We're excited to announce that Reports 5.0 Beta in Looker is now available for all existing users with reporting permissions! 

Our Reports 5.0 features new and improved capabilities for data visualization and reporting. These updates will help you generate more insightful reports, enabling better business decisions. 

• Significant performance improvements also ensure faster report generations times. 
• Streamlined drill through capabilities and increased columns of data allow for more efficient and in-depth analysis.
• Additionally, you can generate beautiful, professional-looking reports with improved PDF and CSV reports. 

In this article, we will be covering the basic navigation that can be used on any report. 

Please keep in mind this is a Beta product so it is actively being worked on. UI, workflows, and reports might change as we continue to improve the user experience. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we continue to work on this product.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Accessing Reports
• Applying Filters
  • "Is any value" filter
  • "Is any time" filter
• Removing/Resetting Filters
• Showing/Hiding Filter Section
• Filter Sets
  • Creating and Saving Filter Sets
  • Applying Filter Sets
  • Managing Filter Sets
• Moving and Sorting Columns
• Drill Through Data
• Export/Download the Data
  • Exporting the Entire Report
  • Exporting Individual Visuals
• Scheduling a Report
  • Settings tab
  • Filters tab
  • Advanced options tab
  • Save, Cancel, or Test Settings
• Favoriting a Report
• Clearing and Refreshing Cache
• Current Closed Beta Features
  • Scheduling Individual Visual (Advanced Scheduling)
  • Saving a Copy of a Dashboard
  • Saving Filtered Views

Accessing Reports

To access the new Beta Reports, you must have Management System Admin permissions or specific product reporting permissions. To tell if you have these permissions, look for the Reports icon on the left navigation bar. If you see the icon, you have the necessary reporting permissions. If you do not see the icon, please reach out to your Agency Admin for reporting help. 

To access the reports, hover over the icon to open the reporting menu. Then, select a category of report. This will take you to a new page. We'll use the Applicant category for our examples in this article.

Once on the respective category's page, select one of the report cards to open that particular report. Each card has a quick summary of what you can expect to find data wise. We are going to use Applicant Detail for our example. 

Once in a report, you can navigate back by either hitting the back button on your browser, or using the breadcrumbs at the top left. 

Applying Filters

Now, that you've made it to a report, let's talk about applying filters. You can find the filters for a report underneath its name. Depending on the report you are on, will depend on the filters available to you.

 If you select a filter you will be given a dropdown or a list of options. Depending on the filter and report you are on, you might have different dropdown options.

 On some reports, you might also see a More button. The number on this button represents the number of filters currently hidden. To show them, select the More button to open the menu to see the other available filters.

"Is any value" filter

Let's take a look at an "is any value filter. Select "is any value" underneath the Account Type filter. This open a dropdown. Select the dropdown to open the list of filter options. The "is any value" filter is a list of options with checkboxes.

If you check mark an option, you'll notice it turns the now active filter blue and adds the option to the dropdown, updates the "is any value", and makes the reload button in the top right blue. The blue background makes it easy to identify which filters are currently active.

To apply the filter, select the blue reload button, and the report will refresh and apply the filter. 

You can add multiple options for an "is any value" filter. Simply check mark all the options you would like to include before selecting the reload button.

If you'd like to remove an option, you can either uncheck the box or select the small 'x' next to the option to remove it. 

To remove all the options at once, select the big 'x' next to the dropdown arrow.

Some value filters allow you to add multiple criteria. To tell if the filter allows for it or not, look for the "+" icon. Using the Applicant Detail and Commission Detail reports as a comparison you'll notice the Applicant Detail Assigned Producer does not allow for multiple criteria while the Commission Detail Assigned Producer does. 

To add an additional timeframe, select the "+" icon. Then, you can select whichever options are available in the dropdown. Now, if the data meets either the first criteria or the second criteria, it will appear on the report. Don't forget to select the reload button to apply the filters.

"Is any time" filter

Now, let's look at "is any time" filters. Using the Applicant Detail report, select the "is any time" filter under Created Date. This will open up a dropdown just like the other filter. Select the dropdown to open the options for this time filter. Notice, that instead of checkboxes we have a long list of options to chose from. 

The table below includes the full list of date filters available and their definitions. 

Depending on what date filter you choose from the drop-down menu will determine next steps. 

For example, choosing "is in the last" provides you with a numerical field and a drop-down to select a specific time frame like months or days. While choosing "is in range" provides two date fields where you can input two dates to create a range.

Just like before, which ever option you choose will turn the now active filter blue, adds the option to the dropdown, updates the "is any time", and makes the reload button in the top right blue. The blue background makes it easy to identify which filters are currently active. 

To apply the filter, select the blue reload button, and the report will refresh and apply the filter. To remove any applied date filters, you can choose the "is any time" option in the dropdown and reload the report.

Some date filters allow you to add multiple timeframes. To tell if the filter allows for it or not, look for the "+" icon. Using the Applicant Detail as an example, you'll notice the Customer Since Date does not allow for multiple timeframes while the Last Modified Date does. 

To add an additional timeframe, select the "+" icon. Then, you can select whichever options are available in the dropdown. Now, if the data meets either the first criteria or the second criteria, it will appear on the report. Don't forget to select the reload button to apply the filters.

Removing/Resetting Filters

If you want to remove or reset all the filters to their defaults, you can select the three-dot menu button at the top right and choose Reset Filters. Alternatively, you could use the hotkey combination of Ctrl + Alt + R to quickly reset the filters. Resetting the filters will remove any of your inputs and put the filters back into their original state. 

If you just want to remove or reset one of the filters, you can do so, by either removing the inputs by selecting the 'X' for "is any value" filters, or by choosing the default "is any time" option to remove timeframes. 

Showing/Hiding Filter Section

Once you've got your filters they way you'd like them, you can hide the filter section if you'd like. Hiding the filter section is particularly useful when you want to explore the report's data and insights without the distraction of filter settings. You can easily reveal the filters again whenever you need to make adjustments to the report's data presentation. 

To hide the filter section, select the upside-down triangle icon made of three lines in the top left or right corner, depending on your reporting configuration. To bring the filter section back, select the same upside-down triangle icon. 

Filter Sets

From any report, you can create a filter set by specifying the filtering criteria and saving it with a unique name. This is useful if you use the same filters all the time. Using filter sets, you don't have to constantly recreate filters for the same report.

Please note, filter sets are report specific. For example, you cannot apply a Book of Business Filter Set to an Applicant Detail Report. You can only apply a Filter Set on the same report it was created from.

Creating and Saving Filter Sets

To create a filter set, apply the filters to the report like normal. For example, adding an Account Type filter to Personal Lines accounts and then follow the steps below.

1. Select Actions in the top-right.
2. Choose Save New. This will open the Save Custom Filter window.
3. Input a Custom Filter Name. Make it something unique and precise so you'll remember what it does. 
4. Select Save to finish creating the Custom Set Filter.

Applying Filter Sets

Once you have saved your filter set, you can apply it using the Custom Filter Set dropdown menu. Selecting a different set automatically updates the report to reflect the new filters.

Managing Filter Sets

If you need to update, rename, and delete your Custom Filter Sets, you can do so following the steps below.

1. Using the Custom Filter Set dropdown select the filter set you'd like to manage.
2. Select the Actions button to open the Actions Menu.
3. Choose either Rename, Update, or Delete to open the respective window.

Moving and Sorting Columns

Sorting and moving columns is simple and by understanding how to reorder columns, you gain greater control over how you interact with your data, allowing you to conduct your analysis more effectively.

To move a column so that it's in a different order, click and drag the column title to where in the report you want it to go. 

Sorting columns is just as easy. Hover over the column you'd like to sort. This will cause two new buttons to appear. The first button is Column Options that can be helpful in viewing the data easier.

The second button is Sort Columns. Select the Sort Columns button and the system will automatically refresh to apply the sort. If you want to switch from ascending to descending order (or vice versa), select the arrow icon again to toggle the sort direction. 

Columns current being sorted will have an arrow icon, making it easy to recognize which columns you've sorted. If you'd like to return to the original order, select the sort arrow again until it returns to its neutral state, or a different column to override the current sorting.

If you want to sort multiple columns, you can press Shift + Click on another column's Sort button.

Best Practices! - If you want to keep the new column arrangement for future reference, consider making a saved version of the report before making your changes. The master reports do not keep changes you've made. Check out our Exporting and Saving Reports section to learn more.

Drill Through Data

We've added a new drill through feature to the reports, which allows you to access detailed information quickly and easily. This feature streamlines the drill through process by accessing more detailed information with just a few clicks. 

To drill through a particular piece of data, hover over the data. If a solid or dotted line appears under the data, then it is a "drillable" piece of data. Click on the data to trigger the drill through feature. A pop-up will appear with a table that details the information that makes up the previous piece of data.

Some drill-through pop-ups offers additional functionality, like further filtering or even more drill through, layers to let you delve deeper in to the data.

You can download this data by selecting Download in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up. Check out the next section of our article for more on downloading data.

To go back to the main report, select the 'X' in the top right-hand corner of the pop-up. 

Remember that the data in the drill-through is a more detailed subset of your original data, helping you to understand specific trends or anomalies.

Export/Download the Data

Once you have your report just the way you like it, you have two convenient options for exporting data. You can export the entire report and/or exporting individual visuals. Let's take a look at how to use both options. 

Exporting the Entire Report

To download the report as a whole, select the three vertical dots in the top right corner to open the menu. Then, choose Download or press the hotkey Alt + D. A pop-up will appear that allows you to choose how you want to download the report.

From the export pop-up, you can choose either PDF or CSV as the format for exporting the entire report. After selecting your preferred format, select Download to initiate the export process. The system will process the export request and generate the file containing the entire report data in your chosen format. Download and open the file to access the data. 

Exporting Individual Visuals

To export individual visuals, you'll find a similar menu at the top right corner for each visual. Select the three vertical dots to open the menu specific to that visual. If you cannot see the three vertical dots to open the menu, try hovering over the visual. Then, choose Download data. A pop-up will appear that allows you to choose how you want to download the data.

Looker provides a variety of export formats for individual visuals, including: 

• TXT (Tab-Separated Values)
• Excel Spreadsheet (Excel 2007 or later)
• CSV
• JSON
• HTML
• Markdown
• PNG (Image of Visualization)

Once you have decided the format, you can open the Advanced data options to choose the data scope or the number of rows to include in the export. Remember, this option only exports the data related to the visual you are viewing. 

• Current Result Table will only export the results in the table (usually 500 rows).
• Custom can be used to export up to 5k rows if you do not have the expanded download permission. 
• All Results will be available If you do have the expanded download permission and will download all results from a visual.

After you have chosen the format and scope, select Download. The system will generate the file containing the data from the individual visual in your chosen format. Download and open the file to access the data. 

Both export options provide flexibility for your data analysis and reporting needs. you can use the exported data for further analysis, sharing, integration, or collaboration, according to your business requirements. 

Scheduling a Report

If you'd like to get data from a report on a regular basis, you can schedule the report so the data is sent to you on a regular cadence. Automated the delivery of your data can keep your team informed and updated with the latest insights.

To schedule a report, select the three vertical dots in the top-right to open the menu. Choose Schedule delivery. This will open a pop-up were you can choose the Settings, Filters, and Advanced Options for the delivery.

Settings tab

1. Schedule Name: Provide a descriptive name to help you identify it quickly among other schedules. 

2. Recurrence: Select the desired recurrence for the report delivery. You can choose from daily, weekly, monthly, hourly, minutes, specific months or specific days. 

3. Time Selection: Pick a suitable delivery time for the report. It's recommended to avoid peak business hours to ensure the smooth processing of the delivery. 

4. Recipients: Specify one or multiple email addresses to which the report should be sent. This ensure that the right stakeholders receive the report on time.

5. Delivery Formats: Choose the preferred delivery format for the report. Looker supports PDF, CSV in a zipped file or PNG visualization formats.

Filters tab

1. Custom Filters: Set up custom filters for this scheduled report version. Tailor the data to match specific criteria, allowing recipients to receive relevant insights. 

Advanced options tab

1. Custom Message: Craft a custom message to be included in the body of the email. Use up to 1500 characters to provide additional context or highlights related to the report. 

2. Expand Table Rows: Choose to expand the table to show all rows in the report. Remember that large tables may render as plain text or limit the displayed rows for readability. 

3. Single Column Visualization Arrangement: Select this option to arrange dashboard visualizations in a single column in the email for a more streamlined view.

4. Paper Size Selection: Specify the paper size for the exported report. Options include fit page to dashboard, letter, legal, tabloid, A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5. 

5. Delivery Timezone: Pick the report delivery time zone to ensure the recipients to receive the report at the appropriate time in their local timezone. 

Save, Cancel, or Test Settings

At the bottom of any of the tabs on the Schedule Delivery pop-up, you will find the following options: 

• Save: Choose Save once you have configured all the settings to schedule the report for delivery according to your chosen preferences. The scheduled report will be automatically generated and set to the specified requirements at the designated time and frequency.
• Cancel: If you decide not to schedule the report, choose Cancel to close the pop-up and retain your previous settings.
• Test now: Before finalizing the schedule, choose Test now to send a test email to yourself or a designated email address. This allows you to preview how the scheduled report will look when delivered. 

By scheduling reports, you can keep your team informed and ensure they receive crucial insights in a timely and automated manner, saving valuable time and effort.

Favoriting a Report

Favoriting a report is an excellent way to keep important data at your fingertips. When you mark a report as a favorite, it becomes easier to access, saving you time and effort in the long run. 

1. Look at the top-left corner of the report page, next to the report title. You will see a heart-shaped icon. 

2. If the heart is empty, the report is not yet a favorite. Select the heart, and it will fill in, indicating the report is now a favorite. To unfavorite report, simply select the filled heart again to remove the report from your favorites.

There are two ways to find your favorite reports - from the Reporting Menu and from within a report. 

Reporting Menu - Hover over the reporting icon to open the Reporting Menu and choose Favorite Reports. This will take you to the Favorite Reports page.

Folder - Within a report, select the Folder icon on the top-right. This will open a menu pane on the right. Choose Favorites to see a list of your favorites. This is a quick easy way to navigate between your favorited reports.

Clearing and Refreshing Cache

Sometimes, your reports may display outdated data due to the cache. Clearing and refreshing the cache ensures that you're looking at the most current data available in the cloud. However, it's important to note that this does not force the cloud to update. By knowing how to clear and refresh the cache, you ensure that you're making decisions based on the most up-to-date information available. 

1. Select the three vertical dot menu icon in the top-right.

2. Choose Clear cache and refresh. This will clear any cached data for this specific report and refresh it with the latest data if updates were available in the cloud. 

This feature is handy if you suspect that the data in the report is outdate or if you've been informed that newer data is available. Usually, an indicator or message shows when the report was last updated. This can help you decide whether to clear and refresh the cache. 

Current Closed Beta Features

Because these new reports are still actively being worked on while in Beta, the majority of customers that have the Looker Reports Beta have the  Viewer Role permission. This permission allows you to do everything we talked about in this article so far - View, Filter, Schedule, Download, and Favorite. 

However, there are a handful of customers participating in a closed beta that test out the Builder & Explorer Roles which provide more control and customization of the reports. Check out our Reports 5.0 Beta New Roles article to learn more. 

In this section of the article, we will cover some of the features that are only available to the few customers testing out the Builder & Explorer roles in the closed beta. 

Scheduling Individual Visual (Advanced Scheduling)

1. Locate the visual you want to schedule and hover over it. Select the vertical three dot menu on the right side of the visual. 

2. Choose Explore from here. This will open a new page in the explore mode. 

3. Select the cog icon in the top-right corner and choose Save and schedule. This allows you to save your current look and setup a schedule for it.

4. Save your visual: Provide the visual a clear and descriptive title and optionally a description. 

5. Then, select Save & View Look to proceed. This will save your look and refresh the page.

6. On the refreshed page, select the cog icon again and choose Schedule. 

7. Name Your Schedule: Provide a name for the schedule for easy identification.

8. Select Delivery Method: Choose where the scheduled data should be delivered. This could be an email address or another specified location. 

9. Email Details: 

• Recipients: Enter the email addresses of those who should receive the visual. 
• Custom Message: Optionally, add a personal message to accompany the visual. 

10. Choose Data Format: Select the format you want the data sent (e.g. Data Table, CSV, XLSX). 

11. Set the Trigger: The only available option currently functioning is the 'Repeating Interval'. Select this to set a recurring schedule.

12. Delivery Schedule: Configure how often the visual should be sent (e.g., daily, weekly). 

13. Adjust Filters: If needed, make any changes to the filters applied to your Look.

14. Advanced Options: Here, you can configure any additional settings. 

15. Finally, select the Save All to finish scheduling the Look.

Attention! - If you do not have the premium download permission, you will not be able to download more than 5k rows.

Saving a Copy of a Dashboard

By saving a copy of a dashboard, you can experiment freely with different analyses and customizations without worrying about altering the original content. This feature also streamlines collaboration, as team members can have their own personalized versions of the dashboard tailored to their specific needs.

1. At the top-right corner of the report, select Actions to open the menu and choose Copy Report. 

2. Name the report and select Save Report. This will create a new dashboard version after selecting Copy Report. The saved dashboard will contain all the same visualizations, data, and settings as the original dashboard.

The saved dashboard is yours to customize and edit. You can modify the arrangement of visualizations, add ore remove elements, adjust filters, and explore the data in various ways. Any changes or edits to the duplicated dashboard can be saved so you can revisit and share your customized version later. The saved dashboard does not impact the original dashboard or other copies. Any changes you make to the copied version won't affect the original or other duplicates. Think of it as having your personalized version of the dashboard. Just like the original dashboards, you can prepare an automated scheduled delivery. 

To learn more about how to customize dashboards using advanced permissions, check out our Dashboard Customization for Reports 5.0 Beta article. 

Saving Filtered Views

Saving a filtered report allows you to access custom views of your data quickly. This feature enables you to set up a report with specific filters and access it for future use. It eliminates the need to recreate the same filters each time you view the report, streamlining your data analysis process and saving time.

1. Select Actions in the top-right and then choose Copy Report. 

2. Name the report and select Save Report. 

3. On the copied version you have created, select the vertical three-dot menu, and choose Edit Dashboard.

4. Edit Filters: To modify a filter, select the vertical three-dot menu next to the filter you want to adjust.

5. Set Default Values: Choose a default value for your filter by selecting an option from the Configure Default Value dropdown menu. 

6. Adjust Date Filters: If you need the date filter to represent a range of dates, change the Control to Date Range.

7. Save Your Changes: Don't forget to save the modifications you've made to your report by selecting Update.

We hope you found this article helpful in learning how to use the new Beta Reports. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we continue to actively work on these reports. Please let us know if this article was helpful by answer the question below. Check out our Coming Soon! folder for more information about all our current Beta products!