How to build a custom report
Define a report once and reuse the same definition everywhere.
Reports are built from task-level data, so the numbers reflect the workspace rather than something typed into a slide. Define the question before choosing a chart.
Open Reports from the Dashboard
Reporting lives alongside the dashboard because the same definitions power both. Building here means a widget you add later shows the same figures as the report you exported.
Create a titled report
Name the report after the question it answers, such as Where is work stuck this month. Reports named after chart types get built once and never opened again, because nobody remembers what they were for.
Add a metric and grouping definition
Choose what is measured and how it is grouped, then filter to the scope you mean. This definition is the report. Because it is stored, the dashboard, the report, and the export all draw on the same rule, which is what stops two people quoting different numbers.
Preview the result and add narrative context
Check the preview answers the question you started with. Add a short narrative explaining what the reader should conclude. A chart without a sentence of interpretation gets read as decoration.
Save, reopen, and export the report
Save it, then reopen it from a cold start to confirm it renders as expected. Export when you need to share it outside Trellis, choosing the format that suits the audience.
What success looks like
- The report has a question-shaped title, a stored definition, and a short narrative, and it produces the same numbers on the dashboard as in the export.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a visualization before deciding the question.
- Building many similar reports instead of one that is maintained.
- Exporting a chart with no interpretation, which leaves the reader to guess the point.
Questions about this workflow
Yes. Reports are generated from current task data, so an export reflects the state at the moment you run it.
The report builder and PDF export are available on Studio and above. Approval analytics requires Agency.
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