Right format, right type, right viewer
Pick the report format for the question being asked, build custom report types for missing relationships, and design dashboards that show each viewer the right data.
- ReportsFormats, filters, buckets and formulas.
- Report typesStandard and custom, with or without related records.
- DashboardsComponents, running user and dynamic dashboards.
Reports and dashboards are how business users judge whether Salesforce works. Interviewers check that you can pick the right report format, build custom report types and design dashboards that respect security.
1. How does data flow from a report type to a dashboard?
From data to decisions
- Report typeWhich objects and relationships are available
- ReportFilters, grouping, columns and formulas
- Dashboard componentChart, gauge, metric or table based on a source report
- DashboardShown as a running user or dynamic per viewer
2. What are the report formats?
- Tabular — a simple list, like a spreadsheet; good for exports.
- Summary — grouped rows with subtotals; most common.
- Matrix — grouped by rows and columns; for comparisons such as stage by month.
- Joined — several report blocks side by side, even from different report types.
Only summary and matrix reports (and joined) can power most chart components.
3. When do you create a custom report type?
When standard report types do not include the objects or relationships you need — for example “Accounts with or without Opportunities” (to find accounts with no deals), or a custom object combination. You choose a primary object, related objects (with or without related records) and which fields appear.
4. What are bucket fields and summary formulas?
A bucket field groups values into categories without creating a field — for example deal sizes Small, Medium, Large. A summary formula calculates at group level — win rate = closed-won count ÷ total. A row-level formula calculates per record inside the report.
/* Summary formula: win rate per group */
RowCount > 0 ? Opportunity.Won:SUM / RowCount : 05. What is the dashboard running user and dynamic dashboards?
A dashboard shows data as seen by its running user — everyone viewing it sees that user's data. A dynamic dashboard runs as the logged-in viewer, so each person sees only the data they have access to. Use dynamic dashboards for teams where data must stay private.
6. How do you share reports and dashboards securely?
Store them in folders and share folders with users, roles or public groups with Viewer, Editor or Manager access. Reports always respect the viewer's record and field access when run, so sharing a report does not expose hidden data.
7. How do you schedule and subscribe to reports?
Users can subscribe to reports and dashboards to receive them by email on a schedule, with conditions (for example, only when pipeline drops below a target). Admins can schedule refreshes for dashboards.
8. When would you use CRM Analytics instead of standard reports?
For very large data volumes, data combined from outside Salesforce, advanced exploration, predictions and complex dashboards. Standard reports suit day-to-day operational reporting.
Remember
Key points
- Summary and matrix for charts
Tabular for lists and exports.
- “With or without” report types
Find records missing children.
- Dynamic dashboards
Each viewer sees their own data.
- Reports respect security
Sharing a report never leaks hidden data.
Interview drill
Follow-up questions
What the interviewer asks after your first answer. Turn on practice mode, answer each one aloud, then reveal.
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1 How do you find Accounts with no Contacts? Intermediate
Use a custom report type “Accounts with or without Contacts” (or cross filter “Accounts without Contacts” in a standard report).
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2 What is a cross filter? Intermediate
A report filter based on related records — “Accounts with Opportunities” or “without Cases” — optionally with conditions on the related object.
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3 How many groupings can a summary report have? Basic
Up to three row groupings in summary reports; matrix reports allow two row and two column groupings.
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4 What is report snapshot (reporting snapshot)? Advanced
A scheduled copy of a report's results into a custom object, so you can report on trends over time (pipeline every Monday).
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5 How do you show the top 10 deals? Basic
Sort by Amount descending and set a row limit of 10 on a tabular report (row limits work on tabular reports with sorting).
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6 Why does a dashboard show different numbers from the report? Intermediate
Different running user, dashboard filters, a stale refresh, or the component summarising a different measure.