"A dimension used in Gen. Journal Line GENERAL, DEFAULT, 10000 has caused an error. Select a Dimension Value Code for the Dimension Code DEPARTMENT for G/L Account 6110."

Business Central refuses to post the line because the G/L account it hits requires a value for that dimension and the line does not carry one. The message names the journal template, the batch, the line number, the dimension code and the account, so you know exactly where to look. Enter the missing Dimension Value Code on the journal line, or have an administrator relax the Value Posting rule on the account's default dimension.

Why Business Central raises this error

Before posting, Business Central checks every journal line against the dimension rules that apply to the accounts on that line. If a G/L account, customer, vendor or item carries a default dimension whose Value Posting is set to Code Mandatory, any line touching that record must supply a value for that dimension code. When the value is missing the check fails, and the message wraps the underlying dimension error with the journal template name, the batch name and the line number so the failing line can be found. The rule itself lives on the master record and not on the journal, which is why the same recurring batch can post without trouble one month and fail the next after someone changed the setup.

• The G/L account named in the message has a default dimension with Value Posting set to Code Mandatory, and the journal line was entered without a value for that dimension.
• The lines were imported or generated rather than typed (bank statement import, recurring journal, copied batch) and the source data carried no dimension values.
• The default dimension was added or made mandatory after the batch was filled, so lines that were already waiting no longer satisfy the rule.
• The account was changed on an existing line and the new account has stricter dimension requirements than the old one.

How to fix it

1. Read the message: the three values after Gen. Journal Line are the journal template name (GENERAL), the batch name (DEFAULT) and the line number (10000). Open that batch and go to that line.
2. Select the failing line and open its dimensions with Shift+Ctrl+D to see the Edit Dimension Set Entries page.
3. Add a row for the Dimension Code named in the message, for example DEPARTMENT, choose a valid Dimension Value Code, then close the page.
4. If every line in the batch needs the same value and the dimension is one of the global dimensions, fill the Shortcut Dimension 1 Code or Shortcut Dimension 2 Code column directly on the journal instead of opening each line.
5. If the dimension should not be mandatory on that account, search for Chart of Accounts (Alt+Q), open G/L account 6110, choose Dimensions from the account's actions, and review Value Posting on that row. Default dimensions on master data are normally restricted to administrators.
6. Post the journal again.

How to avoid it in the future

Decide which accounts genuinely need a mandatory dimension before switching Value Posting to Code Mandatory, and set the default dimension with a sensible default value so lines inherit it instead of arriving empty. When you make a dimension mandatory, check the journal batches and open documents that are already waiting, because they were created under the old rule and will fail at posting time. For imported or recurring lines, make sure the source (bank import mapping, recurring journal, template) carries the dimension, since nobody will type it in manually.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Dimensions, Tags applied to BC transactions for multi-dimensional analysis, such as department, project, or cost center.
• General Ledger, The core accounting record in Business Central where all financial transactions are ultimately posted and stored.
• Chart of Accounts, The structured list of general ledger accounts in Business Central that categorizes all financial transactions.
• How to Set Up Dimensions in Business Central
• How to Pay Vendors with the Payment Journal in Business Central

Other Business Central errors

• "Posting Date is not within your range of allowed posting dates in Gen. Journal Line Journal Template Name='GENERAL',Journal Batch Name='DEFAULT',Line No.='10000'."
• "The VAT Date is not within the range of allowed VAT dates."
• "Posting Date must have a value in Sales Header: Document Type=Credit Memo, No.=1005. It cannot be zero or empty."
• "Select a Dimension Value Code for the Dimension Code DEPARTMENT for G/L Account 6110."