# Business Central Item Templates and Customer Templates > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/business-central-item-templates-and-customer-templates > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer Item templates and customer templates (also vendor and employee templates) hold default field values that Business Central applies when you create a new record. Open the Item Templates or Customer Templates page, define a template with posting groups and other defaults, and choose it when you create a new item or customer. ## Kind how-to ## System dynamics ## Erp Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central ## Module Master Data / Templates ## Query business central item templates ## Alternate Queries - customer templates business central - business central vendor templates - business central new item template defaults ## Applies To Dynamics 365 Business Central 2020 release wave 2 and later, which replaced the older configuration templates for these master data types ## Steps ### How to create and use a template **Items:** - Search for Item Templates (or Customer Templates, Vendor Templates), and choose New. - Give the template a code and description, and fill defaults: for items, Base Unit of Measure, Gen. Prod. Posting Group, Inventory Posting Group, Costing Method and Item Category. - For customers, fill Gen. Bus. Posting Group, Customer Posting Group, Payment Terms Code, Payment Method Code and currency or country. - Add default dimensions from the Dimensions action on the template so every new record gets them. - Create a new item or customer from the list; if more than one template exists, pick the one you want in the selection dialog. - Check the new card and confirm the defaults came across, then adjust record-specific fields. - Use the setting for template usage in the relevant Setup page, or from the template list, to control how templates are offered. ## Sections ### What a template actually does **Body:** A template is applied at creation time. It copies its field values into the new record, together with the default dimensions. It does not stay linked, so changing the template later does not update existing items or customers. The older Configuration Templates, used before the 2020 wave 2 release, are still found in Configuration Packages and RapidStart for data migration. The new templates are tied to a specific table (Item, Customer, Vendor, Employee) and are the right tool for daily record creation. ### Designing a useful template set **Body:** Keep templates small and aligned to business meaning. For items, one template for purchased raw material, another for manufactured finished goods, another for non-inventory services. Each should set the posting groups, the costing method and the replenishment system (Purchase or Prod. Order) so planners do not fix them later. For customers, a template per sales region or customer class is common: domestic, export, intercompany. Include Payment Terms, Reminder Terms and the VAT or tax business posting group so invoices work on the first posting. ### Templates and number series **Body:** New records take their number from the No. Series set in the Sales and Receivables, Inventory or Purchases Setup. A template can carry a number series on some record types, which lets you give different item classes different prefixes. Check that the series is not shared across companies in a way that creates gaps or duplicates. Mass changes to existing records are a different job. Use Edit in Excel on the list page, or a configuration package, to update many items at once. Templates are for defaults at creation only. ## Pitfalls - Expecting changes to a template to update existing items; they only affect new records. - Leaving Costing Method blank in the template and getting the default method for every new item. - Forgetting default dimensions, then correcting G/L entries after posting. - Creating dozens of overlapping templates, which pushes users to guess. - Confusing the old configuration templates with the new item and customer templates. ## Ai Angle ERPray can read your existing items or customers, group them by posting group and costing method, and propose which templates would cover most of them, showing the query behind the numbers. It does not create templates itself; a person decides the defaults. Because the analysis runs on your own server in an on-premises setup, master data stays inside your network. ## Faq ### Where are item templates in Business Central? **Answer:** Search for Item Templates in the search box. You can also reach template selection when creating a new item from the Items list, if more than one template exists. ### Do customer templates update existing customers? **Answer:** No. A customer template only fills fields when a new customer is created. To change existing customers use Edit in Excel, a configuration package, or a bulk edit from the list. ### Can templates include dimensions? **Answer:** Yes. Use the Dimensions action on the template to set default dimension values that are applied to the new record. ### What happened to configuration templates? **Answer:** From 2020 release wave 2 the dedicated Item, Customer, Vendor and Employee templates replaced them for daily use. Configuration templates remain relevant for RapidStart data migration. ## Search terms business central item templates, customer templates business central, business central vendor template, business central new item defaults, business central item template costing method, business central default dimensions template, business central configuration template, business central master data --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json