Salesforce Custom Report Types: Tips & Troubleshooting

Salesforce lets users create their own custom report types to adjust reporting to the needs of your company.
In this post, we explain how to make sure that all the newly created fields will be available for you to use in your custom reports.

(Step-by-step)

Before we start, you should have Admin rights to configure your Salesforce.

If you don’t see the setup button ⚙️ in the top right corner of your Salesforce then you won’t be able to configure your Salesforce without the help of your Salesforce Admin.

In the video below we show how to make custom report types available using our AscendixRE CRM as an example.

AscendixRE is built on top of Salesforce so even if you are not an AscendixRE user, this video will provide detailed guidance on how to use custom report types in your reports.

Background

Our AscendixRE and AscendixRE Land for Salesforce both include several custom report types, such as Accounts with Activities and Properties with Deals, etc.

These custom report types already include all the fields for those objects that are included as part of our product.

However, if you add a custom field to a standard or custom object, the newly created field is not automatically available to all your existing reports using these custom report types.

Here’s How to Fix It

If you don’t see the field you need to add to your report, you will need to do the following:

1. Log in as the System Administrator to your Salesforce organization.

2. Navigate to Setup ⚙️ and search for “Report Types” in the Quick Find.

3. Click the “Continue” button if you are shown the “What is a Custom Report Type?” screen.

4. Open the Custom Report Type you need to modify (for instance “Properties with Deals”).

5. Click the “Clone” button. Note: Because this custom report type is part of a managed package, it cannot be edited directly.

6. Append on to the “Report Type Label” your company name in parenthesis. For example, “Properties with Deals (Ascendix Technologies)”

7. Append your company name to the “Report Type Name” to make it unique. For example, “Properties_with_Deals_Ascendix”.

8. Make sure to add into the description that this custom report type includes custom fields for your company.

How to Clone Custom Report Types

9. Click the “Save” button.

10. Scroll down to the “Fields Available for Reports” section and click the “Edit Layout” button.

11. From the right-hand side, make sure to change your view to the appropriate object’s fields.

12. Find the field you want to add and drag and drop it into the main section as shown below.

Find the Field You Want to Add

13. Save the field layout.

14. Unfortunately, you are not able to switch the report type on an existing report, so you will need to create your report again, making sure to select the appropriate custom report type that bears your company name.

What if I Still Don’t See the Field?

If you still do not see the field, make sure you have access to Read the new fields.  To determine this:

1. Navigate to Setup ⚙️ and search for “Profiles” in the Quick Find.
2. Open your Profile.
3. Under the Field-Level Security section, click the “View” link next to the object in question.
4. Make sure the “Read” checkbox is checked. If not, edit the profile and save your changes.
5. You should now be able to see the field under your report.

Do you still have questions about Salesforce custom report types or need help with your Salesforce org? Our Salesforce consultants are happy to help! Get in touch with us.