Microsoft has opened access to the Business Central 28.0 (Preview) release — the first milestone of the 2026 Release Wave 1 — giving partners, developers, and customers the chance to explore the next major version ahead of general availability in April 2026.
Now is the ideal time to spin up a sandbox environment on the preview version and begin validating your extensions, integrations, performance, and upgrade readiness.
📌 You can create a new sandbox and select Version 28.0 (Preview) in the Business Central admin center.
What’s New in Business Central 2026 Wave 1 Release (BC28 ) Preview
The Business Central 28 Preview itself doesn’t yet have a long detailed feature list published (official feature documentation will be added in the Microsoft docs as the preview progresses), but based on Microsoft’s release planning for the 2026 Release Wave 1 and preview readiness guidance, here are the major themes and planned improvements you can begin testing now:
Mandatory Feature Preparation
Several optional features from version 27 are slated to become mandatory in Business Central 2026 Wave 1 release (BC28) Preview, so it’s recommended to enable and test them now in sandbox:
G/L currency revaluation support
New sales pricing experience
Updated communication texts for reminders
Advanced Tell Me search (preview)
Calculate only visible FlowFields
MCP Server access for agent capabilities
Semantic similarity metadata search preview
Optimized text search in lists
These enhancements relate to performance, search, AI readiness, and core system behavior – and could impact extension compatibility if left untested.
What You Can Test Today
While detailed per-feature notes for version 28 aren’t yet available, you can use the preview to exercise the following key platform areas based on the planned release scope for 2026 Wave 1:
AI & Copilot-Driven Productivity
The next release continues to expand Business Central’s AI capabilities, especially in automation and agent-driven workflows. Partners and ISVs should test:
Copilot-assisted processes
Agent scenarios and MCP connectivity
Semantic search interactions
Core Functional Improvements
Microsoft’s release planning for the upcoming major wave includes enhancements across key business domains:
Environment update and management tools
Improved governance and cloud migration tooling
Enhanced sustainability and reporting features
Smoother connectivity with Power Platform workflows
Quality Module for Inwards and Inhouse process.
These areas aim to boost productivity, administration, and extensibility
Extension Compatibility & Testing
Since mandatory features can introduce behavior changes, it’s critical to test all custom AL extensions and integrations in the preview environment — especially if they leverage advanced searches, FlowField calculations, pricing logic, or text search. This early validation helps prevent issues when the major release becomes generally available.
Timeline & Preview Expectations
Here’s the roadmap you should be aware of:
Preview available now — Spin up sandbox environments and start testing.
General Availability (GA) expected April 2026 — Official rollout of Business Central 28 to production tenants.
Preview environments are temporary — They may be automatically deleted about 30 days after GA, so export any important data you might need.
Final Thoughts
The release of Business Central 28 Preview signals the start of an important upgrade cycle. Whether you’re a partner building solution extensions, a developer maintaining integrations, or a customer planning your upgrade, now is the time to explore the platform changes and validate your workloads.
Stay tuned for the complete What’s New in Business Central 28 documentation from Microsoft Learn as the preview matures — and make sure your environments, customizations, and teams are ready for the next wave of ERP innovation.
Stay tune..