Build a report template

Reports help you learn about a site, outlining key facts such as business and demographic information. Create report templates using content from existing reports and variables from the data browser. Customize your reports by adding charts, images, maps, and text.

License:

Building reports is available to users with a Business Analyst Web App Advanced license. To learn more about Business Analyst license types, see Licenses.

There are two ways to add content to a report template. You can add content from existing reports, and you can add variables from the data browser.

To build a report template, complete the following steps:

1. On the Reports tab, click Build reports, and click Build reports again.
2. Click Get started.

   There are two Get started buttons. The button you choose determines which tab is open initially in the builder: Select reports or Select variables. You can switch between the tabs as you add content to the template, so choose either button to start the workflow.

3. Optionally, use the Select reports tab to browse or search existing reports. Once you select a report, drag the desired sections to the builder pane or click Add full report.

   You can select multiple sections by pressing the Shift key while clicking.

4. Optionally, use the Select variables tab to find variables in the data browser, and drag the desired variables to the builder pane.

   You can select multiple variables by pressing the Shift key while clicking.

5. Insert items in the report template and edit the report template.
6. When you are finished, click Save.
7. In the Save report template window, provide a title for the template, and click Save.

   The template is saved in the My reports section of the Select reports tab.

Insert items in a report template

You can insert items such as charts, tables, text, maps, and images in a report template. Some options are only available when report sections or cells are selected in edit mode.

The Insert item drop-down menu contains the following options:

• Chart—Insert a chart in the template by selecting variables from the data browser.
• Chart from selected—Insert a chart composed of variables selected in the template. This option is available in edit mode.
• Chart in cell—Insert a chart inside a selected cell by selecting variables from the data browser. This option is available in edit mode.
• Image floating—Insert an image.
• Image in cell—Insert an image in the selected cell. This option is available in edit mode.
• Map—Insert a map in the template.
• Nearby locations table—Insert a table with nearby locations.
• Page break—Insert a page break.
• Table—Insert a table in the template. This option is available in edit mode.
• Text box—Insert a text box in the template. This option is available in edit mode.

Work with report templates

The Select reports tab displays reports that you created or that have been shared with you. When you select a report in these categories, it opens in the selection pane, allowing you to drag sections into the builder pane as you build a template.

Note:

To browse reports that were previously organized by category, such as Business, Demographics, and Market Potential, click the Go to the Tabular tab for access link. The Build infographics interface appears with all of the Esri reports formatted in the new report style.

Reports that you created or that have been shared with you are stored in the section described below.

My reports

The My reports section contains report templates you created and saved. Hover over a report to see the following options:

• Edit—Open the report template in edit mode.
• Share—Share the report template with other users.
• Download—Download the template as a file.
• Remove—Remove the report.

Shared reports

The Shared reports section contains report templates shared with you by other users. Hover over a report to see the following options:

• Save report—Save the report to the My reports section.
• Download—Download the template as a file.

Update labels and variables for data updates

When data is updated, you must update the year labels and variables in your infographic and report templates. If updates are needed, the Data update notification window appears when you sign in.

To update labels and variables, complete the following steps:

1. In the Data update notification window, click Yes.

   Copies of all your reports and infographics are created in the new data source, and variables that exist in both data sources are updated. For example, Total Population is available in both the Esri 2025 and Esri 2026 data sources, so it is automatically updated.

   Variables that do not exist in the new data source are labeled Missing or are removed from the template and display as blank. Missing variables, including those in interactive experience panels, must be manually replaced in the build infographics and build reports workflows.

   Note:

   At this point, variables have been updated and the labels have not.

2. Use the Update custom reports window to review your report and infographic templates. To update labels in a template, use the following buttons:
   • Update this & remaining reports—Update labels in all the reports and infographics in the list.
   • Update this report—Update labels in the highlighted report or infographic.
   • Update this report later—Update labels in the selected infographic or report at another time.

   • Leave this report as is—The report is not updated and the year labels are not changed.

   When labels are up to date in the template, the template is marked with a check mark .

Usage notes

Consider the following limitations and best practices when building report templates:

• When specifying site attributes as variables, avoid using reserved words such as SITE_NAME as variable names. If your site attributes include reserved words, it is recommended that you modify them in the report template. Otherwise, the application will not recognize the difference between the site name and the attribute called SITE_NAME.
• Options for sharing may vary depending on the security and roles of your organization. Once shared, reports are stored in ArcGIS Online > My Content > Report Templates.
• There is a limit of 100 inches or 10 letter-sized pages in a report template.