How to Use Dry Run (Import Simulation)

This guide explains how to use the Dry Run feature to simulate an import without writing any data to Business Central. Use it to validate your integration configuration, preview what records would be created or updated, and catch errors before they affect live data.

What Is a Dry Run?

A Dry Run executes the full import pipeline — parsing, field mapping, value transformation, validation, and duplicate detection — but stops before writing to Business Central. Every row in the source data is evaluated and classified as one of five outcomes:

Outcome Color Description
Insert Green A new record would be created in BC
Modify Blue An existing BC record would be updated
Delete Orange An existing BC record would be deleted
Skip Gray The row was skipped (e.g., duplicate, filtered out)
Error Red The row failed validation or mapping and would cause an import error

When to use a Dry Run:

  • Before running an integration for the first time on production data
  • After changing field mappings or validation rules, to verify the changes are correct
  • When troubleshooting import errors — use Dry Run to see exactly which rows fail and why
  • When onboarding new data sources to validate the source file structure

Prerequisites

  • You have an integration configured with field mappings
  • The integration has a source file uploaded (for file-based integrations) or a REST API endpoint configured
  • You have the NAVX IF STANDARD or NAVX IF ALL permission set

Running a Dry Run

From the Integrations Page

  1. Open the Integrations page (search for NAVX IF Integrations in Tell Me)
  2. Select the integration you want to simulate
  3. Choose Dry Run from the action bar (under the Import action group)
  4. If the integration is file-based, you are prompted to select the source file
  5. The framework runs the full import pipeline in simulation mode
  6. When complete, the Dry Run Results page opens automatically

From the Integration Card

  1. Open the integration record
  2. Choose Dry Run from the action bar
  3. Follow the same steps as above

Understanding the Dry Run Results Page

The Dry Run Results page shows one row per source record, color-coded by outcome.

Summary Header

The top of the page displays summary counts:

Count Description
Total Rows Total number of rows in the source data
Insert Rows that would result in a new BC record
Modify Rows that would update an existing BC record
Delete Rows that would delete a BC record
Skip Rows that were skipped
Error Rows that would fail

Results Grid

Each row in the grid shows:

Column Description
Row No. The row number in the source data
Action The outcome: Insert, Modify, Delete, Skip, or Error
Key Value The primary key or match key value for the row
Error Message The error message for rows with an Error outcome. Empty for successful rows

Click on any row to expand the Field Detail FactBox, which shows the individual field values that would be written for that row, including any transformations applied.

Exporting Results

To export the full results for review or sharing:

  1. On the Dry Run Results page, choose Export to Excel
  2. An Excel file is generated with all rows, outcomes, and field details
  3. Use this file to review results offline or share with a data owner for sign-off

Interpreting Results

All Rows Are "Error"

The source file structure likely does not match the integration's field mappings. Check that:

  • The column headers in the source file match the Source Field Name values in the integration's field mappings
  • The file format (delimiter, encoding) matches the integration configuration

Unexpected "Skip" Rows

Rows may be skipped because:

  • A duplicate detection rule identified them as already-existing records with no changes
  • A filter or pre-parsing transformation excluded them

Open the field detail for a skipped row to see the reason.

"Modify" When You Expected "Insert" (or Vice Versa)

This indicates the duplicate detection or match key configuration is finding (or not finding) an existing BC record. Review the Integration Mappings to confirm the match key field is correct.

Proceeding After Review

A Dry Run does not change your integration's state — you can run it as many times as needed. Once you are satisfied with the results:

  1. Close the Dry Run Results page
  2. Run the actual import using the Import action on the Integrations page

See Also