Q1: What is a Report?

A report is a visual representation of data meeting certain criteria that helps in analyzing and
understanding an organization’s performance. For example a group of accounts or
opportunities.

Q2: Explain the Report Type.

The report type chosen by you determines which records and fields appear in your report. For
example, the opportunities report type gives you access to Opportunity records and fields like
Stage, Amount, and Type.

In simple terms, report type can be considered as a template that makes your reporting task
easier. It also determines which fields and records are available for use when creating a report.
This is based on the relationships between a primary object and its related objects.

Reports only display records that meet the criteria defined within the report type. Salesforce
provides a set of predefined standard report types.

Q3: What are different Report formats?

Salesforce provides different report formats as follows:

 Tabular report: It is the most basic report format. It displays just the row or records in a
table-like format with a grand total. The tabular format cannot be used for generating
dashboards.

 Summary report: It is the most common type of report. It allows for the grouping of
rows of data and supports sorting as well as displaying subtotals. For example in a
recruiting app, a summary report could be used to display open positions classified by
department name.

 Matrix report: It is the most complex report format and summarizes the information in a
grid format. It allows records to be grouped by both columns and rows.

 Joined report: Joined reports let you create multiple report blocks that provide different
views of your data. Each block acts like a “sub-report,” with its own fields, columns,
sorting, and filtering. With up to five blocks, joined reports let you view different types
of information in a single report. Each block shows data from one standard or custom
report type.

Q4: What is a Report Folder?

Every report is stored inside a folder. It determines how reports are accessed, and who can
access them to view, edit, or manage. Folders can be public, hidden, or shared.

Q5: List some key Report Chart Types.

Some of the key Report Chart Types are explained below:

 Bar charts: A bar chart shows values as horizontal lengths, so this format can be good for
comparing distance or time. Use a bar chart when you have a summary report with a
single grouping, or you only want to display one grouping.

 Column charts: A column chart is very much like a bar chart, but it can be a better
format for showing relative counts of things, such as leads or dollars. Use a column chart
when you have a summary report with a single grouping, or you only want to display
one grouping.

 Pie charts: A pie chart is used when you have multiple groupings and want to show the
proportion of a single value for each grouping against the total.

 Line charts: Line charts are good for showing changes in the value of a time over a series
of points in time, such as week to week or quarter to quarter. Use a line chart when you
have one important grouping representing an ordered set of data and one value to
show.

 Funnel charts: A funnel chart is used when you have multiple groupings in an ordered
set and want to show the proportions among them.

 Donut charts: The Donut chart is used when you have multiple groupings and want to
show not only the proportion of a single value of each grouping against the total but also
the total amount itself.

 Scatter charts: Scatter charts are used for showing meaningful information using one or
two groups of report data plus summaries.

Q6: Give some of the Salesforce Report best practices.

Some of the best practices for improving report performance are as follows:

 Usage of efficient filters: By limiting the number of records returned, adding a filter can
significantly speed up reports.

 Filter with defined date ranges instead of open-ended relative date ranges: If a sluggish
report has an open-ended relative date filter, like Close Date LESS THAN Yesterday,
replace the relative date with a defined date range to speed up the report.

 Filter with EQUALS instead of CONTAINS

  Filter with NOT EQUAL TO instead of DOES NOT CONTAIN

 Don’t filter by row-level formulas

 Remove unnecessary columns: You can improve report performance by removing

default columns from commonly used report types

 Hide details: You can improve report performance of report with grouped data by hiding
detail rows

 Writing efficient formulas

 Add formula fields to report types instead of writing report formulas

 Avoid referencing objects outside a report type in a formula field

 Write row-level formulas sparingly

 Don’t group data by row-level formulas

 Bucket data sparingly: Because buckets evaluate every record returned by reports to see
whether they belong in the bucket or out, they can slow down reports. Consider
redesigning it using fewer buckets if it is running slowly.

 Simplify sharing rules throughout Salesforce: Sharing rules simply govern access to
objects. Reports access objects thus complex sharing rules can slow them down as each
sharing rule has to be evaluated each time the report gets data from an object.

Q7: What is the use of a “floating report header”?

Floating report headers enable us to display the column header visible on each page when we
scroll the report page.

Q8: What are the limitations of Salesforce Reports?

The limitations of Salesforce Reports are defined as follows:

 Support provided for trend evaluation in Salesforce is fairly confined.

 Salesforce reports no longer support uploading information from other resources.

 The User interface of Salesforce reviews and dashboards is fixed. Salesforce now does
not assist pixel best file.

 If an object has two exclusive associated lists, then Salesforce reporting does not help
show each of these related lists collectively.
  When showing objects and their kids, Salesforce no longer guides reporting on gadgets
that do not have any children.

Q9: Are we able to create a formula type in Reports?

Yes, it is possible to create a formula type in Reports. This claim does not hold for tabular
reports but for all the other types. The formula can be only in number, currency and percent
format.

Q10: What are the things not supported in joined reports?

The following items aren’t supported in joined reports:

 Bucket fields

 The Rows to display filter

 Cross filters

Q11: What are the bucket fields?

Bucketing is known for its quick categorization of report records without creating a formula or
setting a custom field. For example, create a bucket field name Size based on the #Employees
field. Then, create buckets that group records into ‘Small’, ‘Medium’, and ‘Large’ ranges that you
define.

Bucket fields can be used like any other field to filter, sort, and group your report. You can add
up to five bucket fields per report, each with up to 20 buckets. Only numeric, picklist and text
fields can be used for bucketing. Other data types are not supported.

Q12: How many records are possible to display on a page for a report?

We can display up to 2,000 records on a page for a report. If more records are there to display
we cannot see those through the user interface. If you export the records to an Excel sheet then
you can export all records.

Q13: How many maximum groupings can we do for summary, matrix and join reports?

You can do a maximum of 3 groupings for summary, matrix, and join reports.

Q14: Define the use of “floating report header”?

Floating report headers enable us to display the column header visible on each page when we
scroll the report page.

Q15: How to enable a “floating report header”?

To enable a floating report header in Salesforce follow the below steps:

Setup=>Customize=>Reports and Dashboards=>User Interface settings=>Click on enable floating
report header.

Q16: What is a Dashboard?

Dashboards offer a visual display of your data around a common theme. Each dashboard
component is based on a single source report. You can use the same or different source reports
for the various components in a dashboard.

Dashboards may be generated for summary or matrix reports (not for tabular reports). They
show statistics as in step with closing time files become run.

Q17: What is a Dashboard folder?

Similar to reports, dashboards are also stored inside folders. If you have access to a folder, you
can view its dashboards. To view the individual dashboard components, you will also need
access to the underlying reports.

Q18: Explain some of the key Dashboard Component Types.

Some of the key Dashboard component types are as follows:

 Chart: You can use a chart when you want to show data graphically.

 Gauge: You can use a gauge when you have a single value that is to be shown within a
range of custom values.

 Table: You can use a table to show a set of report data in column form.

 Metric: You can use a metric when you have one key value to display.

Q19: List some best practices for the Salesforce Dashboard.

For improved performance of the Dashboard, the best practices are as follows:

 Use efficient source report: When you refresh a dashboard, all the source reports run. If
source reports take a long time to run, then dashboards based on them take a long time
to refresh.

 Create source reports that run fast: The best way to speed up a slow dashboard is
to speed up its source reports. The faster source reports run, the faster the
dashboard refreshes.

 Base your dashboard on as few source reports as possible: Ideally, try to base it
on a single-source report
  Refresh dashboard sparingly: Refreshing a dashboard enqueues several processes that
Salesforce runs resulting in up-to-date data. Each source report runs, filters are applied,
charts are drawn, and so forth. Salesforce limits the number of times each user can
refresh a dashboard to one time per minute.

 Remove unnecessary dashboard components: Dashboards with fewer components tend

to run faster than dashboards with lots

 Combine multiple components into one: Sometimes you can show the data in two
or more components in only one. Merging multiple components into one means
fewer source reports run, which means the dashboard refreshes more quickly.

 Split the dashboard into two: If you have a dashboard with many components
that take a long time to refresh, consider splitting the dashboard in two.

Q20: Which report type can be used for dashboard components?

Summary and Matrix reports can be used for dashboard components.

Q21: Explain the Dynamic dashboard.

Dynamic dashboards in Salesforce display a set of metrics that we want across all levels of your
organization. They are created to provide security settings for the dashboards in Salesforce.com.

We may have a requirement in an organization to “view all data” by every user in an

organization according to their access we have to select Run as Logged-in User. The following
are the setting options in dashboards:

 Run as specified User

 Run as Logged-in User

Q22: Which type of report can be used for dashboard components?

The report types that can be used for dashboard components are Summary and Matrix.

Q23: Which permission is required to set the running user other than you in the dashboard?

The user must have “View All Data” permission for running users.

Q24: Can you drill down from a dashboard to a detailed report in Salesforce?

Yes, Salesforce allows users to drill down from a dashboard component to a detailed report. This
feature enables users to investigate specific data points or outliers directly from the dashboard.
By clicking on a data element within a chart or table, users can navigate to a related report that
provides more granular information. This capability enhances data exploration and empowers
users to delve deeper into the underlying data to identify trends and gain insights.

Q25: Is it possible to export reports and dashboards from Salesforce?

Yes, Salesforce allows users to export reports and dashboards in multiple formats for offline
access or further analysis. Users can export reports as CSV (comma-separated values), Excel, or
PDF files. Dashboards can be exported as static images or PDF files.

This functionality enables users to share reports and dashboards with stakeholders who may
not have direct access to the platform or need offline access to the data.

Q26: How to use filters in reports and dashboards to refine data analysis?

Filters in reports and dashboards allow users to refine the data displayed based on specific
criteria. Users can apply filters to limit the data to a specific time period, specific records, or
specific field values.

Filters can be used to segment the data, drill down into specific areas of interest, or compare
data across different dimensions. By leveraging filters effectively, users can perform targeted
analysis and gain insights that are relevant to their specific requirements.

Q27: Explain how to filter records in a report and the difference between filters and conditions.

You can filter records in a report using filters or conditions. Filters are used to limit the data
displayed in the report by specifying criteria, whereas conditions are used to apply logical
expressions to individual fields within a report.

Q28: What is a “Dashboard Refresh” in Salesforce, and how can you control the refresh
frequency of dashboard components?

A Dashboard refresh is the process of updating the data in dashboard components. You can
control the refresh frequency by adjusting the “Refresh Every” option in each component’s
settings. This allows you to set how often the data is updated, ensuring users see the most
current information.

Q29: Explain how the “Subscriptions” feature in Salesforce reports and dashboards works, and
why it can be valuable for users.

Subscriptions in Salesforce allow users to receive reports and dashboards via email at specified
intervals. It’s valuable because it ensures that users have timely access to important data
without needing to log in and run reports manually.
Q30: What is a “Data Range Filter” in a report, and how can it be used to analyze data over
specific time periods?

A Date Range Filter allows users to specify a range of dates to filter data in a report. It’s valuable
for analyzing data over specific time periods, such as quarterly or yearly trends, helping users
make data-driven decisions.