Feature Management is a built-in tool in Dynamics 365 Business Central that lets administrators preview and test upcoming features before those features become mandatory for all users. It's available in both cloud and on-premises deployments of Business Central, and it works the same way in either environment. The tool provides organizations with a way to enable, test, and validate new functionality in a Sandbox environment.
Key Highlights
- Feature Management previews fully released, production-ready functionality in Business Central before it becomes mandatory — there's no beta or preview code involved.
- Features can be enabled and tested in a Sandbox environment, then turned back off if a team isn't ready for them.
- Once a feature moves from optional to mandatory, it disappears from the Feature Management list and can no longer be toggled.
- By default, only administrators — or users assigned the right Permission Set — can enable upcoming features.
- Enabling a feature directly in production, without testing it in Sandbox first, is permanent and cannot be undone.
What Is Feature Management in Business Central?
is a control panel for upcoming changes in Business Central. It surfaces new functionality that's on its way to the system, including features that have already shipped in a minor release but haven't been enabled automatically yet.
That activation happens later, in a future major release. Until then, the feature stays optional, and Feature Management is where you manage that optional status.
How Feature Management Works
During the window between a feature's minor release and its mandatory rollout in a major release, administrators can turn a feature on to test it with their team, then turn it back off again if it isn't ready for day-to-day use yet.
This back-and-forth flexibility doesn't last indefinitely. Once a feature transitions from optional to mandatory, it's removed from the Feature Management list entirely, and there's no further option to disable it.
Assigning Permission Sets
Administrators can enable features themselves so the broader team can test them in Sandbox, or they can extend that ability to specific individuals by assigning the appropriate . A Permission Set is a defined group of access rights that determines what a user can view or change within Business Central.
Restricting this capability to admins or a select few isn't about control for its own sake — it's what prevents a well-meaning user from switching on a feature that hasn't yet been vetted by the team.
For a deeper look at how this works, see .
How to Find and Use the Feature Management Page
Locating the Page
You can access Feature Management with a quick search from within Business Central. Once open, the page displays a running list of features headed your way, each with the option to test it in your Sandbox environment before it reaches production.
That testing window matters: it gives your team time to work through new functionality, understand how it changes daily tasks, and flag issues — all before the feature becomes standard for every user. From the moment a feature appears in a minor release to the moment it becomes mandatory in a major one, your organization controls the timeline.
Key Options on the Feature Management Page
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Learn more | Links to a Microsoft resource with additional detail on that specific feature, or a broader list of what's coming to Business Central. |
| Enable for | Allows you to turn a feature on for All Users. This setting should be used in a test environment — not in production until the feature has been validated. |
| Try it out | Enables a feature for testing purposes only, without rolling it out to everyone else in the system. |
Important note: If you enable a new feature directly in production without testing it in Sandbox first, there is no undo option. That decision is permanent. The safest practice is to always run new functionality through Sandbox before it touches your live environment.
FAQ: Feature Management in Business Central
What is Feature Management in Dynamics 365 Business Central? It's a tool that lets administrators preview, enable, and test upcoming Business Central features in a Sandbox environment before those features become mandatory.
Are the features listed in Feature Management fully released? Yes. All functionality shown is fully released and production-ready — there is no beta or preview code involved.
Does Feature Management work differently in the cloud versus on-premises? No. It functions the same way regardless of whether Business Central is deployed in the cloud or on-premises.
Who can enable upcoming features in Business Central? By default, only administrators can. Other users can gain this ability if an administrator assigns them the appropriate Permission Set.
What happens once a feature becomes mandatory? It's removed from the Feature Management list and can no longer be toggled on or off.
Can I undo enabling a feature in production? No. Enabling a feature directly in production is permanent. Features should always be tested in a Sandbox first.
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