What you’ll learn
How tabular and chart reports work in the Admin Portal: what separates predefined from custom reports, every option in the report list and the report viewer, and how to have a report sent automatically.
Reports work on both historical and actual data. Historical data – historical transactions – is generated every 3 hours, while actual data is read live. Each report is based on a data source, which decides what is visualised and which filters are available. See Report data sources reference.
Report types
Tabular reports show data in flat or structured form. Chart reports visualise it with several chart types. Both are identified in the Type column of the report list, which you reach with Reports in the main menu.
| Type | What it is |
| Chart | Predefined report visualising data with a chart. |
| Tabular | Predefined report visualising data in a table. |
| Chart (Custom) | Chart report created by you. |
| Tabular (Custom) | Tabular report created by you. |
Several predefined reports come with the system. They cannot be renamed, changed or deleted. Users can create and manage their own reports, and some options below apply only to those – see How to create a custom report.
Tip: To adapt a predefined report to your needs, copy it. The copy is a 1:1 custom report you can change freely.
Options in the report list
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Creates a new custom report. Disabled without the privilege to create reports. |
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Removes a report. Not available for default reports, or without the privilege to delete reports. |
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Opens the selected report in the report viewer. |
Options in the report viewer
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Opens the report designer to change the definition. Not available without the privilege to edit reports. On a predefined report it only allows scheduled sending. |
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Collapses all groups to show aggregated data. Tabular reports only. |
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Expands all groups to show every field. Tabular reports only. |
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Exports the current view exactly as shown, with all filters applied. Choose PDF or Excel before the file is generated. |
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Copies the report. The designer opens with everything from the original, ready to save under a new name. |
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Shows the report on your dashboard as a widget with the same name and definition. Press again to remove it, or remove it from dashboard edit mode. |
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Opens the filters available for the report. These are not saved and disappear when the report is re-opened. |
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Shows or hides inline filters per column. Tabular reports only. |
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Collapses one group to show aggregated values, shown in bold. Tabular reports only. |
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Expands one group to show all its data. Tabular reports only. |
Note: Filters contain only values present in the reporting data. Once a filter is applied and opened again, some values may be hidden by the criteria already selected – clear the filter to see them all.
Inline filters per column
- Text – full-text filter. A blank space acts as a wildcard for any character.
- Timestamp – pick a date. For a date range, use Advanced filter with the Custom time period.
- Number – compare with =, < or >. Click the operator icon in front of the field to change it.
- Boolean – all values, true only, or false only.
Schedule sending of report
Every report, predefined or custom, can be sent automatically at an interval.
- Open the report and select Edit.
- Go to the Scheduler tab. On a predefined report this is the only tab available.
- Set Send automatically, fill in the Repeat period, and define the output format and the target – one or more email addresses, or an FTP server.
- Save.
Scheduled reports are marked in the Is scheduled column of the report list.
For a report based on transactions or assignment data, the option Set timestamp filter to repeat interval makes the scheduler set the timestamp filter dynamically to cover the period since the last sending. Any timestamp filter in the report definition is then ignored.
Note: A report scheduled monthly on the 10th, with the option active, contains data since the 10th of the previous month.
Common confusion
| People often think… | But actually… |
| A predefined report can be adjusted. | It cannot be renamed, changed or deleted – copy it and change the copy. |
| Filters set in the viewer stay on the report. | They are lost when the report is re-opened. Filters in the definition persist. |
| Report data is always live. | Historical data is generated every 3 hours. Only actual-data reports read live values. |
| A scheduled report always covers the same window. | With Set timestamp filter to repeat interval, the window follows the sending period. |
Take action
Need something the predefined reports do not cover? Copy the closest one, or build your own with How to create a custom report.
Related articles
- How to create a custom report – the report designer in detail.
- How to use report filters – filters that live in the report definition.
- Report data sources reference – every field a report can show.
- Default reports reference: 19 built-in reports – the predefined reports you can copy.
- How to configure dashboard widgets – where a pinned report ends up.