Reports & Dashboards

Report types, formats, filters, bucket and summary formulas, joined reports and dynamic dashboards.

Admin 2 min readReportsDashboardsAnalytics

Report types

A report type defines which objects and fields are available and how records relate:

"Accounts with Contacts" → only accounts that have contacts.
"Accounts with or without Contacts" (custom report type, "B may or may not have A") → all accounts.

Custom report types can include up to 4 related objects (A → B → C → D) and fields via lookups.

Format	Use
Tabular	Simple list (exports, mailing lists)
Summary	Grouped rows with subtotals — e.g. Opportunities by Stage
Matrix	Groups by rows and columns — e.g. Owner × Close Month
Joined	Several report blocks side by side, can use different report types

Only summary and matrix reports (with groupings) can drive most dashboard charts.

Standard filters: date range, "My / All" records.
Field filters + filter logic: (1 AND 2) OR 3.
Cross filters: Accounts WITH / WITHOUT Opportunities — the report version of a SOQL semi/anti-join.
Bucket fields: group values without a formula field (e.g. revenue into Small / Mid / Enterprise).
Row-level formulas: one per report, calculated per row.
Summary formulas: on groupings, e.g. win rate WON:SUM / RowCount.

Components: chart, gauge, metric, table, Lightning tables.
Running user decides whose data is shown:
- Fixed user → everyone sees the same data.
- Dynamic dashboard → each viewer sees data they have access to (limited number per org).
Dashboard filters let viewers slice by field (e.g. Region).

Report type: Cases.
Filter: Status not equal to Closed.
Group rows by Priority (Summary format), add a bar chart.
Add it to a dashboard as a donut component, running user = viewing user if it's dynamic.

How do you report on Accounts that have no Opportunities? → Cross filter "Accounts WITHOUT Opportunities".
Summary vs matrix report?
Why might two managers see different numbers on the same dashboard? → It's a dynamic dashboard (running user = viewer).