---
title: "Online Report Designer"
slug: "online-report-designer-1"
updated: 2026-10-06T20:00:30Z
published: 2026-10-29T16:25:45Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/online-report-designer-1"
---

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

# Online Report Designer

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**Online Report Designer**

*03. Admin User Manual › Searching & Reporting › Online Report Designer*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

The **Online Report Designer** is the single-page editor used to build and maintain reports in Contract Insight. Reports are managed from **Reports and Insights → Reports**, which has two tabs: **Ad-Hoc** reports (“Every report you can run, grouped by folder”) and **Graphical** reports (“Print-ready reports laid out page by page”). Ad-Hoc reports open in a section-based designer — Details, Tables, Fields, Filter, Sort, Sharing, Schedule and SQL — with a live preview, and changes save as you go rather than requiring a separate publish step. Graphical reports open in a drag-and-drop page designer.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Ad-Hoc** tab: lists every ad-hoc report you can run, grouped by folder, with row actions to **Run**, **Design report** (settings icon), **Copy this report**, **Move to folder**, and favorite. Reports in the **Legacy searches** folder can be run or converted with **Convert into an Ad-Hoc report**, but are not edited in the designer.
- **Graphical** tab: lists print-ready reports with **Open**, **Open the designer** (pencil icon), and delete actions, plus each report's scope (System or Personal), author, shares, and size.
- The Ad-Hoc designer header reads “The report's tables, fields, filter, sort, sharing and schedule. Changes save as you go,” and offers **Copy**, **Delete**, preview, and **Run** buttons.
- A **Live preview** panel beneath each designer section shows the first 200 rows of the report as you edit it.
- The **SQL** section shows the report's generated query. It is read-only and regenerates whenever the report's tables, fields, or sort change.
- The designer is also listed as a licensed System Feature on Initial Setup: “Online Report Designer.”

# 3. Navigating to Reports

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Reports and Insights** icon in the left navigation bar.
2. Select **Reports**.

![Reports and Insights menu with Reports highlighted](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/01-reports-menu.png)

The Reports page opens on the **Ad-Hoc** tab. Click the **Graphical** tab to switch to print-ready reports.

# 4. Adding a Report

## 4a. Adding an Ad-Hoc Report

1. Navigate to **Reports and Insights → Reports** (see Section 3) and confirm the **Ad-Hoc** tab is selected.
2. Click **+ Add Ad-Hoc Report**.

![Reports page Ad-Hoc tab with Add Ad-Hoc Report button](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/02-adhoc-tab.png)

1. In the **New Ad-Hoc Report** window, enter a **Report name**.
2. Select **Who it's for**: **Internal**, **Vendor Gateway**, or **Public**. Internal reports can be built on any table you're allowed to search. This choice is fixed once the report is created.
3. Click **Create report**. The Online Report Designer opens so you can configure the report (see Section 6).

![New Ad-Hoc Report window](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/03-new-adhoc-dialog.png)

## 4b. Adding a Graphical Report

1. Navigate to **Reports and Insights → Reports** and click the **Graphical** tab.
2. Click **+ Add graphical report**.

![Graphical tab with Add graphical report button and designer icon](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/13-graphical-tab.png)

1. The graphical designer opens on a new, blank report. Drag elements onto the canvas, configure data sources from the **Dictionary** panel, and click **Save** on the **Home** ribbon when finished.

![Graphical report designer for a new report](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/14-new-graphical.png)

**Note:** Clicking **+ Add graphical report** adds a new **Personal** report named “New report” to the Graphical list right away. Rename or remove it if you don't continue building it.

# 5. Managing an Existing Report

## 5a. Managing an Ad-Hoc Report

1. On the **Ad-Hoc** tab, locate the report (use the **Search** box or the folder groups).
2. Click the **Design report** (settings/gear) icon on the report's row.

![Design report icon on an Ad-Hoc report row](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/12-manage-adhoc.png)

1. The Online Report Designer opens on the report's **Details** section. Use the **Sections** menu on the left to move between areas of the report and configure as needed (see Section 6).

![Online Report Designer Details section and Sections menu](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/04-designer-details.png)

## 5b. Managing a Graphical Report

1. On the **Graphical** tab, click the **Open the designer** (pencil) icon on the report's row. To view the report without editing it, click **Open** instead.
2. The graphical designer opens with the report's existing layout. Make changes and click **Save**.

![Graphical report designer for an existing report](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/15-edit-graphical.png)

# 6. Configuring an Ad-Hoc Report in the Designer

Each section is listed in the **Sections** menu with a badge showing how many items it holds (for example, the number of joined tables, chosen fields, or filter conditions). Changes save as you go.

## 6a. Details

Set the **Report name** and **Description**, and choose whether to **Send this report on its email schedule**, **Ask for filter values when the report is run**, and **Let people open a row's record for editing from the results**. Editing from results follows the same field permissions as the record itself. **Who it's for** is shown here but can't be changed. Click **Save details** to apply.

## 6b. Tables

The **Primary table** determines what each report row represents. Use **Add a joined table** and **Add table** to bring in related fields from other tables. The primary table can't be changed while the report has joined tables; remove them first.

![Designer Tables section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/05-tables.png)

## 6c. Fields

Check fields in the **Available fields** list (search or filter by table) to add them to **Report fields**. Drag report fields to reorder the output, and use the per-field toggles for **Show on report**, **Allow editing**, and **Reference field**. Date and lookup fields offer extra **Date options** and **Lookup fields**.

![Designer Fields section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/06-fields.png)

## 6d. Filter

Choose whether rows must match **ALL** or **ANY** of the conditions, then click **+ Condition** to pick a field, operator, and value. Click **+ Group** to nest groups that mix ALL and ANY. Click **Apply filter** to save, or **Clear filter** to remove it. The resulting **Saved WHERE** clause is shown below. Add fields first — a report filters on the columns it outputs.

![Designer Filter section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/07-filter.png)

## 6e. Sort

Select a field from **Add a sort field** and click **Add sort**. Set each sort to ascending (A → Z) or descending, and drag rows to change sort priority. With no sort, rows return in the database's natural order.

![Designer Sort section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/08-sort.png)

## 6f. Sharing

Choose who else can see and run the report, and who receives it on its schedule. Use the **Employees**, **Roles**, and **Security Groups** tabs to **+ Add** recipients; manage or remove them in the **Shared with** list.

![Designer Sharing section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/09-sharing.png)

## 6g. Schedule

Check **Email this report on a schedule** to auto-run and email the report, configure the schedule, and click **Save schedule**. Turning the schedule off doesn't hide the report — anyone it's shared with can still run it.

![Designer Schedule section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/10-schedule.png)

## 6h. SQL

The **Generated SQL** section shows the query built from the report's tables, fields, filter, and sort. It is read-only and regenerates automatically as the report changes.

![Designer SQL section](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/11-sql.png)

## 6i. Previewing and Running the Report

Review the **Live preview** panel (first 200 rows) below any section, using its refresh icon to update it. Click **Run** in the header to run the full report. Use **Copy** to duplicate the report or **Delete** to remove it.

# 7. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Open the Reports list | Reports and Insights → Reports. |
| Add an Ad-Hoc report | Ad-Hoc tab → + Add Ad-Hoc Report → enter a name, choose Who it's for → Create report. |
| Add a Graphical report | Graphical tab → + Add graphical report → build the layout → Save. |
| Edit an Ad-Hoc report | Ad-Hoc tab → Design report (gear) icon on the report's row. |
| Edit a Graphical report | Graphical tab → Open the designer (pencil) icon on the report's row. |
| Add fields, filters, or sorting | Designer → Fields, Filter, or Sort section. |
| Share or schedule a report | Designer → Sharing or Schedule section. |
| View the report's SQL | Designer → SQL section (read-only). |