using Simple Object Designer.

Understanding Page Groups

In Business Central, card pages organize fields into collapsible sections called groups:

  • General - Primary information
  • Invoicing - Billing-related fields
  • Shipping - Delivery information
  • Communication - Contact details

Groups make pages easier to navigate and help users find information quickly.

Why Create New Groups

Create new groups when:

  • You have multiple related custom fields
  • Existing groups don't logically fit your fields
  • You want to clearly separate custom data
  • You need to improve page organization

Accessing Page Groups

  1. Open Inspect > Pages
  2. Select a page and click Customize Page
  3. Click New Sections in the action bar
  4. The Page Groups page opens

Creating a New Group

Step 1: Open Page Groups

  1. Navigate to the page you want to modify
  2. Open the page customization
  3. Click New Sections (or Page Groups)

Step 2: Add Group

  1. Click New to add a group
  2. Enter the group properties

Step 3: Configure Group Properties

Property Description
Name Internal name for the group
Caption User-visible section header
Placement Type Where to position the group
Anchor Reference point for placement

Step 4: Position the Group

Choose placement relative to existing groups:

Placement Type Result
AddFirst Group appears first on page
AddLast Group appears last on page
AddBefore Group appears before anchor group
AddAfter Group appears after anchor group

Step 5: Add Fields to Group

After creating the group:

  1. Go to field placements
  2. Use your new group as an anchor
  3. Place fields with AddFirst or AddLast in the group

A group with no fields does not display. This step is not optional — an empty section is invisible after publishing. If a group you created never appears on the page, the first thing to check is whether any field is actually anchored to it.

Grouping existing fields without adding a new one. If you only want to gather existing standard fields into a new section, you still need at least one field anchored to it to make the section render. Create the section, anchor a field to it, then set that field's visibility to not visible. That gives you the section without introducing a new field for users to see.

Limitations

Groups cannot be placed in the FactBox area

Sections created through New Sections cannot be placed in the FactBox area.

The placement configuration may well let you select the FactBox area as the anchor for a new section — but it does not work. Fields placed inside such a section never appear. The specific combination that fails: creating a new section with AddFirst anchored to the FactBox area, then anchoring a field with AddFirst to that new section.

This is a known non-functional option and should not be used.

Group Properties

Name

The internal identifier for the group.

Guidelines:

  • Use descriptive names
  • No spaces (use underscores or CamelCase)
  • Must be unique on the page

Example: "CustomInfoGroup"

Caption

The visible header text for the group.

Guidelines:

  • Use proper capitalization
  • Keep concise but descriptive
  • Match Business Central's style

Example: "Custom Information"

Group Placement Strategies

Adding a New Section at the End

Best for custom fields that don't fit existing sections.

Placement Type: AddLast
Anchor: (None needed, or use page content area)

Inserting Between Existing Sections

For fields that belong between existing groups.

Placement Type: AddAfter
Anchor: "General" (or other existing group)

Adding at the Top

For high-priority custom information.

Placement Type: AddFirst
Anchor: (Content area)

Adding Fields to Your Group

Once the group exists, add fields:

Method 1: Field Placement Page

  1. Go to Tasks > Add existing fields to pages
  2. Select fields for your table
  3. Set Placement Type to AddFirst or AddLast
  4. Set Anchor to your new group name

Method 2: Page Customization

  1. Open Inspect > Pages > Your Page
  2. Click Customize Page
  3. In the Fields part, add placements
  4. Reference your group as the anchor

Common Group Patterns

Custom Information Group

For miscellaneous custom fields:

Name: CustomInfo
Caption: Custom Information
Placement: AddLast (appears at bottom)

Integration Group

For external system references:

Name: Integration
Caption: Integration
Placement: AddAfter "General"

Additional Details Group

For extended information:

Name: AdditionalDetails
Caption: Additional Details
Placement: AddAfter "Communication"

Groups on Different Page Types

Card Pages

Groups work naturally on card pages:

  • Create named sections
  • Organize related fields
  • Support collapse/expand

List Pages

List pages typically don't use visible groups:

  • Columns appear in a flat structure
  • Consider using page parts instead
  • FactBoxes provide related information

Document Pages

Document headers support groups:

  • Add groups to header area
  • Lines use the subpage structure
  • FastTabs provide section organization

Verifying Groups

After publishing:

  1. Open the page in Business Central
  2. Verify the group appears
  3. Check the group caption is correct
  4. Confirm position is as expected
  5. Verify fields in the group display properly

Troubleshooting

Group Not Appearing

Check:

  • Does the group contain at least one field? An empty group never displays — this is by far the most common cause.
  • Is the placement configured correctly?
  • Is the group marked as visible?
  • Is the extension published?
  • Is the anchor valid?
  • Is the group anchored to the FactBox area? That does not work — see Limitations.

Group in Wrong Position

Check:

  • Verify the anchor is correct
  • Check AddBefore vs AddAfter
  • Try a different anchor

Fields Not in Group

Check:

  • Are field placements using the group as anchor?
  • Is the anchor name spelled correctly?
  • Are fields using AddFirst/AddLast (not AddBefore/AddAfter)?

Group Caption Wrong

Check:

  • Review the Caption property
  • Republish if caption was changed
  • Clear browser cache

Best Practices

Naming Conventions

Use consistent naming for groups:

  • Internal name: "CustomInfoGroup" or "Custom_Info"
  • Caption: "Custom Information"

Logical Organization

Group related fields together:

  • All customer-related customs in one group
  • All date fields together
  • All amounts in one section

Don't Overuse Groups

Avoid creating too many sections:

  • Consolidate related fields
  • Don't create single-field groups
  • Balance organization with simplicity

Consider User Workflow

Position groups based on usage:

  • Frequently used groups near the top
  • Reference information lower
  • Match existing BC patterns