Reports & report types
Reports are how a Salesforce org answers questions about its data, and building them is a core admin skill that delivers visible value fast. Every report starts from a report type, which defines the objects and fields available to it. Standard report types cover common combinations like "Opportunities" or "Accounts with Contacts"; when you need a specific combination — say Accounts with their related custom Projects — you create a custom report type that specifies the primary object, related objects, and the relationship between them.
Once you pick a report type, you choose a format. Tabular is a simple list, good for exports. Summary groups rows and shows subtotals. Matrix groups by both rows and columns for a cross-tab view. Joined places several report blocks side by side. Summary is the everyday workhorse.
Filters narrow which rows appear. Beyond simple field filters you have date-range filters like "this quarter", relative filters, and powerful cross filters such as "Accounts with at least one open Case" or "without any Opportunities". Grouping is where reports become insight: group Opportunities by Stage to see the pipeline shape, or by Owner to compare reps. Add a summary field like Sum of Amount and you instantly have pipeline value per group.
Save every report into a folder, because folder sharing controls who can see it. A tidy folder structure — by team or by subject — keeps a growing org navigable.
Try building a Summary report of Opportunities grouped by Stage with Sum of Amount and a filter of "Close Date this quarter". In a few minutes you have a genuinely useful pipeline view, all with clicks. Reporting is frequently where a new admin scores their first win with leadership. In the next lesson we put these reports on a dashboard.
