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You can automate transaction matching with AI or configured rules, but the workflow depends on the Microsoft product you use. In Dynamics 365 Business Central, Copilot suggests additional matches after the standard automatic matching step. In Excel, the Financial Reconciliation agent compares two data sets and suggests matching keys. Dynamics 365 Finance uses imported bank statements and configured matching rules; that is a separate workflow, not the same Copilot feature.

Which transaction-matching workflow fits your data?

Product and data How matching works What to review
Business Central bank reconciliation Standard automatic matching runs first. Copilot then suggests matches for remaining unmatched transactions, using dates, amounts, and descriptions. Review proposals before keeping them. Copilot can suggest one statement line against multiple ledger entries.
Financial Reconciliation agent in Excel AI-aided analysis suggests mapping and monetary keys for two data sets in Excel tables. Review unmatched, potentially matched, and perfectly matched results. Partial matching is exact substring matching, not unrestricted fuzzy matching.
Dynamics 365 Finance advanced bank reconciliation Electronic statements are imported and matched to Finance bank transactions using configured rules and rule sets. Check the Modern bank reconciliation feature state and how the rules handle ambiguous transactions.

Microsoft documents these as distinct product workflows, not a single feature available to every tenant. The steps and prerequisites below are specific to each one.

How do I reconcile bank accounts with Copilot in Business Central?

Business Central Copilot supplements the standard Match Automatically operation. That operation runs first; Copilot then examines the transactions it left unmatched and proposes further matches based on dates, amounts, and descriptions. A documented use case is matching one lump-sum bank statement line to several ledger entries recorded separately.

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Prepare the feature and statement

  1. Ask an administrator to activate the Bank account reconciliation capability. Microsoft labels the feature as preview in its documentation: Reconcile bank accounts with Copilot (preview) – Business Central.
  2. Open Bank Account Reconciliations and start a reconciliation, or open a new or existing reconciliation card and run Copilot there.
  3. If the bank account is not linked to an online account, import the bank statement file for the reconciliation.
  4. Run the standard automatic matching step. Copilot works on transactions that remain unmatched.

Review and keep proposals

Copilot-generated proposals are not saved immediately. Inspect the proposed matches, discard individual proposals or all proposals that do not fit, and keep the remaining proposals when you are satisfied. Automatic posting is available as an option when the reconciliation is fully applied.

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Language and volume can affect whether the feature is suitable. Microsoft says the feature is validated and supported only in specific languages; other languages may not work as intended. Its approximate operational limit depends on the relevant open ledger-entry count and description length: around 1,000 entries for 2025 release wave 1 and earlier, and around 3,000 for 2025 release wave 2 and later. Check the documentation for your release before relying on those limits.

How do I match transactions in Excel?

The Financial Reconciliation agent is for comparing two data sets represented as tables in one or two Excel worksheets; it is separate from Business Central bank reconciliation. It analyzes the data structures and suggests reconciliation vectors, including mapping keys and monetary keys. You can accept and edit its suggestions, regenerate them, or choose keys yourself. Optional reference columns can help you inspect results, but they are not used to generate matching results.

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  1. Arrange each data set as an Excel table, on one worksheet or across two worksheets.
  2. Open the Financial Reconciliation agent and provide the two tables to compare.
  3. Review the suggested mapping and monetary keys. Edit or regenerate suggestions, or select the keys manually.
  4. Review the resulting report, including unmatched transactions, potentially matched transactions, and perfectly matched transactions.
  5. Use the available troubleshooting guidance for unmatched or potentially matched rows. A generative AI summary is also available.

Potential matches can represent one-to-many, many-to-one, or many-to-many relationships. For details on the agent’s workflow and result classifications, see Microsoft’s Reconcile data with the Financial Reconciliation agent.

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What partial matching means in Excel

Partial matching uses exact substring matching on a selected pair of mapping keys: one string must appear within the other. For example, a shorter reference can match when it appears exactly inside a longer reference. This is not semantic or general-purpose fuzzy matching. Microsoft says potential matches are evaluated one-on-one to help reduce false-positive classifications. See Use partial matching in the Financial Reconciliation agent.

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How can I automate bank reconciliation in Dynamics 365 Finance?

Advanced bank reconciliation in Dynamics 365 Finance uses imported electronic statements and configured matching rules to reconcile statement lines with Finance bank transactions. Rule sets can run rules sequentially. Depending on configuration, the process can start after statement import or be run on demand.

Feature state matters: enabling Modern bank reconciliation changes the process and adds capabilities. Some older instructions apply only when Modern bank reconciliation is turned off. Consult Microsoft’s advanced bank reconciliation documentation for the workflow that matches your feature state.

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Design rules to handle ambiguity

By default, a matching rule matches the first transaction that meets its criteria. If multiple documents meet the amount criteria, an administrator can enable a parameter that requires manual matching. This gives a reviewer a chance to resolve ambiguous candidates instead of allowing a rule to select one automatically. Microsoft’s setup guidance is in Set up bank reconciliation matching rules.

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What to check before relying on automated matches

  • Product: Confirm whether your data is in Business Central, Excel, or Finance. Their matching behavior and setup are different.
  • Feature state: Confirm that the required capability is activated and, in Finance, whether Modern bank reconciliation is enabled.
  • Review process: In Business Central, proposals await review before they are saved. In Finance, configure manual matching where rule criteria could identify multiple candidates.
  • Matching logic: Business Central Copilot considers dates, amounts, and descriptions; Excel partial matching checks exact substrings; Finance uses administrator-configured rules.
  • Support limits: For Business Central, check supported languages, release-specific entry limits, and the effect of description length.

Microsoft’s feature documentation does not establish a shared accuracy rate, time-saving figure, or financial benefit across these workflows. Treat AI and rule outputs as matching assistance, and use the review controls appropriate to the product.

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