Setting Up External File Storage in Business Central - No Code Required (Part 2: Connecting Azure Blob Storage to Business Central)
With Business Central version 28, Microsoft introduced a powerful capability to store attachments and files in external storage systems using a fully out-of-the-box, no-code approach.
One of the key limitations of Business Central is that storing large volumes of files directly in the database increases size, impacts performance, and raises cost. External file storage solves this by offloading files to scalable cloud storage like Azure Blob Storage, while still keeping everything fully integrated and configuration-based no development required.
Prerequisites
Before starting, ensure:
- An Azure Storage Account is created
- A Blob Container is available
- The container is accessible using a Shared Access Signature (SAS)
Step 1: Open External File Accounts in Business Central
In Business Central:
- Search for External File Accounts
- Click on Add File Account
This opens the assisted setup wizard.
Click Next.
Step 2: Select Storage Type
- Choose Blob Storage
- Click Next
Step 3: Configure Storage Details
Fill in the required fields:
- Account Name: A logical name for identification
- Azure Storage Account Name: Your Azure storage account name
- Authorization Type: Select Shared Access Signature (SAS)
- Secret: Paste the SAS token from Azure
- Container Name: Enter your blob container name
Click Next.
Step 4: Confirmation
If all details are correct, you will see a congratulations message confirming the connection.
At this point, Business Central is now linked to your Azure Blob Container as an external file account.
Step 5: Assign File Scenario
Now we define where this storage will be used:
- Search for Assign File Scenarios
- Open the page
- Select the configured file account
- Click Assign Scenarios
Choose:
- Documents Attachments - External Storage
Confirm the selection.
Warning Note
When enabling external file storage, Business Central displays a warning that:
- Files will no longer stored in the database
- Azure now becomes responsible for file storage and backups
- Retention and governance must be managed externally
This is an expected behavior when moving to external storage.
Step 6: Enable Scenario
- After you continue, External Storage Setup page will open.
- Click Enabled
- Optionally select a Root Folder (or let the system create one automatically)
Now attachments will be stored in Azure Blob Storage instead of the Business Central database.
Step 7: Test the Setup
To verify:
- Open a document such as a Purchase Order
- Add an attachment
- Upload the file, in my case I uploaded Cronus.jpg
Then go to Azure Portal:
- Open your Blob Container
- You will see the uploaded file stored there
Cost Benefit Analysis
To understand the real-world advantage of this setup, consider the following scenario:
- 1 TB of file storage
- Around 5,000 file operations per day
Azure Blob Storage
- Storage cost: approx. $18.43/month
- Operations cost: approx. $0.04/month
Total: approx. $18 to $20 per month
Business Central Database Storage
Business Central database storage is significantly more expensive because it is tied to SQL capacity pricing.
- Approximate cost: $40 to $60 per GB per year
- For 1 TB:
Approx. $4,000+ per month
Conclusion
With the setup completed across both parts, we now have a fully working no-code, out-of-the-box external file storage solution in Business Central using Azure Blob Storage.
This approach allows Business Central to store attachments outside the database, improving performance, reducing storage growth, and enabling better scalability without any custom development.
At the same time, Azure Blob Storage provides a highly cost-effective solution, even at large scale making it a practical and modern alternative to traditional database-based file storage.
Together, this setup forms a clean, scalable, and cost-efficient architecture for managing files in Business Central.
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