--- title: "Reports Overview" slug: "reports-overview" updated: 2026-06-19T23:17:50Z published: 2026-06-19T23:17:50Z canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/reports-overview" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Reports Overview Reports turn Slate data into aggregate views: counts, comparisons, rates, charts, and pivot-style analyses. A report can answer questions such as how many records belong to a population, how totals change across terms or years, and which groups have the strongest or weakest activity. Reports share the **Queries / Reports** menu with queries because both tools rely on the same Slate data model, query bases, exports, filters, and joins. The output is different: queries list records; reports summarize records. ## Reports and queries A query returns rows of records and the details selected as exports. Queries support lists, recipient groups, operational exports, record-level review, and troubleshooting for why a record is or is not included. A report aggregates records into tables, charts, and other report parts. Reports answer questions about populations, trends, and comparisons rather than questions about a single record list. The report builder is organized around views, parts, rows, columns, and report settings described in [Report Builder Overview: Structure and Navigation](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/report-builder-overview-structure-and-navigation). 📖 [Report Builder Overview: Structure and Navigation](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/report-builder-overview-structure-and-navigation) ## Building and rendering reports Reports are built from one or more parts. Each part defines the population being analyzed and the rows, columns, charts, Data Explorer elements, or query-backed components that appear in the rendered report. [Creating, Editing, and Rendering Reports](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/creating-editing-and-rendering-reports) covers the core report lifecycle: creating a report, editing report details, adding parts, rendering the report, and exporting results. [Report Permissions](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/report-permissions) explains how access controls affect who can view or manage a report. ## What reports can show Reports can summarize data across the same lifecycles and business processes that queries can reach. A report might compare funnel counts across entry terms, show year-over-year giving totals, break down engagement by geography, or summarize student success activity by class standing. Several articles focus on common report patterns. [Using Reports to Compare Data](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/using-reports-to-compare-data) covers side-by-side comparisons, [Reporting on Multi-Valued Fields](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/reporting-on-multi-valued-fields) explains reporting against fields that can hold more than one value, and specific examples such as [Create a Week of the Year Report](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/create-a-week-of-the-year-report), [Create a Communications Report](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/create-a-communications-report), and [Creating a Cluster Report](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/cluster-report) show how those concepts appear in finished reports. ## Calculations, filters, and presentation Reports can calculate values beyond simple counts. [Formulas in Reports](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/formulas-in-reports) explains calculated rows and rates, while [Parameters in Reports](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/parameters-in-reports) covers user-selected values that change a rendered report. Presentation and interaction settings shape how readers work with report output. [Pinned Filters in Reports](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/pinned-filters-in-reports) keeps important filters visible in rendered reports, and [Customizing Colors in Reports](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/customizing-colors-in-reports) explains color choices for report visuals. ## Interactive exploration Data Explorer adds pivot-style analysis to reports. It can reorganize report data across rows, columns, values, and filters so readers can move from a summary to a more focused slice of the data. [Data Explorer](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/reports-data-explorer) explains how Data Explorer parts work in reports. ## Widgets and specialized report outputs Report output can appear outside a single rendered report. [Widgets](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/report-widgets) introduces report widgets, and [Report Widgets for Student Success](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/student-success-report-widgets) covers widgets designed for Student Success contexts. Some reporting articles focus on specialized outputs or audience-specific reporting, such as [Geo-Spatial Prospecting for Advancement](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/geo-spatial-prospecting) and the [VSE Survey Report](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/docs/en/vse-report-instructions). These examples show how the same report builder concepts can support more specific reporting obligations or planning workflows.