How to Create Custom Report Templates

One of the ways to create a custom report in SocialPilot is to use reporting templates.

For agencies and marketing managers, using reporting templates can be a game-changer for making workflows more efficient and enhancing productivity. Reporting templates in SocialPilot streamline the process of generating consistent, customized reports across multiple accounts.

With standardized formats, teams can ensure consistency across reports, making it easier to track KPIs, analyze performance, and communicate results to clients or internal stakeholders.

Additionally, templates allow for quicker customization, so reports can be tailored to specific client needs without reinventing the wheel each time. Whether it’s a weekly, monthly, or quarterly report, having a structured template means less room for errors and more efficiency in reporting.

Types of Reporting Templates

There are two types of templates that can be accessed within SocialPilot with different uses. Let’s go through each of them one by one.

Default Templates

These templates are pre-built and provided by SocialPilot, specifically for each social media platform. The reporting structure for accounts follows the design of their respective default templates everywhere in SocialPilot analytics.

This means that whenever an account from a particular social platform is added to a report, the structure of that account’s report follows the default template for that platform.

Default templates are ideal for users who need a quick and easy solution for generating reports without much customization. They are particularly useful for agencies or marketing managers who manage multiple accounts and need a consistent, streamlined reporting format for all their clients.

Custom Report

Custom templates are user-created templates based on individual requirements. These templates allow users to add, modify, and arrange the sections according to specific metrics, platforms, and visual preferences.

You have complete control over the customization of this kind of template, where you can go as specific as designating how many accounts from which platforms will be a part of a particular custom report. The design of the reports for individual accounts will follow the respective default template design.

Custom templates are best for reports that need a more elaborate approach with specific reporting needs. By creating a custom template, users can save time on repeated customizations for similar reports and align them better with client goals and preferences.

Now we’ll walk you through the process of creating custom reporting templates.

How to Create Reporting Templates?

Creating templates on SocialPilot does not require any extra effort. You can create a custom template out of any pre-existing report. Also, you can create custom templates starting from scratch, just like you create a custom report itself.

Default templates, on the other hand, can be customized but not created.

To Customize a Default Template:

Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates.
On the Templates page, switch from Custom Templates to the Default Templates tab.
Go to the template you want to customize and click on the Edit icon.
You’ll be redirected to the report builder, where you can customize and then save the template as per your requirements.

To Create a Custom Template from Existing Reports:

Go to the Analytics menu and select Reports.
Hover over any report that you want to templatize.
Click on the Create Template icon and name your template.
Click on Create to save your template.

This template will have a space for as many accounts as the parent report contains. The structure will also reflect space for accounts from specific platforms, which were there in the original report, and you can edit and tweak the placement of metrics when you create a new report with the template.

To Create a Custom Template from Scratch:

Go to the Analytics menu and select Reports.
Click on the Create Report button and select the Blank Report.
Provide a name and select the accounts from the platforms you want to include in the template, and click on create.
Drag and drop data blocks from the given list and design the template as you require.
Navigate to the Save as Template button, name your template, and save it.
Once the template has been saved, you will be redirected to the Custom template list, where you can access all the templates you have created so far.

To Create a Custom Template from Platform-Specific Analytics:

Go to the Analytics menu and select a specific social media platform.
Select the specific account under that social media from the Analyze dropdown.
Click on the Edit button and select Edit Report.
Now customize the structure of the report as you see fit.
Navigate to the scroll icon, which is the Save as Template.
Name the template and click on Create.

Now that you have seen all the ways to create a custom report template, we’ll show you how to use them.

Note: When you create a single-account report template, you can save it as a default report for that particular social platform. All you have to do is check the box while naming the report.

How to Use Templates to Create Custom Reports?

Creating reports using templates is quick and easy, allowing you to showcase your analytics data with minimal regular edits involved.

Create a Report With a Default Template

Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates.

Now, on the templates page, switch to the Default Templates tab.
Hover over the platform-specific template for which you want to create your report.
Click on the Create Report button in the right corner of the template.
Now, on the report builder dashboard, click on Select Account.
Pick one account from the displayed options and click on Select.
Now, go on to create a custom report like you normally would.

Create a Report from Custom Template

Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates.
Now, on the templates page, you will be shown all the pre-saved Custom templates. Hover over the template that you want to use, locate and click on the Create Report icon beside it.
Once the report builder opens up, go to the right menu and click on Select for the type of account you want to connect, according to the structure of the template.

Now, scroll down the list of platforms and select the other account for their respective platforms allotted in the template.
Once all the accounts have been selected, customize the report as you would any other custom report and save it.

If you want to learn how to create custom reports, refer to our article on the same.