Opening the Report Generator
From the sidebar, click Reports, then click + New Report. The report generation form opens with several sections.
Report Name and Description
Name (required) -- a clear title for the report. Examples: "Q4 Sales Performance", "January Marketing Report", "Weekly Support Metrics."
Description (optional) -- a brief note explaining the report's purpose or audience. This appears in the report list but not in the report itself.
Data Source Selection
Choose which data source provides the data for this report. You can select:
- A single data source for focused analysis
- Multiple data sources (Professional plan and above) for cross-source reports
If selecting multiple sources, the AI analyzes each separately and combines findings into one cohesive report.
Template Selection
Choose how the report is structured:
Use a Template
Pick from 238+ analysis templates. The template determines the questions the AI asks of your data and the structure of the findings. See Analysis Templates for the full catalog.
Custom Prompt
Write your own instructions telling the AI what to analyze. For example:
"Analyze revenue trends for the last quarter. Focus on year-over-year growth, the top 5 product categories, and any seasonal patterns. Include recommendations for next quarter."
Auto-Generated
Let the AI decide what to analyze based on the data shape. It scans the data, identifies the most interesting patterns, and produces a general overview report.
Date Range
Set the time period the report covers:
- Last 7 days
- Last 30 days
- Last quarter
- Last year
- Custom range (start date to end date)
The date range applies to all analysis within the report. If your data has a date column, the AI filters to this range automatically.
Sections to Include
Toggle which sections appear in the final report:
| Section | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Summary | High-level overview for stakeholders | On |
| Key Metrics | Top-line numbers with comparisons | On |
| Detailed Findings | In-depth analysis with charts | On |
| Data Tables | Underlying data in tabular form | Off |
| Recommendations | AI-generated action items | On |
| Methodology | How the analysis was performed | Off |
| Appendix | Raw data and supplementary charts | Off |
For a detailed look at each section, see Report Sections: Executive Summary, Findings, Recommendations.
Formatting Options
Tone
- Professional (default) -- formal language suitable for executives and stakeholders
- Conversational -- casual language for internal team consumption
- Technical -- detailed, data-heavy language for analysts
Chart Style
- Default -- clariBI's standard chart palette and styling
- Minimal -- clean, minimal charts with fewer decorations
- Presentation -- larger fonts and higher-contrast colors for projected slides
Branding (Enterprise Plan)
- Upload your company logo to appear in the report header
- Set custom colors that match your brand guidelines
- Choose a header and footer template
Comparison Options
Configure how the report compares current data to historical benchmarks:
| Comparison Type | Description |
|---|---|
| None | No comparison -- analyze the selected date range in isolation |
| Previous Period | Compare to the immediately preceding period of equal length |
| Same Period Last Year | Year-over-year comparison for seasonal businesses |
| Custom Baseline | Compare against a specific date range you define |
Comparison data appears in the Key Metrics section (e.g., "+12% vs. last month") and in the Detailed Findings section where the AI discusses trends and changes.
Filters and Focus Areas
Narrow the report to specific segments of your data:
- Category Filters -- limit to a specific product line, region, or department
- Value Filters -- only include records above/below a threshold (e.g., deals over $10,000)
- Exclusions -- remove specific items (e.g., exclude internal test accounts)
Filters are especially useful when generating department-specific reports from a shared data source. For example, the same sales database can produce separate reports for East and West regions by applying a region filter.
Output Options
Generate Now
Click Generate Report to create the report immediately. The AI processes your data and produces the report in 15-60 seconds depending on complexity. This costs 1 AI credit (2-3 for complex multi-source reports).
Schedule
Instead of generating now, schedule the report to run automatically. See Scheduling Reports for configuration details.
Preview
Click Preview to see a rough layout of the report with sample data before committing an AI credit. The preview shows the structure but not the actual analysis.
After Generation
Once the report is generated, you can:
- View it in the browser with interactive charts
- Edit the text and charts in the report editor
- Export as PDF, Excel, or CSV. See Export Formats.
- Share via public link or with specific team members. See Public Report Links.
- Add to Dashboard -- turn any chart from the report into a dashboard widget
- Regenerate -- click "Regenerate" to run the same analysis again with the latest data (costs another credit)
- Clone -- create a copy of the report configuration to generate a similar report with different parameters
Report Versioning
If you regenerate a report, the previous version is preserved in the report's version history. Click Version History in the report toolbar to browse and compare versions. This is useful for tracking how metrics change over time while keeping the same report structure.
Tips for Effective Reports
- Match the template to the audience. Use an executive template for leadership and a detailed template for analysts.
- Set a meaningful date range. Reports covering "all time" often produce unfocused results. A specific quarter or month produces sharper insights.
- Use the Custom Prompt for specific questions. If none of the 238+ templates match your exact need, write a custom prompt that describes exactly what you want to learn.
- Enable Recommendations. Even if you think you know the takeaways, the AI may surface an angle you did not consider.