Custom Reports
PRO+ Feature
Saving custom reports requires PRO or ENTERPRISE tier.
- FREE — cannot save reports (0 saved reports allowed)
- PRO — up to 5 saved reports
- ENTERPRISE — unlimited saved reports
Overview
Custom reports are saved report configurations that you can reuse, re-run, and schedule. After running an ad-hoc report on the Reports page, you can save the current filter + template + group-by + view mode combination as a named custom report.
Why custom reports:
- Save your settings — no need to reconfigure filters every time
- � Re-run in one click — open saved report → generate
- � Schedule — automate email delivery (PRO+)
- � Export — download as PDF, Excel, JSON, or XML from Report Preview
Saving a Custom Report
Navigate to: Reports → configure filters + template + group-by → click "Save as Report"
What gets saved
- Report name
- Template (
time_by_project,time_by_task,time_by_user, etc.) - Date range type and custom dates (if applicable)
- Selected projects and tags
- Billable filter
- Group-by option
- Chart configuration —
BARif saved from Chart view,TABLEif saved from Table view - Schedule settings (if configured)
Accessing saved reports
Saved reports appear in the list below the filter panel on the Reports page.
Click any saved report to open the Report Preview page (/reports/preview/:id).
Report Builder Interface
Coming Soon — Matrix, Trend & Pivot Table report types
Matrix Report, Trend Report, and Pivot Table report types are planned and not yet available. Currently available types: Summary Report and Detailed Report.
Step 1: Select Report Type
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 1: Report Type │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Choose report type: │
│ │
│ ○ Summary Report │
│ Aggregated totals and breakdowns │
│ Example: Total hours by project, billable summary │
│ │
│ ○ Detailed Report │
│ Individual time entry records │
│ Example: All time entries with descriptions │
│ │
│ ○ Matrix Report │
│ Cross-tabulation (rows × columns) │
│ Example: Users (rows) × Projects (columns) │
│ │
│ ○ Trend Report │
│ Time-series analysis │
│ Example: Daily hours over 3 months │
│ │
│ ○ Pivot Table │
│ Multi-dimensional analysis │
│ Example: Projects × Tasks × Users │
│ │
│ [Cancel] [Next: Dimensions] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Report type descriptions:
Summary Report
- Aggregated data only
- Totals, averages, counts
- Good for: High-level overviews
Detailed Report
- Row-by-row time entries
- All entry details
- Good for: Audits, detailed analysis
Matrix Report
- Rows and columns
- Cross-tabulation
- Good for: Comparing two dimensions
Trend Report
- Time-based analysis
- Charts and graphs
- Good for: Identifying patterns
Pivot Table
- Drag-and-drop dimensions
- Excel-like pivot functionality
- Good for: Interactive exploration
Step 2: Select Dimensions
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 2: Dimensions │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Primary Dimension (Required): │
│ ● Project ○ User ○ Task ○ Date ○ Client │
│ │
│ Secondary Dimension (Optional): │
│ ○ Project ● User ○ Task ○ Date ○ Client │
│ │
│ Tertiary Dimension (Optional): │
│ ○ Project ○ User ● Task ○ Date ○ Client │
│ │
│ Preview Structure: │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Project │ │
│ │ └─ User │ │
│ │ └─ Task │ │
│ │ └─ Metrics │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ Available Dimensions: │
│ ☑ Project ☑ User ☑ Task │
│ ☑ Client ☑ Date ☑ Day of Week │
│ ☑ Tag (Custom) ☑ Billable ☑ Entry Type │
│ ☑ Workspace ☑ Rate Tier ☑ Approval Status │
│ │
│ [Back] [Next: Metrics] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Dimension options:
Standard Dimensions:
- Project: Group by project
- User: Group by team member
- Task: Group by task
- Client: Group by client (if set)
- Date: Group by date (day/week/month/quarter/year)
- Day of Week: Monday, Tuesday, etc.
- Billable Status: Billable vs Non-billable
- Entry Type: Manual vs Timer
Advanced Dimensions:
- Tag: Custom tags (multi-select)
- Workspace: If multiple workspaces
- Rate Tier: Rate levels
- Approval Status: Draft, Pending, Approved, Rejected
- Project Type: Client, Internal, Retainer, R&D
- Priority: High, Medium, Low (if tracked)
Step 3: Select Metrics
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 3: Metrics │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Select metrics to include: │
│ │
│ Time Metrics: │
│ ☑ Total Hours │
│ ☑ Billable Hours │
│ ☑ Non-billable Hours │
│ ☑ Billable Ratio (%) │
│ ☐ Average Entry Duration │
│ ☐ Median Entry Duration │
│ ☐ Min/Max Entry Duration │
│ │
│ Financial Metrics: │
│ ☑ Total Revenue │
│ ☑ Average Rate │
│ ☐ Min/Max Rate │
│ ☐ Cost (if cost rates set) │
│ ☐ Profit (Revenue - Cost) │
│ ☐ Margin (%) │
│ │
│ Count Metrics: │
│ ☑ Entry Count │
│ ☐ Unique Users │
│ ☐ Unique Projects │
│ ☐ Unique Clients │
│ ☐ Working Days │
│ │
│ Statistical Metrics: │
│ ☐ Standard Deviation │
│ ☐ Variance │
│ ☐ Percentiles (25th, 50th, 75th) │
│ │
│ [Back] [Next: Filters] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Metric categories:
Time Metrics:
- Total Hours
- Billable/Non-billable Hours
- Billable Ratio
- Average/Median/Min/Max Duration
Financial Metrics:
- Total Revenue
- Average/Min/Max Rate
- Cost (if applicable)
- Profit & Margin
Count Metrics:
- Entry Count
- Unique dimensions (users, projects, clients)
- Working Days
Statistical Metrics:
- Standard Deviation
- Variance
- Percentiles
Step 4: Apply Filters
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 4: Filters │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Date Range (Required): │
│ From: [2026-01-01] To: [2026-01-31] │
│ │
│ Quick Select: │
│ [This Month] [Last Month] [This Quarter] [Last Quarter] │
│ [This Year] [Last Year] [Custom] │
│ │
│ Advanced Filters: │
│ │
│ Projects: │
│ ○ All Projects │
│ ● Selected: [Website Redesign] [Marketing] [+Add] │
│ │
│ Users: │
│ ● All Users │
│ ○ Selected: [Choose users...] │
│ │
│ Billable Status: │
│ ○ All ● Billable Only ○ Non-billable Only │
│ │
│ Tags: │
│ Selected: [client-work] [high-priority] [+Add] │
│ │
│ Min Duration: [___] hours (optional) │
│ Max Duration: [___] hours (optional) │
│ │
│ Approval Status: │
│ ☑ Approved ☐ Pending ☐ Rejected ☐ Draft │
│ │
│ [Back] [Next: Visualization] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 5: Choose Visualization
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 5: Visualization │
├────────────────────────────────────────────── ───────────┤
│ │
│ Display Format: │
│ ● Table ○ Chart ○ Both │
│ │
│ Chart Type (if applicable): │
│ ○ Bar Chart (Horizontal) │
│ ● Column Chart (Vertical) │
│ ○ Pie Chart │
│ ○ Line Chart (for trends) │
│ ○ Area Chart │
│ ○ Stacked Bar Chart │
│ ○ Grouped Bar Chart │
│ ○ Heat Map │
│ ○ Scatter Plot │
│ │
│ Table Options: │
│ ☑ Show Totals Row │
│ ☑ Show Subtotals │
│ ☑ Enable Sorting │
│ ☑ Enable Filtering │
│ ☐ Freeze Header Row │
│ ☑ Alternate Row Colors │
│ │
│ Chart Options: │
│ ☑ Show Data Labels │
│ ☑ Show Legend │
│ ☑ Show Grid Lines │
│ Color Scheme: [CADENSA Default ▼] │
│ │
│ [Back] [Next: Formatting] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Visualization options:
Table Formats:
- Standard table
- Pivot table
- Condensed view
- Expanded view
Chart Types:
- Bar/Column (comparisons)
- Pie/Donut (proportions)
- Line/Area (trends over time)
- Heat Map (2D distribution)
- Scatter (correlation)
- Waterfall (cumulative changes)
- Gantt (timeline)
Step 6: Format Report
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Builder - Step 6: Formatting │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Report Title: │
│ [Client Billing Report - Q1 2026________________] │
│ │
│ Description (optional): │
│ [Detailed billable hours breakdown for all clients] │
│ │
│ Number Format: │
│ Hours: ● Decimal (8.5h) ○ HH:MM (8:30) │
│ Currency: ● Symbol (€1,250) ○ Code (EUR 1,250) │
│ Decimals: [2] places │
│ │
│ Date Format: │
│ ● MM/DD/YYYY ○ DD/MM/YYYY ○ YYYY-MM-DD │
│ │
│ Header/Footer: │
│ ☑ Show Company Logo │
│ ☑ Show Report Title │
│ ☑ Show Generation Date │
│ ☑ Show Page Numbers │
│ ☑ Show Workspace Name │
│ │
│ Branding (ENTERPRISE): │
│ Logo: [Upload Custom Logo] │
│ Colors: [Use Custom Theme] │
│ │
│ [Back] [Next: Preview] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 7: Preview & Save
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Custom Report Preview │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Client Billing Report - Q1 2026 │
│ Period: January 1 - March 31, 2026 │
│ Generated: January 25, 2026 14:30 │
│ │
│ ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Project Hours Revenue Billable % │ │
│ ├───────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │
│ │ Website Redesign 342.50 €17,125 93.2% │ │
│ │ John Doe 185.25 €9,263 95.1% │ │
│ │ Sarah Johnson 157.25 €7,863 91.0% │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Marketing 198.75 €9,938 88.4% │ │
│ │ John Doe 112.50 €5,625 91.2% │ │
│ │ Sarah Johnson 86.25 €4,313 84.8% │ │
│ │ │ │
│ │ Total 541.25 €27,063 91.2% │ │
│ └───────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ │
│ │
│ [◀ Chart View] [▶ Table View] │
│ │
│ Actions: │
│ [← Edit Report] [Export] [Save Template] [Generate →] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Save options:
Save as Template:
- Reuse for future reports
- Update filters as needed
- Share with team (ENTERPRISE)
One-Time Generation:
- Generate now, don't save
- Quick ad-hoc reports
Save and Schedule:
- Save template
- Set up recurring generation
- See Scheduled Reports
Report Templates
Pre-Built Templates
CADENSA provides templates for common use cases:
- Client Billing Template
- Dimensions: Client → Project → User
- Metrics: Billable Hours, Revenue, Rate
- Filters: Billable only, Current month
- Format: PDF with charts
- Team Performance Template
- Dimensions: User → Project → Task
- Metrics: Total Hours, Billable Ratio, Entries
- Filters: Last 30 days, All projects
- Format: Excel with pivot tables
- Project Profitability Template
- Dimensions: Project → Task
- Metrics: Revenue, Cost, Profit, Margin
- Filters: Active projects, Last quarter
- Format: PDF with waterfall chart
- Time Audit Template
- Dimensions: Date → User → Project
- Metrics: All time metrics
- Filters: Custom date range
- Format: Detailed CSV
- Compliance Template
- Dimensions: User → Date → Entry Type
- Metrics: Hours, Approval Status, Timestamps
- Filters: All entries, Last year
- Format: Excel with audit trail
Custom Template Library
Save your own templates:
📚 My Custom Templates
┌─────────── ─────────────────────────────┐
│ Monthly Client Invoice │
│ Last used: Jan 25, 2026 │
│ [Use Template] [Edit] [Share] [Delete] │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Weekly Team Review │
│ Last used: Jan 22, 2026 │
│ [Use Template] [Edit] [Share] [Delete] │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘
┌────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Quarterly Executive Summary │
│ Last used: Jan 1, 2026 │
│ [Use Template] [Edit] [Share] [Delete] │
└────────────────────────────────────────┘
Template actions:
Use Template:
- Click "Use Template"
- Adjust date range (if needed)
- Generate report
Edit Template:
- Modify dimensions, metrics, filters
- Save changes
Share Template:
- Share with workspace members
- Permission-based access
Duplicate Template:
- Create variation of existing template
Delete Template:
- Permanent deletion
Advanced Features
Coming Soon
Calculated Fields are planned for a future release and are not yet available.
Calculated Fields
Create custom metrics:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Add Calculated Field │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Field Name: │
│ [Hourly Rate Variance_____________] │
│ │
│ Formula: │
│ (Actual Rate - Average Rate) / │
│ Average Rate * 100 │
│ │
│ Format: Percentage (%) │
│ │
│ Description: │
│ [Shows how much each rate deviates] │
│ [from the average rate____________] │
│ │
│ [Cancel] [Add Field] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Example calculated fields:
- Efficiency Rate = Billable Hours / Total Hours × 100
- Avg Revenue per Day = Total Revenue / Working Days
- Overtime Hours = Total Hours - (Working Days × 8)
- Cost per Hour = Total Cost / Total Hours
Conditional Formatting
Highlight data based on conditions:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Conditional Formatting Rules │
├─────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Rule 1: Billable Ratio │
│ If Billable Ratio < 80% │
│ Then: Highlight cell RED │
│ │
│ Rule 2: Revenue │
│ If Revenue > €10,000 │
│ Then: Highlight cell GREEN │
│ │
│ Rule 3: Hours │
│ If Total Hours > 200 │
│ Then: Bold text, ORANGE background │
│ │
│ [Add Rule] [Edit] [Delete] │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
Data Drill-Down
Interactive exploration:
- Click on any cell in summary view
- Drill down to see underlying details
- Navigate back up
Example:
Project Total: 342.5 hours
↓ Click to drill down
User Breakdown: John (185h), Sarah (157h)
↓ Click John
Task Breakdown: Frontend (95h), Backend (68h), Bugs (22h)
↓ Click Frontend
Individual Entries: [List of time entries]
Use Cases
Use Case 1: Multi-Client Agency Billing
Scenario: Agency needs monthly invoice for 8 clients with project breakdown.
Solution:
- Report Type: Summary
- Dimensions: Client → Project → User
- Metrics: Billable Hours, Revenue, Entry Count
- Filters: This Month, Billable Only
- Visualization: Table + Grouped bar chart
- Save as Template: "Monthly Client Invoices"
- Schedule: Auto-generate last day of month
Use Case 2: Compliance Audit Report
Scenario: Enterprise needs detailed time audit for regulatory compliance.
Solution:
- Report Type: Detailed
- Dimensions: Date → User → Project → Task
- Metrics: All time metrics, Approval Status, Timestamps
- Filters: Last Fiscal Year, All entries
- Visualization: Table with freeze header
- Format: Excel with audit trail sheet
- Include: Approval history, edit history
- Save and archive for 7 years
Use Case 3: Team Productivity Scorecard
Scenario: Manager wants weekly scorecard for team of 12.
Solution:
- Report Type: Summary
- Dimensions: User
- Metrics: Total Hours, Billable Ratio, Efficiency Score, Entry Count
- Filters: This Week, All projects
- Visualization: Table + Heat map
- Conditional Formatting:
- Green if Billable Ratio > 85%
- Yellow if 75-85%
- Red if < 75%
- Schedule: Auto-email every Monday 9 AM
Best Practices
Do's
- Start with template - Customize from existing templates
- Test with sample data - Preview before generating full report
- Save frequently used - Create template library
- Use clear names - Descriptive template names
- Document formulas - Add descriptions to calculated fields
- Validate data - Double-check metrics match raw data
- Iterate - Refine reports based on feedback
Don'ts
- Don't overcomplicate - Start simple, add complexity as needed
- Don't ignore performance - Large reports may be slow
- Don't forget context - Include date ranges and filters in title
- Don't share sensitive - Review data before sharing externally
- Don't hardcode dates - Use relative dates (This Month vs Jan 2026)
Troubleshooting
Report generation timeout
Problem: Large report times out.
Solutions:
- Reduce date range
- Limit number of dimensions
- Apply more restrictive filters
- Generate in batches (monthly instead of yearly)
- Contact support for optimization
Metrics don't match
Problem: Custom report totals differ from basic reports.
Cause: Different filters or rounding.
Solution:
- Verify filters match
- Check date range alignment
- Compare individual entries
- Review rounding settings
Next Steps
- Scheduled Reports → - Automate custom reports
- Advanced Reports → - Pre-built advanced analytics
- Basic Reports → - Standard reporting features
- API Documentation → - Programmatic report generation
Need Help?
- Email: support@cadensa.io
- Community: community.cadensa.io
- FAQ: Custom Reporting FAQ
- Tutorial: Video: Building Your First Custom Report