How to Create Custom Report Templates

One way to create a custom report in Ready Social 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 Ready Social 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, enabling reports to be tailored to specific client needs without the need to reinvent 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.

In this Article 

1. Types of Reporting Templates
2. How to Create Reporting Templates?
3. How to Use Templates to Create Custom Reports?

Types of Reporting Templates

There are two types of templates available within Ready Social, each with distinct uses. Let’s go through each of them one by one. 

Default Templates 

These templates are pre-built and provided by Ready Social, specifically for each social media platform. The reporting structure for accounts follows the design of their respective default templates everywhere in Ready Social 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 require a quick and easy solution for generating reports with minimal 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 type of template, allowing you to be as specific as designating the number of accounts from various platforms that will be included in 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 repetitive customizations for similar reports and better align them 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 Ready Social requires no 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 from scratch. 

To Customize a Default Template:

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates.

    

2. On the Templates page, click the Default Templates tab. 

3. Find the template you want to customize and click on the Edit icon.

   

4. 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:

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select Reports.

2. Hover over any report that you want to templatize. 

3. Click on the Create Template icon and name your template.

4. Click Create to save your template.

   

This template will have a space for as many accounts as the parent report contains. The structure will also accommodate space for accounts from specific platforms, as mentioned in the original report. You can edit and adjust the placement of metrics when creating a new report using the template. 

To Create a Custom Template from Scratch:

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select Reports.
2. Click on the Create Report button and select the Blank Report. 

3. Provide a name and select the accounts from the platforms you want to include in the template, and click Create.

4. Drag and drop data blocks from the given list and design the template as you require. 

5. Navigate to the "Save as Template" button, name your template, and then save it.

6. 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:

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select a specific social media platform.

2. Select the specific account under that social media from the Analyze dropdown.

3. Click on the Edit button and select Edit Report.

4. Now, customize the report's structure as needed. 
5. Navigate to the scroll icon, which is "Save as Template."

6. Name the template and click Create. 

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

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

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates. 
2. On the templates page, switch to the Default Templates tab. 
3. Hover over the platform-specific template for which you want to create your report. 

4. Click on the Create Report button in the right corner of the template.

   

5. On the Report Builder dashboard, click "Select Account."

6. Pick one account from the displayed options and click Select. 
7. Now, proceed to create a custom report as you normally would.  

Create a Report from Custom Template

1. Go to the Analytics menu and select Templates.

2. On the templates page, you will be shown all the pre-saved Custom templates. Hover over the template you want to use, locate the Create Report icon beside it, and click on it.

3. Once the report builder opens, navigate to the right menu and click on Select for the type of account you want to connect, according to the template's structure.

   

4. Scroll down the list of platforms and select the other account for their respective platforms allotted in the template.

   

5. 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.

Questions?