The beta report builder lets you create reports, which are requests for information from your Zendesk data. For example, you might want to ask "How many open support tickets do I have?"
In Explore, users with the appropriate permissions can create and store reports in the Reports library. You can add these reports to dashboards, which you can then share with others.
This article contains the following topics:
- Starting a report
- Adding metrics to a report
- Adding attributes to a report
- Changing the unit of a time-based attribute
- Removing metrics or attributes from a report
- Filtering a report
- Changing a report’s visualization
- Naming and saving a report
- Editing a report
- Adding tags to a report
- Changing how often a report reloads
- Cloning a report
- Exporting a report
- Deleting a report
- Setting the beta report builder as default
Related articles:
The following video walks you through an example of creating a report with the beta report builder.
Starting a report
You can create a report with the beta report builder from the Reports library. If you’re already in a report, you can quickly start a new one without returning to the Reports library.
To create a report
- In Explore, click the Reports icon (
) to open the Reports library.
- In the banner titled Report Builder beta is available, select Try beta.
- On the Select a dataset page, choose the dataset that contains the information you want to report on. For help choosing a dataset, see Understanding the available default datasets.
Tip: If you begin creating your report and realize that you used the wrong dataset, you can quickly return to this screen by selecting the Change dataset option within the report builder.
- Click Start report.
The beta report builder opens a new report using the dataset you chose.
To create a new report from within the beta report builder
- From within the beta report builder, click the options menu (
) in the top-right.
- Select Create new report.
A new browser window opens with a fresh instance of the beta report builder.
Adding metrics to a report
Metrics are quantifiable values, such as the number of tickets or customer wait times. You must add at least one metric to your report.
To add a metric to a report
- Make sure the Metrics tab is selected in the leftmost column.
- Find the metric you want to add. The beta report builder gives you several options for finding the right metric:
- Search for a specific metric using the search bar.
- Sort the available metrics by clicking Popular or Recently used.
- Filter your search results by clicking the filter icon (
) and selecting the category the metric belongs to. This category is analogous to the metric folders in the classic report builder.
- Click and drag the metric you want to use into the Metrics panel. Alternatively, you can click the plus sign (+) to the right of the metric name to add it.
Explore automatically uses the most suitable aggregator for the metric. - (Optional) If you want to change the metric aggregator, click the options menu (
) next to the metric and select a different aggregator.
Adding attributes to a report
Attributes slice your data by non-quantifiable values, such as ticket ID, ticket tags, and assignee names. You can add one or multiple attributes to a report, or none at all.
Attributes can be added in the Rows or Columns panels. Which panel you add an attribute to changes the way your report works:
- The Rows panel allows you to add primary attributes that break down the metrics to show details.
- The Columns panel allows you to add secondary attributes that divide the results again for more insights.
- The Filters panel restricts which results are shown without the attribute appearing on your report. See Filtering a report.
Note that the labels for the Rows and Columns panels change depending on which visualization you select.
Chart type | Primary attributes | Secondary attributes | ||
Panel label | What it does | Panel label | What it does | |
Table | Rows | Breaks down the metrics to show details | Columns | Divides the results again for more insights |
KPI | View by | Breaks down the metrics to show details | Segment by | Divides the results again for more insights |
Charts showing trends | ||||
Line, Column, Area |
Trend by | Breaks down the metrics on X axis to show trend | Segment by | Divides the results into additional series for more insights |
Charts with axes | ||||
Dot, Waterfall |
View by | Breaks down the metrics on X axis to show details | Segment by | Divides the results into additional series for more insights |
Bar | View by | Breaks down the metrics on Y axis to show details | Segment by | Divides the results into additional series for more insights |
Charts without axes | ||||
Gauge, Sparkline, Treemap, Bubble, Bubble pack, Picto, Bullet, Radar, Sunburst, Relational, Parallel sets, World cloud |
View by | Breaks down the metrics to show details | Segment by | Divides the results again for more insights |
To add an attribute to a report
- Select the Attributes tab in the leftmost column.
- Find the attribute you want to add. The beta report builder gives you several options for finding the right attribute:
- Search for a specific attribute using the search bar.
- Sort the available attributes by clicking Popular or Recently used.
- Filter your search results by clicking the filter icon (
) and selecting the category the attribute belongs to. This category is analogous to the attribute folders in the classic report builder.
- Click and drag the attribute you want to use into the Rows or Columns panel. Alternatively, you can click the options menu (
) to the right of the attribute name to add it.
- (Optional) If you added a time-based attribute, see Changing the unit of a time-based attribute.
Changing the unit of a time-based attribute
In the beta report builder, time-based attributes are always appended with “ - Time” in the Attributes panel. In the classic builder, there is a separate instance of the attribute for all available time units (for example, “ - Date,” “ - Month,” “ - Year,” and so on).
When you add a time-based attribute in the beta report builder, the Date time unit is automatically applied. However, you can change the applied time unit.
To change the unit of a time-based attribute
- Click the three dots to the right of a time-based attribute that you’ve added to your report.
- Under Time, select the time unit you want. Options include:
- Date (default)
- Month
- Year
- Other
- Half year
- Quarter
- Week of year
- Year and week
- Day of month
- Day of week
- Hour
- Minute
- Second
- Timestamp
Copying a time unit to the Filters panel strips the time unit and lets you filter by a time range instead.
Removing metrics or attributes from a report
If you add a metric or attribute to your report that you no longer want, you can easily remove it.
To remove a metric or attribute from a report
- Click the options menu (
) next to the metric or attribute you want to remove and select Remove.
Alternatively, you can click and drag any metric or attribute to the Drop here to remove panel at the bottom of the screen.
![](https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/explore_reload_icon.png)
Filtering a report
You can filter a report by adding an attribute in the Filters panel to control which values are included in the report. If you’ve already added an attribute in the Rows or Columns panel, you can quickly copy it to the Filters panel.
To filter a report
- Select the Attributes tab in the leftmost column.
- Find the attribute you want to add. The beta report builder gives you several options for finding the right attribute:
- Search for a specific attribute using the search bar.
- Sort the available attributes by clicking Popular or Recently used.
- Filter your search results by clicking the filter icon (
) and selecting the category the attribute belongs to. This category is analogous to the attribute folders in the classic report builder.
- Click and drag the attribute you want to use into the Filters panel. Alternatively, you can click the plus icon (+) to the right of the attribute name and select Filters to add it.
- In the Filters panel, the attribute you just added. Alternatively, click the options menu (
) next to the attribute you just added and select Edit.
- Select the values you want to filter your report by. Or, if you want to exclude certain values, click Select all and then deselect the values you don’t want to be included in your report.
If you’re filtering by a time attribute, you also have the option to filter by fixed or rolling time ranges:
-
Fixed range: Select the static period of time you want to see report results for (for example, November 1 to 30).
-
Rolling range: Select the dynamic period of time you want to see report results for (for example, the past 30 days). You can set a rolling range based on hours, days, weeks, months, quarters, semesters, or years.
-
- Click Apply.
The report returns only results where the attribute values you selected are present.
To copy an attribute to the Filters panel
- In the Rows or Columns panel, click an attribute you’ve added.
- Click Copy to Filters.
The attribute is added to the Filters panel. If you want the attribute to act as a filter but not appear in the report, you can remove it from the Rows or Columns panel. - Click the attribute you just added to the Filters panel, select the values to include in the report, and click Apply.
Changing a report’s visualization
By default, Explore renders your report results using the Table visualization. You can also apply suggested visualizations that are likely to work best for your report’s data, or select a visualization manually.
To apply a suggested report visualization
- In your report, hover your mouse over the Suggested bar to the right of the visualization button.
- Select one of the suggested visualizations to quickly apply it to your report. When you do, the name of the visualization button changes to reflect your currently applied visualization.
To manually select a report visualization
- Click the visualization button above the report results. The name of this button reflects the currently applied visualization.
- Select the visualization you want to apply to your report. The option at the top always shows the default visualization, Table. The other available options are sorted into the following categories:
- Change over time: Includes Column, Line, Area, Sparkline, and Waterfall.
- Comparison of parts: Includes Bar, Pie, Funnel, Sunburst, Treemap, Word cloud, Bubble pack, and Bubble plot.
-
Infographics: Includes KPI, Gauge, Bullet, and Picto.
For help choosing a visualization, see Choosing the right chart type for your data.
Naming and saving a report
After you’ve added any metrics, attributes, and filters to a report, you need to name it and save it so that your work isn’t lost when you exit the beta report builder.
To name and save your report
- Click the pencil icon (
) in the top left.
- Give your report a descriptive name and click the checkmark.
- (Optional) Click the star icon (
) to add this report to your favorites. Your favorite reports appear in the Favorites section of the Reports library.
- Click Save in the top right.
Editing a report
The beta report builder is compatible with the reports created in the classic builder and vice versa. This means that you can create a report in one of the builders and continue editing it later in the other one.
Multiple users can access and edit the same report at the same time. Any updates made to a report are applied in the order that they were saved. If user A updates the report that user B is looking at, user B must refresh the page to see user A’s updates.
To edit a report
- In the Reports library, open the report you want to edit.
- Click Switch to builder beta at the bottom of the screen.
The beta report builder opens the report for editing.
![](https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/explore_manage_dashboards_icon.png)
Adding tags to a report
You can add tags to a report to make them easier to find in the Reports library. For example, you could create tags like:
- Tickets: For any reports relating to tickets
- Articles: For any reports relating to article views
- Managers: For any reports created by the management team
To add tags to your report
- In your report, click the Manage tags icon.
- In the Manage tags window:
- (Optional) Add a new report tag by clicking New tag, entering a tag name, and clicking Save.
- Select the tags you want to add. If you created a new tag, you still need to select it.
- Click Done.
For more information about managing report tags, see Organizing your reports with tags.
Changing how often a report reloads
You can choose how often your report reloads as you’re building it. Your options are:
- Automatic: The report reloads every time you add a metric, attribute, filter, or other configuration option.
-
Manual: (Default) The report reloads only when you click the Run report button or Reload icon.
To configure the report reloading behavior
- From within the beta report builder, click the options menu (
) in the top-right.
- Select Reloading mode.
- Select either Automatic or Manual.
Your current selection is remembered whenever you open the report builder.
Cloning a report
You clone a saved report to quickly create a copy of it within the same dataset. You might do this if you want to edit an existing report without modifying the original. You can’t copy reports between datasets.
To clone a report
- In your report, click the options menu (
) in the top-right.
- Select Clone.
Tip: If you don’t see this option, save your report first.
A copy of the report opens in a new browser tab. By default, the copy is saved and named Copy of <report name>.
Exporting a report
You can export your report’s results to create a CSV, image, PDF, or Excel file of your report.
When you export a report as CSV, only the data from the report is exported. Any formatting you've applied to the report is not exported. When you export a report in Excel format, the report formatting is maintained.
To export a report
- In your report, click the Export report icon in the top-right.
- In the Export report window, select an export format of CSV, Excel (formatted), PNG, or PDF. See Choosing an export format for more details about each option.
- Click Export report.
Deleting a report
If you no longer need a report, you can delete it from your Reports library.
To delete a report
- In your report, click the options menu (
) in the top-right.
- Select Delete.
Tip: If you don’t see this option, your report hasn’t yet been saved and therefore doesn’t need to be deleted. When you navigate away from the report builder, the report is gone.
- In the confirmation window, click Delete report.
Setting the beta report builder as default
You can set the beta report builder as your default report building experience in Explore. When you do, the beta report builder will open whenever you create or edit a report.
To set the beta report builder as default
- Open the beta report builder.
- In the bottom-right, select Use beta for all reports. Explore remembers your selection the next time you create or edit a report. To use the classic builder by default, deselect the checkbox.
28 comments
Dan R.
Really excited for this beta. Does this new builder allow multiple users to view a report at once?
If not, is this planned?
3
Eugene Orman
Dan R.
I am glad to hear that you are excited about the new reporting experience. The new report builder allows accessing reports by multiple users at the same time. However, the fact that another user is looking at the same report is not yet exposed in the UI. If another user saves some updates they will be applied to the report and in order to see them you will need to refresh the page on your side.
2
Sarah Miracle
Just getting started in the new builder and the functionality is better for admins, but I'm not seeing the ability to export. Will "export" be available in the new builder?
6
Antonio Naddeo
Where is the export to excel?
There is no way we will ever use the report builder without the option to export into excel.
0
Antonio Naddeo
Eugene Orman as product manager of the report builder (beta), would be so kind in addressing the question raised above: "where is the export to excel" in the the report builder (beta)) Exporting to excel is absolutely basic functionality that must be added. I had to switch immediately back from the beta because export to excel is missing.
1
Poli Minkova
Hi, i also cant export the report which is not perfect because i have weekly stats to prepare and the old version no longer shows the data i need for some reason?
1
Mike DR
You can monitor our updates here: Zendesk Updates
0
Eugene Orman
Sarah Miracle, Antonio Naddeo & Poli Minkova thank you for your feedback. Thanks to it the Exports feature was prioritized and is now available in the Beta report builder, check it out.
0
Deiaa Eid
Hi, I can not find the calculation menu in this beta report builder
0
Devan La Spisa
Hi Deiaa Eid,
Currently, the calculation menu isn’t available in the beta builder yet, and at the moment, there is no announced release date. We recommend watching this announcement space for updates on this product area.
0
Michi Moskovitz
We have a requirement to send a weekly report to our partners. When will a subscription service be added to the feature?
Thanks!
0
Asaf Max
This beta appears to be missing key features needed for generating reports including the ability to create calculated metrics and attributes.
0
Ari
Willing to have a function of auto exporting as exel.
0
Zoë Shi
Currently heavily limited by the lack of ability to create custom metrics and attributes in the beta builder, as mentioned above. Any idea on when this functionality will be introduced?
2
Wendy Y
Where can I find the decompose button?
0
Johannes Garske
What is the expected timeline to create custom metrics and attributes in the beta builder?
Otherwise it is not really usable for us.
3
Jupete Manitas
Hi Wendy, thanks for writing in! Upon using the beta, it looks like the Decompose option is not yet available but Drill in is available. If you try to use the Beta option, please continue sending your feedback to the team before the GA and here in the comments. Thank you!
-3
Johannes Garske
Hey,
It is still not usable because core things are still missing like creating custom metrics and attributes.
How long will it take to fix and or making other improvements? There is nothing new since months.
2
Luke Aleo
I need to make Custom Groupings to associate our Agents with their Team Leaders, allowing our Team Leaders to view all the data specific to their team easily. I consider these Beta Reports uesless until they are updated with all the features of Classic.
0
Bill Brooks
Hello,
I'd like to perform calculations on our data and visualize it in a report. For example, I'd like to see the % of tickets created from various ticket channels (the web form vs an email) over time. It seems easy to plot the number of tickets created by a given ticket channel, but is there an easy way to calculate the % of tickets created from a specific ticket channel over time in the beta version?
thank you,
Bill
0
Rita Gleason
How do you place a schedule on the dashboard report now?
0
Elaine
You can check out this article to see which features are already on the roadmap and their expected release dates: Comparing features available in the dashboard builder. If the feature you're looking for isn't listed, feel free to use the "Share feedback" option in the top-right corner of the report builder to send your suggestions. The product team actively monitors these inputs and will follow up accordingly.
0
Sam Goulet
Elaine, your link is broken. This link is also on the landing page for Dashboards and it is also broken. You should revise your links posted so we are not left in the dark about this.
I have a few concerns here. We had beta experiences with the customer info tab that eventually got removed.
One reason I did not start using Dashboard beta was because I was afraid that it was also going to get removed. Is the Beta for Reports expected to stick around or are we in another “evaluation” phase and it may also get removed?
Finally, REALLY not a fan of the new dashboard builder, it completely removed all the customization we could do. I had made some very nice looking reports and now I have lost this ability. That seems like a massive step back and I don't understand the rationale in removing the ability to add images to dashboards (think about all these banners we had in our dashboards and now they're gone), and the dashboard background, (we may want to not use a white background for our dashboards). This is really frustrating to use the migration tool and to find out that none of the dashboard's core look remains. I'm quite dismayed about the amount of work that is now added on my plate to re-do all the visually appealing dashboards I had previously spent hours upon hours to build. This makes no sense.
1
Jorge - Leafworks
Hi!
As other customers posted in this article, I would like to know, when Zendesk is going to support the custom metrics and custom attributes in the Beta report builder. For some customers this is a core feature of the report builder and, therefore, a show stopper for the beta version. Just the sentence “Yes, we are going to support them!” would be enough for me :).
Thanks!
0
David Froemke
There's not one feature I could point to here, but I will say, I like what I'm seeing, but it's just not ready. And to make matters worse, in the 5 or 6 months we've been customers, I don't believe I've seen the Beta Builder updated at all. Beta is generally the step prior to QA or similar. The current state seems far off from a full release.
I'd like to know what the timeline is for moving the entire feature set over to the New Report Builder. While I like the functionality I'm seeing thus far, it's missing so many features, I've stopped using it and have moved back to the Classic Builder.
1
Centro de Soporte Softland
cuando se van a poner añadir imagenes al nuevo explore? es muy importante
0
Johannes Garske
I agree with David Froemke
There are too much known errors, functions that are not working, restrictions, etc.
We don't saw any improvements here in the last couple months.
Sometimes the beta is loading faster than the “old” explore.
0
David Wexelblat
Given how much existing functionality was lost when the new dashboard builder replaced the old dashboard builder, I REALLY hope that you're not planning to do the same thing to the report builder.
The fact that a new dashboard builder was released that is incapable of recreating the existing stock dashboards is just mind-boggling. I live in dread of the same thing happening with the new report builder.
TBH, I find the new report builder basically useless, as I wind up needing to adjust settings on every report I create/modify.
0