---
id: post/aardvarklabs-blog/3761
type: post
title: Optimizing Business Central Indexes for Performance with Copilot
summary: The post shows how to export the Database Missing Indexes table to Excel and use a Copilot prompt to generate AL tableextension index recommendations. It then advises benchmarking with the Performance Profiler before and after, applying only about five indexes at a time, and weighing faster reads against slower writes, especially on GL Entry.
tier: community
language: en
tags:
  - index management
  - database performance
  - copilot
  - al development
  - benchmarking
  - sql server
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    title: Optimizing Business Central Indexes for Performance with Copilot
    date: "2026-07-17"
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    url: https://aardvarklabs.blog/2026/07/17/optimizing-business-central-indexes-for-performance-with-copilot/
    title: Optimizing Business Central Indexes for Performance with Copilot
    date: "2026-07-17"
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    quote: Remember Indexing improves data retrieval at the cost of data writes. This is of primary concern with indexing the GL Entry table.
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    url: https://aardvarklabs.blog/2026/07/17/optimizing-business-central-indexes-for-performance-with-copilot/
    title: Optimizing Business Central Indexes for Performance with Copilot
    date: "2026-07-17"
    commit: null
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    quote: We aren't going to blindly implement AI Generated Code just because some blogger told you to, right?
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post_id: "3761"
source_id: aardvarklabs-blog
source_name: Aardvark Labs
url: https://aardvarklabs.blog/2026/07/17/optimizing-business-central-indexes-for-performance-with-copilot/
published_at: "2026-07-17T12:00:00.000Z"
author: Marcel Chabot
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words: 509
quotes:
  - text: Remember Indexing improves data retrieval at the cost of data writes. This is of primary concern with indexing the GL Entry table.
    why_it_matters: Highlights the critical trade-off to consider when optimizing indexes, especially for financial tables
  - text: We aren't going to blindly implement AI Generated Code just because some blogger told you to, right?
    why_it_matters: Emphasizes the importance of testing and validation before applying any generated code to production
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# Optimizing Business Central Indexes for Performance with Copilot

[Read the post](https://aardvarklabs.blog/2026/07/17/optimizing-business-central-indexes-for-performance-with-copilot/) · Aardvark Labs (Marcel Chabot) · 2026-07-17 · 509 words · tier community · reviewed (checked by Opus)

> The post shows how to export the Database Missing Indexes table to Excel and use a Copilot prompt to generate AL tableextension index recommendations. It then advises benchmarking with the Performance Profiler before and after, applying only about five indexes at a time, and weighing faster reads against slower writes, especially on GL Entry.

## Key points

- Export the Database Missing Indexes table and use Copilot to generate AL code recommendations prioritized by estimated benefit
- Benchmark system performance before and after applying indexes, measuring both read and write operations
- Implement indexes incrementally (5 or fewer at a time) and wait several hours between applications to evaluate impact
- Balance query performance gains against write performance costs, especially for high-volume tables like GL Entry

## Quotes

- "Remember Indexing improves data retrieval at the cost of data writes. This is of primary concern with indexing the GL Entry table." (Highlights the critical trade-off to consider when optimizing indexes, especially for financial tables)
- "We aren't going to blindly implement AI Generated Code just because some blogger told you to, right?" (Emphasizes the importance of testing and validation before applying any generated code to production)

## Context

- Features: Database Missing Indexes table export, Copilot prompt for AL index generation, Performance Profiler, Table extension syntax for indexes

Source: Aardvark Labs, community blog. Summary, key points and quotes are derived (CONTENT-NOTICE.md); read the original for the full text.