Mastering Salesforce Reports Types

A report type acts as a template. It defines the object relationships and the fields included in the report automatically. Salesforce comes with predefined Report Types (Standard Report Types) which you can’t edit and custom Report Types (Custom Report Types) which are created by admins.

The report type governs which fields are available in your report. For example, File and Content reports have fields like File ID, File Name, and Total Downloads. Accounts reports have fields like Account ID, Account Name, and Phone.

The first thing you do when creating a report is choose a report type.

Based on the requirements, records, and fields available, there are different report types in Salesforce. Every report that you build is based on a particular report type. The report type is selected first when you create a report.

Every report type has a primary object and one or more related objects. All these objects must be linked together either directly or indirectly.

However, a report type cannot include more than four objects. Once a report is created, its report type cannot be changed. Let’s look at the types of reports in Salesforce.

Types of Report Types?

There are two main types of reports in Salesforce: standard and custom. Both have different features and object fields.

1. Standard Report Types

Standard Report Types cannot be customized and automatically include standard and custom fields for each object within the report type. They get created when an object or relationship is created. Standard report types always have inner joins.

Key Features:

• Automatically created for standard and custom objects with related child objects.
• Updated automatically when new fields are added to the objects.
• Provide a quick and easy way to generate reports without additional setup.

2. Custom Report Types

Custom report types are reporting templates created to streamline the reporting process. An administrator or a user with “Manage Custom Report Types” permission can make these reports. When standard report types cannot specify which records will be available on reports, a custom report is the go-to option.

In custom report types, you can identify objects that will be available in a particular report. The primary object must have a relationship with other objects present in a report type, either directly or indirectly. Object relationships that Custom Report Types support can:

Custom report types in Salesforce enable you to create complex reports that go beyond the standard Salesforce report types.?

For example, you can set the Primary Object as Accounts and set the secondary object as Opportunities because Opportunities look up to Accounts. That means Accounts are at the top of this particular hierarchy. Think of it this way — an Account can have multiple Opportunities, but an Opportunity is only linked to one Account.

Key Features of Custom Report Types

1. Primary Object Selection: Choose the main object for your report (e.g., Accounts, Opportunities, or a custom object.
2. Related Objects: Define relationships to other objects (e.g., Opportunities related to Accounts).
3. Custom Fields: Include specific fields from the selected objects.
4. Field Layout: Control which fields appear in the report layout.
5. Joins and Relationships: Decide whether a report should include records with or without related child records (e.g., Accounts with or without Opportunities).

Choosing Between Standard and Custom Report Types

When deciding which type to use, consider these factors:

• Simplicity vs. Customization: Standard Report Types are faster to implement, while Custom Report Types offer flexibility.
• Object Relationships: For relationships not covered by Standard Report Types, Custom Report Types are the way to go.
• Field Management: If you need to limit or expand field visibility, Custom Report Types give you control.

Conclusion

Salesforce’s report types are highly flexible, but understanding their strengths and limitations ensures you can use them effectively. Whether leveraging Standard Report Types for speed or Custom Report Types for precision, a clear understanding of their capabilities will help you unlock the full potential of Salesforce reporting.