Purpose: Design and configure dynamic reports without code changes — define report metadata, choose and configure data columns, set up filters, and control who can access the report.
Overview
The Report Builder Setup is a three-step wizard:
Step | Name | What you do |
1 | Select Report | Choose an existing report to edit, or create a new one |
2 | Configure Columns & Filters | Pick which data columns appear and how filters behave |
3 | Share Report | Choose which users can access and run the report |
You must complete each step in order. Use the Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Changes are saved when you click Next (or Save on the report form).
Step 1 — Select Report
This step shows a grid listing all existing Report Builder reports. You can filter, search, and select a report to edit, or create a new one.
Grid Controls
Control | What it does |
Active / All toggle | Switches between showing only active reports and all reports (including inactive). Defaults to Active. |
Search bar | Filters the grid in real time by report name or related fields. |
Add button (+) | Opens the Create Report side panel so you can create a new report. |
Row action menu | Per-row actions: Edit (opens the Edit Report side panel) and Delete (permanently removes the report after confirmation). |
Select a row in the grid to highlight it, then click Next to proceed to Step 2. If the selected report is not Active, the wizard will prompt you to select an active report before continuing.
Create / Edit Report Side Panel
This panel opens when you click Add or select Edit from the row action menu. It contains the core metadata for the report.
Section: Report
Field | Type | Required | Max Length | What it does |
Name | Text input | Yes | 50 characters | The display name of the report. This is how the report will appear in the report library and the report builder grid. Must be unique — you will be warned if a report with the same name already exists. |
Report Template | Dropdown | Yes | — | Selects the data entity the report is built against (e.g., Person, Assignment, Payroll). This determines which data columns are available in Step 2. Cannot be changed after columns have been configured. |
Report Type | Dropdown | Yes | — | Determines the layout and aggregation behaviour of the report. Common types: Detail Report (row-by-row data) and Summary Report (grouped, aggregated data). The Report Type controls which Column Settings fields are visible in Step 2. |
Report Category | Dropdown | Yes | — | Groups the report under a category in the report library (e.g., Payroll, HR, Timesheet). Category is used for navigation and filtering in the report runner. |
Description | Textarea | No | 250 characters | Free-text description of the report's purpose. Shown in the report library to help users identify what the report does. The character count is shown in the bottom-right corner. |
Save button: Saves the report metadata. If any required field is empty, the Save button stays disabled until all required fields are filled.
Close (X) button: Closes the panel. If you have unsaved changes, you will be asked to confirm discarding them.
Step 2 — Configure Columns & Filters
This step has two panels side by side:
Left panel: A grid listing all available data columns from the selected Report Template.
Right panel: Settings form for the currently selected column.
Left Panel — Column Grid
Element | What it does |
Row checkbox | Select/deselect a column to include it in the report. At least one column must be selected to proceed to Step 3. |
Select All checkbox (header) | Selects or deselects all columns at once. |
Drag handle (≡ icon) | Drag rows up or down to set the display order of columns in the report output. |
Sort Order column | Shows the current column display sequence. Click the refresh icon in the column header to reset sort order to the default sequence. |
Column column | The data field name. If a column is derived from a parent column, a blue badge showing the parent column name is also displayed. |
Apply filter setting badge | A blue "Apply filter setting" badge appears in the Is Parameter column when a column has been configured as a filter parameter. |
Excel Export | Exports the column list to Excel for reference. |
Filter toggle | Shows or hides the column grid's built-in search/filter row. |
Clicking on any row in the left panel loads that column's settings in the right panel.
Right Panel — Column Settings Form
The right panel updates when you select a column in the left panel grid. It is divided into four sections.
Section: Column Description
Element | What it shows |
|---|---|
Description text | A read-only description of what the data field represents. This comes from the Report Template definition and cannot be edited here. If no description exists, "No Description" is shown. |
Section: Column Settings
Field | Type | Available for | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
Alias | Text input (max 50 chars) | All report types | A custom label for the column header shown in the report output. If left blank, the default column name is used. Useful for making technical field names more readable (e.g., renaming "PersonFirstName" to "First Name"). |
Width | Number input | All report types | The pixel width of the column in the report grid. Default is 50. Increase this for columns with longer values. |
Aggregation | Dropdown | Summary Report only | The aggregation function applied to this column when grouped data is displayed. Options typically include: GROUPBY (group rows by this value), SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX, or blank (no aggregation). Setting Aggregation to GROUPBY enables the Group Order field. |
Group Order | Number input | Summary Report only — enabled when Aggregation = GROUPBY | Sets the grouping priority when multiple columns are set to GROUPBY. Lower numbers take priority (e.g., Group Order 1 is the outermost group). |
Grouping Sort Order | Dropdown | Summary Report only | Controls the sort direction of grouped rows. Typical options: ASC (ascending) or DESC (descending), or blank for no specific sort. |
Section: Report Total Settings
This section is visible only when the Report Type is Summary Report.
Field | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Group Total Aggregation | Dropdown | The aggregation function shown in the sub-total row at the end of each group. Options are the same as the Grand Total Aggregation. Leave blank if no sub-total is needed for this column. |
Grand Total Aggregation | Dropdown | The aggregation function shown in the grand total row at the very bottom of the report. Options typically include: SUM, COUNT, AVG, MIN, MAX, or blank. Leave blank if no grand total is needed for this column. |
Section: Filter Settings
This section controls whether and how the column can be used as a report filter (parameter) by the user running the report.
Toggle Controls
Toggle | States | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Display (Is Parameter) | Display On / Display Off | When Display On, this column appears as a visible filter in the report runner. When Display Off, the column is not shown as a filter. |
Visible (Is Visible) | Visible / Hidden | Controls whether the filter input is visible on the report runner screen. A hidden parameter can still apply a default value silently (useful for pre-scoped reports). |
Required / Optional | Required / Optional | When Required, the user must fill in this filter before they can run the report. A red asterisk (*) appears next to required filters in the Selected Filters chip list. |
Filter Only (Parameter Only) | Filter Only On / Filter Only Off | When Filter Only On, the column is used exclusively as a filter parameter and will not appear as a column in the report output. Use this when you want the user to be able to filter by a field without displaying that field's raw value in each row. |
Default Value | Default Value On / Default Value Off | When Default Value On, a default value input field appears below the Operator field. The default value is pre-populated in the filter when the report runner opens, but can be overridden by the user. |
Input Controls
Field | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Operator | Dropdown | The comparison operator used when this column is filtered. Available operators depend on the column's data type. Common operators: Equals, Not Equals, Contains, Starts With, Greater Than, Less Than, Between, Is Null, Is Not Null. The Between operator shows two value inputs (From and To). |
Default Value | Dynamic — depends on data type and operator | The pre-populated value for this filter. The input control changes automatically based on the column's data type: Text / Number (plain text or number input), Date (dropdown of date presets such as Today, Last Month, This Year), Date + Time (date-time picker), Time (time picker), Select (single-selection dropdown from a related list), Multi-Select (multi-selection dropdown from a related list). When the Operator is Between, two separate value inputs are shown (From and To). |
Description | Textarea (max 250 chars) | A tooltip or label shown next to this filter in the report runner to help users understand what to enter. |
Selected Filters Chip List
At the bottom of the right panel, a chip list shows all columns currently configured as filter parameters (Display On).
Element | What it does |
|---|---|
Filter chip | Each chip shows the filter's name (alias if set, otherwise column name). A red * indicates a required filter. A "hidden" tooltip appears on hidden filters. |
Drag to sort | Chips can be dragged left or right to change the order in which filters appear in the report runner. |
X (remove) | Click the X on a chip to remove the filter setting from that column (turns Display Off). |
Step 3 — Share Report (Person Access)
This step controls which users can see and run the report in the report library.
Controls
Control | Type | What it does |
|---|---|---|
Filter By | Dropdown | Narrows the person list to help find users faster. Options: My Office (shows only users in your office), My Company (shows users across your company), All (shows all users in the system). Defaults to My Office. |
Search bar | Text input | Filters the person grid in real time by name or other person fields. |
Person grid checkboxes | Row checkbox per person | Select the users you want to give access to this report. Selected users will be able to see and run the report in their report library. |
Select All checkbox (header) | Checkbox | Selects or deselects all currently visible persons at once. |
Click Save (final stepper action) to apply the access settings. A success notification confirms the Report Builder setup is complete.
Field Dependency Summary
Condition | Fields affected |
|---|---|
Report Type = Summary Report | Aggregation, Group Order, Grouping Sort Order, Group Total Aggregation, Grand Total Aggregation are shown |
Aggregation = GROUPBY | Group Order field becomes enabled |
Display toggle = Display On (Is Parameter) | Visible, Required, Filter Only, Default Value, Operator, Default Value input, and Description become editable |
Filter Only = Filter Only On | Column does not appear in the report output; only used as a filter |
Default Value toggle = Default Value On | Default Value input field appears; its type adapts to the column's data type |
Operator = Between | Two value inputs shown for Default Value (From and To) |
Common Scenarios
Add a simple column to a detail report
Step 1 — Select or create a Detail Report.
Step 2 — Check the checkbox next to the data field in the left grid.
Optionally set an Alias to rename the column header and a Width.
Click Next.
Make a column a required filter
Step 2 — Select the column in the left grid.
Right panel → Filter Settings → set Display to Display On.
Set Visible to Visible.
Set Required / Optional to Required.
Choose an Operator (e.g., Equals).
Pre-fill a date filter with "This Month"
Step 2 — Select a date-type column.
Right panel → Filter Settings → set Display to Display On.
Set Default Value toggle to Default Value On.
Set Operator to Equals.
In the Default Value dropdown, select This Month.
Group and total a summary report column
Step 1 — Select or create a Summary Report.
Step 2 — Select the grouping column (e.g., Office).
Set Aggregation to GROUPBY and Group Order to 1.
Select a numeric column (e.g., Total Hours).
Set Aggregation to SUM, Group Total Aggregation to SUM, and Grand Total Aggregation to SUM.
Restrict report access to specific users
Step 3 — Use Filter By and the search bar to find the users.
Check the checkbox next to each user who should have access.
Click Save.