6 min guideUpdated September 2026App review required

Keep one trusted version of every report and share it the right way

Save a checked report to the Custom reports library, version it as it changes, publish it for the organisation and export a dated PDF or branded document when a fixed copy is needed.

Best forOwner / Admin · Accounts

Before you beginUse a representative record and confirm you have the permissions required for this area.

Step by step

In the builder, confirm the Report workspace card shows Data checks passed and the Report preview is the result you want.
Enter a specific Report name in the card below the preview and select Save report; Report saved to the library confirms it.
Select Report library in the header and find the report in Custom reports, where its badge reads Draft and its footer shows Version 1.
To change it later, select Edit on the library row, adjust the stages, select Check and preview report, then select Save new version.
As an Owner or Admin, select Publish beside Save new version; Report published confirms it and the badge changes to Published.
Select the star on the library row to add the report to your Favourites filter and to the Reports menu.
Select Export PDF in the builder for a dated snapshot, or open the saved report and use Document or Email for a branded Report document.

Good practice

Saving or publishing versions the report definition, not the data. Opening the saved report later reads live approved records, so keep the exported PDF as the dated evidence of what a meeting actually looked at, and give each report a name that says what decision it supports.

When you are finishedThe report is saved with a clear name, appears in the Custom reports library at the right version, is published for the organisation when ready, and can be exported as a dated PDF or a branded Report document.

Before you begin

A report has been built and checked in the Custom report builder.
You are an Owner or Admin if you intend to publish or delete.
A Report template is uploaded and turned on in Settings > Templates if you want a branded Word or PDF document from the viewer.

Complete workflow

How the workflow moves

01
Save
Name the checked report and save it as version 1 in the Custom reports library.
02
Iterate
Edit and Save new version whenever the definition changes; the library shows the current version number.
03
Publish
An Owner or Admin publishes the saved report, which marks it Published in the library and viewer.
04
Export
Export PDF for a dated snapshot, or use Document and Email in the viewer for a branded Report document.

What this controls

The Custom reports library at /reports/library is the organisation's list of reusable reports. Saving writes the report definition with a name, description, status and version number. Publishing marks the report Published and records who published it and when. Exporting produces a fixed file from the currently loaded preview. Everyone who can open a saved report sees it at /reports/view with the current organisation data, the version number and any row actions the definition allows.

Before you start

Anyone with organisation read access can save a report they are allowed to build. Only Owners and Admins see Publish and the delete control.
A report can only be edited by the person who created it or by an Owner or Admin. Edit appears on library rows, and Edit report in the viewer, only for those users.
Who can open the report is set in the builder's Permissions stage, not by publishing. Check it before you publish.

Walkthrough

Step 1: Confirm the checked preview

Save and Publish sit below the Report preview, so the preview you see is the definition you are saving. If the Report workspace card reads Review data before relying on this report, fix the source records first.

Step 2: Save the report

Report name defaults to the title you entered in the Name stage. Save report is disabled while the name is empty. On success the button changes to Save new version and the report is selected in the builder.

Step 3: Find it in the library

Each row shows the name, a Draft or Published badge, the description, the source, the field count, the filter count and Version. Search custom reports filters by name, description or page title, and All and Favourites switch the list. Selecting the row opens the saved report viewer.

Step 4: Save a new version

Edit loads the saved definition into the builder and shows its version in the explanation line. Run Check and preview report after every change; Save new version increments the version number. Saving never changes the Draft or Published status.

Step 5: Publish

Publish appears only for a saved report and only for Owners and Admins. Report published confirms it, the badge reads Published, and the viewer header shows Published with the version number. Publishing also increments the version.

Step 6: Star and delete

The star toggles the report in your personal Favourites filter and under Favourite custom reports in the Reports menu; Report added to starred reports confirms it. The delete control, shown to Owners and Admins, asks Delete report? and warns that the saved version history and starred links go with it; Report deleted confirms it.

Step 7: Export

Export PDF in the builder saves a landscape file named after the report title and today's date, with Organisation report and the generated date and time in the header and Generated from your SignBas3 organisation data in the footer; if the data checks did not pass, the header carries a DATA REVIEW REQUIRED line. In the saved report viewer, Document and Email use a Report template from Settings > Templates and open the document workspace, where you can Download PDF, Download Word, Print or email the file. SignBas3 does not ship a Report layout, so the buttons read No active templates until an Owner or Admin uploads one.

What changes elsewhere

Saved reports appear in the Custom reports library at /reports/library for every user the Permissions stage allows.
Row actions chosen in Table Rows appear in the viewer at /reports/view as a status selector, a Note control that opens Add operational note, and Complete, for users with permission.
Reports with the add note action gain a Meeting notes and action plan section in the viewer with Generate action plan and Email action plan.
When the definition allows it, viewers get View criteria with Apply criteria and Reset to change dates or filters without altering the saved report.

Common problems

Symptom	Cause	Fix
Save report is disabled	Report name is empty.	Enter a name.
Publish is missing	The report has not been saved yet, or you are not an Owner or Admin.	Save first, then ask an Owner or Admin to publish.
A colleague cannot see the published report	Who can open this report? excludes them, or they lack access to the source records.	Edit the Permissions stage and Save new version.
The report PDF could not be created	The preview failed to render.	Select Check and preview report, then Export PDF again.
Document and Email read No active templates	No Report template is on in Settings > Templates.	Upload a Report template and turn it on, or use Export PDF.
Report unavailable in the viewer	The saved report or its organisation data could not be loaded.	Select Try again, or Back to reports.

Check your work

The library row shows the intended name, the expected Version and the Published badge if you published.
Opening the row shows the viewer header with the same version number and current data.
The exported PDF is named after the report and dated today.

See reporting and analytics for sign shops →

If your workspace behaves differently, record the relevant job, client or record number and raise a support ticket so the team can investigate the exact context.