> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.contractor-co-pilot.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Build, save, and schedule custom reports for your team

> Build reports from any combination of metrics and filters, save them for reuse, and schedule automated PDF or CSV delivery to your team on any cadence.

Custom Reports lets you build exactly the report your business needs — not a fixed template. Choose the metrics you want to analyze, apply filters to narrow the data, group results the way you think about your work, and save the report so you can run it again in one click. You can also schedule any saved report to deliver automatically by email on a daily, weekly, or monthly cadence.

Go to **Analytics > Custom Reports** to get started.

## Report templates

If you want a starting point rather than a blank slate, four pre-built templates are available. Click any template to generate a report instantly, then modify it and save it as your own.

| Template                | What it covers                                                               |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Project Performance** | Project status, budget vs. actual, and timeline adherence                    |
| **Cost Analysis**       | Materials, labor, and equipment spending broken down by project and division |
| **Sales Pipeline**      | Estimates, proposals, and win rate over the selected period                  |
| **Client Engagement**   | Communication history, projects per client, and revenue by client            |

<Tip>
  The **Cost Analysis** template is a fast way to find which project types are running over budget. Start there, then customize the filters to focus on a specific division or trade.
</Tip>

## Building a custom report from scratch

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Custom Reports and click New Report">
    Go to **Analytics > Custom Reports**, then click **Create New Report** in the top-right corner. A blank report builder opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose your primary metric">
    Select the metric you want to analyze from the **Metric** dropdown. Options include revenue, project count, estimate win rate, gross margin, labor cost, material cost, client count, and invoice aging.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add secondary metrics (optional)">
    Click **+ Add metric** to include additional data columns alongside your primary metric. You can add up to five metrics per report.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply filters">
    Use the **Filters** panel on the right to narrow the data. Available filters include:

    * **Date range** — Specific start and end dates, or a rolling window (last 30 days, last quarter, etc.)
    * **Division** — One or more divisions in your organization
    * **Trade** — Electrical, plumbing, general contracting, or any custom trade types you have set up
    * **Client** — One or more specific clients
    * **Project status** — Active, completed, on hold, or all
    * **Estimate status** — Draft, sent, won, or lost
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose grouping">
    Select how you want results grouped from the **Group by** dropdown. You can group by division, trade, client, month, quarter, or project status. Grouping determines the rows in the table and the segments in the chart.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a chart type">
    Pick a visualization to accompany the data table: bar chart, line chart, area chart, or pie chart. The best choice depends on what you're showing — bar charts work well for comparing divisions; line charts show trends over time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Preview and save">
    Click **Preview** to see the report with your current settings. When the output looks right, click **Save Report**, give it a name, and optionally add it to a folder for organization.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Saving and organizing reports

Saved reports appear in the **My Reports** list on the Custom Reports landing page. You can:

* **Rename** a report by clicking its name and editing inline.
* **Duplicate** a report to create a variation without modifying the original.
* **Move to folder** to keep your report list organized by project, client, or topic.
* **Delete** a report permanently — this also removes any scheduled deliveries attached to it.

<Warning>
  Deleting a report cancels all scheduled deliveries for that report immediately. Recipients will not receive a cancellation notice.
</Warning>

## Scheduling automated email delivery

Any saved report can be scheduled to run automatically and deliver to one or more email addresses.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the report you want to schedule">
    Click the report name in **My Reports** to open it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Schedule">
    Click the **Schedule** button in the report toolbar (clock icon).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the frequency">
    Choose how often the report should run:

    | Frequency | When it delivers                                                  |
    | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Daily     | Every day at the time you specify                                 |
    | Weekly    | On the day and time you choose (e.g., every Monday at 8 AM)       |
    | Monthly   | On the date and time you choose (e.g., 1st of each month at 7 AM) |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add recipients">
    Enter email addresses for everyone who should receive the report. Recipients do not need a Contractor Co-Pilot account — the report is delivered as an attachment, not a link behind a login wall.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the delivery format">
    Select **PDF** or **CSV**. PDF includes the chart visualization and is better for sharing with clients or stakeholders. CSV contains the raw data table and is better for further analysis in a spreadsheet.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the schedule">
    Click **Save Schedule**. The next delivery date appears in the report list so you can confirm it's set correctly.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Managing schedules

From the **My Reports** list, you can manage active schedules without opening the full report.

* **Pause** a schedule to temporarily stop deliveries. The schedule settings are preserved and you can resume it at any time.
* **Resume** a paused schedule to restart deliveries on the next upcoming occurrence.
* **Edit** to change the frequency, recipients, or format.
* **Delete** to permanently remove the schedule. This does not delete the underlying report.

## Downloading a report manually

To download a one-off copy without setting up a schedule, open the report and click **Download** in the toolbar. Choose **PDF** or **CSV**. The file is generated with the current filter settings and downloads immediately.

<Note>
  Manual downloads reflect the data at the moment you click — they are not retroactive snapshots. If you need a point-in-time record, download immediately after reviewing, or use a scheduled report with a fixed date range.
</Note>

## Related pages

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Analytics overview" icon="layout-dashboard" href="/analytics/index">
    The main dashboard with KPI cards and trend charts.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Business Intelligence" icon="chart-column-increasing" href="/analytics/business-intelligence">
    Advanced KPIs, gross margin trends, and AI-powered forecasting.
  </Card>
</Columns>