Note: Reports (beta) is currently in development. While fully functional, you may encounter occasional issues as we continue to refine the experience. Your feedback is valuable in helping us improve this feature. Reports (beta) will eventually replace the current Reports feature once feature parity and stability are achieved.
Understanding Reports (beta): Key concepts
Before creating reports, it's helpful to understand these core concepts:
Metrics: The numbers you want to measure (e.g., Revenue, Order Count)
Dimensions: Ways to slice your data (e.g., by Product, by Region)
Hierarchies: Structured relationships between dimensions that enable drilldowns (e.g., Department → Team → Employee)
Date dimensions: Special dimensions that let you control time periods and granularity
Creating a report in Reports (beta)
Getting started
Go to "Reports (beta)" from the left side navigation
Click on "Create new"
Step 1 - Select report columns from definitions
In Reports (beta), you'll select which definitions you want to include as columns in your report:
Browse or search through available definitions (metrics, dimensions, dates, hierarchies)
Select the items you want to include in your report
You'll see all definitions from your datasets displayed together
Tip: For drilldowns, select only the top-level dimension (e.g., Country). Lower levels (Region, City) are included automatically.
Need a hierarchy? Contact your Preql representative to set up custom hierarchical relationships (like Department → Team → Employee).
Important: Once you select an item from a dataset, you're restricted to that dataset. If you need to create a report across different datasets, consider creating a new dataset that joins the necessary tables.
Step 2 - Choose your layout
Configure how your report will be organized:
Select a primary column, which determines how your report is structured:
Hierarchy column: Enables drilldown functionality [image of icon]
Date dimension: Organizes by time periods [image of icon]
Regular dimension: Organizes alphabetically or by value [image of icon]
This is a key difference from traditional reports, which were always based on date
Why is this important? The primary column serves as the organizing principle for your entire report. Think of it as the "backbone" that determines how your data is structured and presented:
Selecting a hierarchy column enables powerful drilldown capabilities, letting you start with high-level data and explore details as needed
Choosing a date dimension organizes your data chronologically, ideal for trend analysis
Using a regular dimension lets you group by categories like products, regions, or departments
Your choice here significantly impacts how you'll interact with and analyze your data, so consider your primary analytical needs when making this selection.
Note: Feature in development The layout selection screen is still being actively refined. We recognize that this step may not yet provide the ideal user experience, and we're working on improvements to make it more intuitive and flexible. Future updates will streamline this process and provide more guidance on making the optimal selection for your reporting needs. Your feedback on this feature is particularly valuable as we continue development.
Step 3 - Set date range
Define the time period for your report:
Select a date range type:
Dynamic: This month, this year, last year, etc.
Fixed: Specific date range
No date range: All time
Choose which date column in your calendar to use
This affects how time periods like months or quarters are calculated
Tip: Choosing the right date column Your choice here affects financial analysis:
Order Date vs. Payment Date: The difference between when a deal closed and when cash was received
Invoice Date vs. Payment Date: Impacts whether expenses align with accrual or cash accounting
Select the date that best matches your reporting purpose (sales performance, cash flow, etc.).
Step 4 - Name and create your report
Enter a name and description for your report
Click "Confirm" to create your report
Using Reports (beta)
Customizing your report
After creating your report, you can make various adjustments:
Adding and removing columns
Click the "+" button to add new columns
Click the three dots menu on any column and select "Remove column" to remove it
Editing report details
Click the pencil icon to edit the name and description of your report
Filtering data
Apply filters to focus on specific data points
Post-creation filters affect only what's displayed, not the underlying report structure
Note on filters with drilldowns: When using filters in a hierarchical report, filters only hide rows from view—they do not recalculate aggregated metrics at parent levels. This means totals and subtotals will continue to reflect all data, including filtered-out rows.
Data exploration features
Reports (beta) offers several powerful tools for exploring your data:
Drilldowns
If you selected a hierarchy as your primary column:
Click on the accordion arrows next to any parent item
The report will expand to show child items beneath it
Each level is aggregated with subtotals
You can drill down multiple levels depending on your hierarchy setup
Click again to collapse sections you no longer need to view
Variance columns
Compare two metrics directly in your report:
Click the three dots menu on a metric column
Select "Add variance column"
Choose which metrics to compare (e.g., Budget vs Actual)
Select whether to display as a percentage or number
The variance will be calculated and added as a new column
Period comparisons
Compare the same metric across different time periods:
Click the three dots menu on a metric column
Select "Compare periods"
Choose the comparison period (previous period or previous year)
Select whether to display as a percentage or number
Two new columns will be added: one showing the previous period's value and one showing the comparison
Note on comparison options: Currently, Reports (beta) offers two comparison types:
Previous period: Compares with the adjacent period of equal length (e.g., if your report shows 5 days, it compares with the previous 5 days)
Previous year: Compares with the same period in the previous year
We're actively developing more flexible comparison options that will allow you to customize comparisons (e.g., comparing the first 5 days of this month with the first 5 days of the previous month).
Sharing reports with permissions in Reports (beta)
Reports (beta) now includes a robust permissions system, giving you greater control over who can view and edit your reports. This ensures your data stays in the right hands and allows for smoother collaboration across your team.
Permission levels
The permissions system allows you to set specific access levels for each user:
No access - Users without access will not see the report at all
Viewer - Can view report contents and export data
Editor - Can modify report structure, columns, and grant viewing permissions
How to share a report
Follow these steps to share a report with specific team members:
Open any report in the Reports (beta) section
Click the "Share" button in the top right
Search for users to add by name
Select the appropriate permission level from the dropdown (Editor or Viewer)
Click "Invite" to grant access
Important notes about permissions
Default visibility: With this new permissions system, any new reports you create will be visible only to you by default. You'll need to explicitly invite team members if you want them to view or edit your reports.
Permission management: Only users with Editor permissions can share reports with others.
Existing reports: Reports created before this feature was implemented may have different default visibility settings. Review their permissions to ensure appropriate access.
Best practices for report sharing
Limit editor access to users who need to modify report structure
Grant Vvewer access for stakeholders who only need to see results
Regularly review permissions to ensure appropriate access as teams change
Coming soon to permissions
The permissions system will be expanded in future updates to include:
Team permissions: Create custom groups of users for easier permission management
Dataset permissions: Set permissions at the dataset level for more granular control
Requesting access: Users will be able to request access to reports they can't currently view
Current limitations
As a beta feature, Reports (beta) has some limitations:
Some editing functionality is still being developed
Certain advanced features may not be fully implemented yet
The interface continues to be refined based on user feedback
Upcoming features
The following enhancements are planned for future releases of Reports (beta):
Advanced export options
Export to Google Sheets, CSV, and email
Scheduled exports and syncing capabilities
Snowflake integration
Enhanced formatting
Conditional formatting to highlight values based on rules
Number formatting options (currency, percentage, decimal places)
Visual indicators for trends and variances
Improved navigation
Column reordering via drag-and-drop and dedicated ordering interface
Better sorting capabilities
Collaboration tools
Report sharing with customizable permissions
Report duplication for quick iterations
Providing feedback
Your feedback is crucial in helping us improve Reports (beta). Please share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you encounter by:
Using the help chat on any Preql page
Contacting your Preql representative directly
We're actively developing this feature and value your input as we work toward making it the primary reporting tool in Preql.