How do I run a built-in report?

This FAQ addresses the generation of WebCATS' built-in reports. But we also have FAQs for designing custom reports, creating a personal list of favorite reports, or creating a network-wide list of favorite reports.

There are more than 100 built-in reports available in WebCATS. Using these system-defined reports, you can compile client address lists, counseling session activity reports, success story reports, conference attendee reports, and even mailing labels, to name just a few. You even have the ability to export any of these reports in comma-delimited format.

Follow these steps to run a built-in report in WebCATS:

Access the record view that matches the type of report that you want to run. As described in detail in the following bullet points, you can run a report for a large grouping of records; a single record; or a group of activity records that belong to a single client, contact, or counselor record.

If running a report for a grouping of records such as client records or counseling session records, select the appropriate record summary view from the WebCATS navigation menu, filter your view as needed using a subset or the filter box to determine which records should be included in the report, and click the Report button located at the top of the page.
If running a report for a single record, open that record, click the Report button that displays at the top of the record and skip to step 3.
If running a report for the activity history list found at the bottom of an open client, contact, or counselor record, click the Report button found at the top of the activity history list.

Clicking the Report button displays a report selection/criteria pop-up window like the one shown in the next graphic. The selection options available in this window vary depending on the type of report you are generating. You'll notice that if you select a report and then scroll past the selection/criteria section there is a graphic that gives you a sample view of how that report is formatted.

Note: When running reports for activity records, your report output will be based on the filter criteria established previously in the record summary screen. You cannot modify these filters from the report criteria window (although a summary of your current filter settings does display for reference purposes in the Criteria field). For this reason, always ensure that your filter options are configured to include the specific records that you want to report on before you click the Report button.

In the report selection/criteria pop-up window, select the center(s) for which you want to run your report. The current active center displays by default, but you can click the + icon that displays to the left of the default center to display a selection list of other centers where you have applicable record view/reporting permissions established.

Note: Even when you open up the report to additional centers, report output is still limited by the filter criteria established previously in the record summary view. For example, if you click the Report button in the client record summary screen while only active clients located within a particular county are displayed, then all centers included in your report will have their output limited to active clients located within that particular county.

Select the built-in report you want to run from within the Reports tab menu. The reports available for selection vary depending on the type of record you are reporting on.
From the Sort Report By field's drop-down list, select a sort order to apply to your report output, if applicable. The sort order options available differ depending on the type of report you selected.
Enter a subtitle for the report in the Subtitle field. This field defaults to a description of the filter criteria previously established, but you can overwrite this default if desirable.
Under the Output heading in the report criteria, select the format in which you want your report output to display. The following two options are available for each report:
- Normal generates your report output in a viewer-friendly and printer-friendly HTML format.
- Export Format generates your report output in a comma-delimited format.
If you are running a client activity (session, award, investment, milestone, etc.) report or inquiry report, indicate whether to include activity comments and/or notes in your report output by selecting or deselecting the Include Comments? and/or Include Notes? check boxes. These options do not apply to some types of activity reports, such as the "Summary of..." reports.
To prefix each record ID in your report output with its associated center ID, select the Prepend Center IDs? check box. Leave this option deselected to display record IDs by themselves, with no prefixes, in the report output.
Select the Enable Record Links? option to create hyperlinks in the report output that allow you to easily open any client, company, contact, activity record, etc. that is referenced in the output.
When you are finished entering report criteria, click the Generate Report button to generate your report output.
You can print your report output by selecting File|Print in Internet Explorer once it has been generated. Or, if you chose the "Export Format" option as your report output in step 6, you can save it as a .txt file for later use, such as to create mail merge documents in Microsoft Word or spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.

For more information on built-in reports, view our other popular resources on this topic:

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