How Copilot Uses Your Data
Smart Approval uses Azure OpenAI services (Microsoft Copilot) in two scenarios: suggesting approval criteria and applying criteria to documents. This page explains what data is sent and how it is handled.
Scenario 1: Suggesting Criteria
When you use the Suggest Smart Approval Criteria action and describe your approval rules in natural language, the following is sent to Azure OpenAI:
| Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Your natural language prompt | The text you enter describing the approval rule |
| System instructions | Built-in instructions that guide the AI |
| Response schema | The expected output structure |
| Response schema examples | Built-in examples to guide the AI output format |
| Document table metadata | Field definitions (names and types) of the relevant document — no actual document values |
| User setups | User IDs, approver chains, and approval limits from Business Central User Setup |
| Dimension values | Dimension codes, values, and names |
| Workflow user groups | Workflow user group codes |
| Current user ID | The ID of the user running the action |
Suggestions are presented as proposals — you review, modify, and explicitly save them before they take effect.
Scenario 2: Applying Criteria to Documents
When you Verify Document or Send Smart Approval Request, the app evaluates which criteria apply to the current document. The following is sent to Azure OpenAI:
| Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Document field values | All field values of the document header and lines |
| Criteria definitions | Your configured and enabled criteria for the document type |
| System instructions | Built-in instructions that guide the AI |
| Response schema | The expected output structure |
| User setups | User IDs, approver chains, and approval limits from Business Central User Setup |
| Dimension values | Dimension codes, values, and names |
Privacy and Security
- All communication with Azure OpenAI is done through Business Central's built-in Copilot framework.
- Data is transmitted securely and processed in compliance with Microsoft's data handling standards.
- No data is stored by the AI service beyond the scope of the request.
- The app uses Microsoft's Azure OpenAI Service, not a third-party AI provider.
Copilot Configuration
Smart Approval registers itself as a Copilot capability in Business Central. To manage it:
- Open Copilot & AI Capabilities in Business Central.
- Locate Smart Approval in the capability list.
- Enable or disable the capability as needed.
Note
If Copilot is not enabled, you can still create and manage criteria manually. The AI-assisted suggestion feature will not be available, but all other Smart Approval features work without Copilot.
Related information: