---
id: video/C5cmG3sNjUg
type: video
title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
summary: "The Business Central MCP server (in public preview) is covered in depth: default vs named configurations, dynamic tools (search, describe, invoke), API page design with about text, tool limits (about 70 in Copilot Studio at recording), and the sample bcmcp proxy for other MCP hosts."
tier: official
language: en
tags:
  - mcp server
  - agents
  - api pages
  - dynamic tools
  - static tools
  - odata
  - business central
  - copilot studio
  - instructions
  - tool descriptions
  - about text
  - mcp configurations
system: copilot
review:
  state: reviewed
  by: opus
  at: "2026-10-07T22:51:43.309Z"
  flags: []
generated:
  at: "2026-10-07T22:51:43.347Z"
  pipeline: 0.2.0
  prompts:
    extract-video: 1
    summarize-video: 2
  input_hash: 0d58ff32e3cfa3afd05d85baad8bda1bd1be74180e9ee1208c5cd1ea144f393c
evidence:
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=45s
    title: "MCP Server for Business Central: preview"
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 45
    quote: It's currently in public preview. So go to um feature management and enable that.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=75s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 75
    quote: currently the MCP server exposes all the built-in APIs for data. You can also add your custom APIs.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=102s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 102
    quote: We might open up for API queries in the future. So stay in tuned for that.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=197s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 197
    quote: there is a limit to how many tools you can have which is why we have introduced the um dynamic tools system.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=421s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 421
    quote: This will allow any agent to reason better over what your APIs are able to do.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=585s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 585
    quote: right now when we record this video, Microsoft Copilot Studio is around 70 tools. That of course uh will likely change in the future.
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=897s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 897
    quote: we expect to release an update in the near future which will make the setup much easier and remove the need for the MCP
  - kind: video
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=939s
    title: MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)
    date: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
    commit: null
    t: 939
    quote: Make all functionality available in business central functional available to AI and agents and of course do it in a secure reliable way.
links:
  learn: []
  objects: []
  features: []
  topics: []
  localizations: []
  videos: []
  posts: []
  guidelines: []
video_id: C5cmG3sNjUg
channel: yt-microsoft
source_name: Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube)
url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg
published_at: "2026-01-21T16:00:17.000Z"
duration_s: 1095
captions: full
audience:
  - developer
  - functional consultant
  - administrator
chapters:
  - t: 0
    title: Introduction and MCP Server Overview
  - t: 113
    title: Default vs Named Configurations
  - t: 208
    title: Dynamic Tools System
  - t: 373
    title: API Page Design and Tool Types
  - t: 486
    title: Tool Limits and Discovery Strategy
  - t: 603
    title: Agent Best Practices and Instructions
  - t: 763
    title: Model Selection and Instruction Examples
  - t: 832
    title: Other MCP Hosts and Proxy Setup
  - t: 927
    title: Vision, Call to Action, and Resources
features:
  - name: MCP Server for Business Central
    status: preview
    t: 75
    verified: true
    status_source: video
  - name: Default Configuration Mode
    status: unclear
    t: 124
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Named Configurations
    status: unclear
    t: 156
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Dynamic Tools System with Semantic Search
    status: unclear
    t: 221
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: About Text for API Pages
    status: unclear
    t: 373
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: API Page Tool Naming Convention
    status: unclear
    t: 298
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Discover Additional Objects Feature
    status: unclear
    t: 486
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: MCP Proxy for Other Hosts
    status: unclear
    t: 832
    verified: false
    status_source: video
  - name: Copilot Studio Support
    status: unclear
    t: 124
    verified: false
    status_source: video
objects_mentioned:
  - api Job Q Log Entries
  - other bcmcp proxy
quotes:
  - t: 75
    text: currently the MCP server exposes all the built-in APIs for data. You can also add your custom APIs.
    check: exact
  - t: 102
    text: We might open up for API queries in the future. So stay in tuned for that.
    check: exact
  - t: 197
    text: there is a limit to how many tools you can have which is why we have introduced the um dynamic tools system.
    check: exact
  - t: 421
    text: This will allow any agent to reason better over what your APIs are able to do.
    check: exact
  - t: 585
    text: right now when we record this video, Microsoft Copilot Studio is around 70 tools. That of course uh will likely change in the future.
    check: exact
  - t: 897
    text: we expect to release an update in the near future which will make the setup much easier and remove the need for the MCP
    check: exact
  - t: 939
    text: Make all functionality available in business central functional available to AI and agents and of course do it in a secure reliable way.
    check: exact
---

# MCP Server for Business Central - Advanced Topics (Part 3)

> The Business Central MCP server (in public preview) is covered in depth: default vs named configurations, dynamic tools (search, describe, invoke), API page design with about text, tool limits (about 70 in Copilot Studio at recording), and the sample bcmcp proxy for other MCP hosts.

[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg) · Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central (YouTube) · 2026-01-21 · 18:15 · tier official · reviewed (checked by Opus)

## Overview

This is part 3 of a series on the MCP server for Business Central, published 2026-01-21. It explains how the server exposes built-in APIs and lets you add custom APIs, and how the default configuration differs from named configurations that pre-load an explicit tool list.

It also covers the dynamic tools system, how API pages are named and described for language models, and the limits on tool counts in MCP hosts. It closes with agent instructions, model selection, and the sample proxy for hosts other than Copilot Studio. The proxy is sample code that is delivered as is, and an update is expected to remove the need for it.

## Key points

- The MCP server is in public preview. It exposes all built-in APIs for data, and custom APIs can be added. API queries might be opened up in the future.
- The default configuration offers three dynamic tools: search, describe and invoke. The client passes keywords, a semantic search returns the top relevant tools, and the model then describes and invokes API pages over OData.
- Named configurations pre-load an explicit tool list for a specific business process, so no tool search is needed. Too many tools fill the model context and hit host limits.
- Copilot Studio supported around 70 tools when the video was recorded. The limit will likely change.
- API page tool names append the object type and ID to stay unique. Descriptions and the about text property help the model reason about what each API does.
- The discover additional objects setting exposes more readonly API pages. It can raise the chance of model errors, use more context and reduce performance.
- For hosts other than Copilot Studio, the bcmcp proxy sample is on BCTech samples (aka.ms/bct). It is only a sample delivered as is and is not part of the product. An update is expected to make setup easier and remove the need for the proxy.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=0s) Introduction and MCP Server Overview
- [1:53](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=113s) Default vs Named Configurations
- [3:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=208s) Dynamic Tools System
- [6:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=373s) API Page Design and Tool Types
- [8:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=486s) Tool Limits and Discovery Strategy
- [10:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=603s) Agent Best Practices and Instructions
- [12:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=763s) Model Selection and Instruction Examples
- [13:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=832s) Other MCP Hosts and Proxy Setup
- [15:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=927s) Vision, Call to Action, and Resources

## Features

| Feature | Status | At | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| MCP Server for Business Central | preview, demoed | [1:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=75s) | "It's currently in public preview. So go to um feature management and enable that." ([0:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=45s)) |
| Default Configuration Mode | status not stated, demoed | [2:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=124s) |  |
| Named Configurations | status not stated, demoed | [2:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=156s) |  |
| Dynamic Tools System with Semantic Search | status not stated, demoed | [3:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=221s) |  |
| About Text for API Pages | status not stated | [6:13](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=373s) |  |
| API Page Tool Naming Convention | status not stated, demoed | [4:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=298s) |  |
| Discover Additional Objects Feature | status not stated | [8:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=486s) |  |
| MCP Proxy for Other Hosts | status not stated | [13:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=832s) |  |
| Copilot Studio Support | status not stated, demoed | [2:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=124s) |  |

## AL objects mentioned

As heard in the captions. A name that matches one object page by exact type and name links to it; the others stay as named.

- api "Job Q Log Entries" at [5:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=322s)
- other "bcmcp proxy" at [14:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=873s)

## Quotes

- [1:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=75s) "currently the MCP server exposes all the built-in APIs for data. You can also add your custom APIs."
- [1:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=102s) "We might open up for API queries in the future. So stay in tuned for that."
- [3:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=197s) "there is a limit to how many tools you can have which is why we have introduced the um dynamic tools system."
- [7:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=421s) "This will allow any agent to reason better over what your APIs are able to do."
- [9:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=585s) "right now when we record this video, Microsoft Copilot Studio is around 70 tools. That of course uh will likely change in the future."
- [14:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=897s) "we expect to release an update in the near future which will make the setup much easier and remove the need for the MCP"
- [15:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=939s) "Make all functionality available in business central functional available to AI and agents and of course do it in a secure reliable way."

## Disclaimers in the video

- [0:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=45s) preview: It's currently in public preview.
- [1:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=102s) coming-later: We might open up for API queries in the future.
- [14:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=897s) subject-to-change: we expect to release an update in the near future which will make the setup much easier and remove the need for the MCP proxy
- [15:16](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5cmG3sNjUg&t=916s) other: It's not a part of the product. It's a sample. It's delivered as is.

Presenters (as heard): Kenny Pontopidan, Yen Smaller Peterson.