The Four Report Types
Tabular — The simplest format. Rows of data with no grouping or subtotals. Good for export or lists. Cannot be used as a source for most dashboard components.
Summary — Groups rows by a field and provides subtotals and grand totals. This is the most commonly used report type. Can be used as a dashboard source.
Matrix — Groups data by both rows and columns, like a pivot table. Useful for comparing data across two dimensions (e.g., sales by region by month).
Joined — Combines multiple report blocks from different report types into a single view. Useful for side-by-side comparisons, but limited dashboard support.
Summary Functions
In summary and matrix reports you can add formula fields using summary functions: SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX, COUNT, and COUNT_DISTINCT. Formula columns can reference these across grouping levels (ALL, GRAND_SUMMARY, or a specific grouping).
Filters and Cross-Filters
Standard filters — filter rows by field values (e.g., Close Date = this quarter).
Cross-filters — filter the parent object based on a related child object. Example: show Accounts that have no Open Opportunities. Cross-filters are powerful but not available on all objects.
Row-level formula filters — introduced in newer releases, these let you filter based on calculated values without a separate formula field.
Dashboards
Dashboards display up to 20 components (charts, metrics, tables, gauges, funnels) sourced from reports. Key things to know:
- Running user — who the dashboard "runs as". Standard dashboards show data based on the running user's access, not the viewer's.
- Dynamic dashboards — each viewer sees data based on their own access. Requires a Dynamic Dashboard licence. Limited to 10 per org in most editions.
- Scheduled refresh — dashboards can be set to refresh automatically on a schedule and emailed to subscribers.
Best Practices
Use report folders and dashboard folders with proper sharing settings. Limit complex cross-filters in reports used for dashboards — they increase load time. Always use a Summary or Matrix report (not Tabular) as a dashboard source. Audit unused reports regularly to keep the org clean.