If you manage products in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and need to update many items at once, the Information Matrix gives you an Excel-like grid where you edit fields across multiple items in one view. You define your own template with exactly the columns you need, import the items you want to work on, and edit them in bulk.
You set up the columns by pulling fields from the item table and from the master data information values. For a webshop scenario, you can include the item description, the Show on Webshop field, and the top menu, main menu, and sub menu fields that control where the item appears in your webshop hierarchy.
You can fill in values line by line, or use Add Values to Lines to write the same value to every line in the list at once. This is the fast way to assign many items to the same menu and webshop status.
After you fill in the matrix, you must run Update Item Relations and then Refresh Hierarchy with Items to push the changes into the webshop hierarchy. Editing the matrix alone does not place the items in the hierarchy.
What the Information Matrix does in Business Central
The Information Matrix lets you set up multiple items or work with a list of items in a grid that works much like an Excel sheet. Instead of opening each item card one at a time, you see and edit several items side by side in the same view.
You reach it from the items list. Open an item, go to the related master data information, and select the Information Matrix. The first time you open it, you get the basic item setup template.
Creating a Matrix template for the webshop
You can build your own template for a specific task instead of using the default. To create a template for working with items in the webshop, open Select Matrix Template, add a new one, and name it, for example, “Webshop”.
Then open the Matrix template card and define the columns you want to see:
- Description from the item table, so you can tell which item you are looking at.
- Show on Webshop from the master data information value, so you can add many items to the webshop quickly.
- Top menu, also from the master data information.
- Main menu.
- Sub menu.
When you click Refresh Matrix, you get a grid with columns for description, number, Show on Webshop, top menu, main menu, and sub menu.
Importing the items you want to edit
Once the columns are set, you select which items to work on by clicking Import Lines. Since you are importing from the item table, you can filter on a field such as the description.
For example, you can import all items that have “sport” in their description by clicking Add Lines. In this case it adds five lines. The import window stays open so you can add more lines, for instance all kits or all tires, before you close it.
You then clean up the list directly in the matrix. If you don’t want the last line, click delete. If there is a blank line you created earlier, delete that too. In this example, that leaves four items ready for the webshop.
Filling in values one line at a time or in bulk
There are two ways to fill in the values.
The first is to edit each line manually. You set Show on Web to Yes, set the top menu to “Bikes”, and set the main menu to “Sport Bikes”.
The second is useful when you have a lot of items. Click Add Values to Lines, set the values once (for example Yes, Bikes, and Sport Bikes), and click OK. This writes those values to every line in the list at once. This is why it makes sense to remove items you don’t want to touch, such as the tires, before running the bulk update.
Pushing the changes into the webshop hierarchy
At this point you have entered the information needed for the hierarchy, but the items are not yet placed in it. To complete the process, go into your hierarchy and click Update Item Relations. This loops through your items, and you can filter it if you don’t want to process everything.
Then click Refresh Hierarchy with Items. After that, the items appear in the correct category, for example the Sport Bikes category. When you open Sport Bikes on the website, the four products are available there.
Q&A
What is the Information Matrix in Business Central used for?
It lets you set up or edit multiple items at once in an Excel-like grid, instead of opening each item card individually. You choose which fields appear as columns and edit several items side by side.
How do I create a custom Matrix template?
Open Select Matrix Template, add a new template and name it, then open the Matrix template card and define the columns. You can pull fields from the item table and from the master data information values, such as description, Show on Webshop, top menu, main menu, and sub menu.
How do I select which items to work on in the matrix?
Click Import Lines and filter on a field such as the description, then click Add Lines. For example, you can import all items with “sport” in the description. You can then delete any lines you don’t want directly in the grid.
How do I set the same value on many items at once?
Use Add Values to Lines. Set the values once, for example Show on Web to Yes plus the top menu and main menu, and click OK. The values are written to every line in the list.
Why don’t my items appear in the webshop after editing the matrix?
Editing the matrix only enters the information needed for the hierarchy. You must go into the hierarchy, click Update Item Relations, and then click Refresh Hierarchy with Items. Only then do the items appear in their category on the website.