Automated Reports

Automated reports ensure your stakeholders receive timely insights without manual intervention. This guide covers everything you need to know about setting up, customizing, and managing automated email reports in Querri.

Email Report Setup

Creating automated reports is straightforward once you understand the components.

Prerequisites

Before setting up an email report, ensure:

Dashboard or project is ready: Your data visualization is complete and tested
Schedule is planned: You know when reports should be sent
Recipients are identified: You have a distribution list
Format is chosen: You’ve decided on PDF, PNG, or HTML

Creating Your First Email Report

Step 1: Navigate to Automation

Open your dashboard
Click on “Automation” in the settings menu
Select “Email Reports”

Step 2: Create New Report

Click “New Email Report”
Give your report a descriptive name (e.g., “Weekly Sales Summary - Monday AM”)

Step 3: Configure Schedule

Choose frequency (daily, weekly, monthly, or custom)
Set the time of day to send
Select timezone
Preview next send dates

Step 4: Add Recipients

Enter email addresses (one per line or comma-separated)
Or select from distribution lists
Or use dynamic recipients based on data

Step 5: Choose Format

Select PDF, PNG, or HTML
Configure format-specific options
Preview the report

Step 6: Customize Message

Write a subject line
Compose the email body
Add variables for dynamic content

Step 7: Test and Activate

Send a test email to yourself
Verify formatting and content
Enable the report

Quick Start Example

Let’s create a daily sales report:

Report Name: Daily Sales Report
Schedule: Every weekday at 8:00 AM EST
Recipients: sales-team@company.com, manager@company.com
Format: PDF
Subject: Daily Sales Report - ${date}
Message:
Good morning,

Please find attached your daily sales report for ${date}.

Key metrics:
• Total revenue: ${total_revenue}
• Number of orders: ${order_count}
• Average order value: ${avg_order_value}

View the live dashboard: ${dashboard_link}

Best regards,
Sales Analytics Team

Report Formats

Choose the right format for your audience and use case.

PDF Reports

Best for:

Formal business reports
Archiving and record-keeping
Printing and sharing offline
Multi-page detailed reports

Features:

Professional formatting
Multiple pages supported
Consistent layout across devices
Embedded charts and tables
Header and footer customization
Table of contents (for long reports)

Configuration Options:

Page Size: Letter, A4, Legal
Orientation: Portrait or Landscape
Margins: Standard, Narrow, Wide, Custom
Quality: Standard (fast), High (slower)
Include: Cover page, Table of contents, Page numbers
Branding: Logo, Company name, Color scheme

Example PDF Structure:

Page 1: Cover page with title, date, and logo
Page 2: Executive summary with key metrics
Page 3: Revenue chart and analysis
Page 4: Regional performance table
Page 5: Product performance breakdown
Page 6: Appendix with detailed data

PNG Images

Best for:

Quick visual updates
Email previews (embedded in email body)
Social media sharing
Mobile-friendly viewing

Features:

Lightweight file size
Embedded directly in email
No attachment to open
Quick to generate
Single-page snapshot

Configuration Options:

Resolution:
  - Standard (1280x720) - faster, smaller
  - High (1920x1080) - better quality
  - Retina (2560x1440) - best quality, larger file

Format:
  - Full dashboard
  - Specific widgets only
  - Custom crop region

Background:
  - White
  - Transparent
  - Custom color

Best Practices for PNG Reports:

Keep dashboard layout simple for single-screen capture
Use high contrast for readability
Test on mobile devices
Consider file size for email deliverability
Include key metrics visible without zooming

Interactive HTML

Best for:

Recipients who want to explore data
Interactive filtering and drill-down
Responsive viewing on any device
Maintaining dashboard functionality

Features:

Embedded dashboard with limited interactivity
Filter controls
Drill-down capabilities
Responsive design
Works in email clients that support HTML (most modern clients)

Configuration Options:

Interactivity Level:
  - View only (no interaction)
  - Filter only (can change filters)
  - Limited interaction (filters + tooltips)
  - Full interaction (all dashboard features)

Include:
  - Filter controls
  - Refresh button
  - Export buttons
  - Link to full dashboard

Styling:
  - Responsive breakpoints
  - Email-safe CSS
  - Fallback for unsupported clients

Limitations:

Some email clients strip JavaScript
Larger file size than PDF or PNG
May not display consistently across all email clients
Best viewed in modern email clients (Gmail, Outlook 365, Apple Mail)

Distribution Lists

Manage recipients efficiently with distribution lists.

Creating Distribution Lists

Static Lists:

List Name: Executive Team
Members:
  - ceo@company.com
  - cfo@company.com
  - coo@company.com
  - cto@company.com

Usage: For consistent, unchanging groups

Department Lists:

List Name: Sales Team
Members:
  - Import from Active Directory
  - Sync with HR system
  - Manual entry with role tags

Auto-update: Yes (sync daily)

Dynamic Lists:

List Name: Top Performers This Month
Criteria: Sales > $50,000 this month
Updated: Before each report send
Source: Query results from database

Example query:
SELECT email
FROM employees e
JOIN sales s ON e.id = s.employee_id
WHERE s.month = CURRENT_MONTH
  AND s.total_sales > 50000

Managing Distribution Lists

Adding Members:

One-by-one manual entry
Bulk import from CSV
Sync with external directory
Copy from existing list

Removing Members:

Individual removal
Bulk removal
Auto-removal based on criteria (e.g., no longer in role)

List Segmentation:

Main List: All Employees
Segments:
  - By department (Sales, Marketing, Engineering)
  - By level (Executive, Manager, Individual Contributor)
  - By location (US, EU, APAC)
  - By opt-in preference (Weekly, Daily, Monthly)

Subscription Management

Allow recipients to manage their subscriptions:

Unsubscribe Links:

Include in every email:
---
You're receiving this email as a member of the Sales Team.
To unsubscribe or manage preferences, click here: ${unsubscribe_link}

Preference Center:

Choose email frequency
Select which reports to receive
Set time preferences
Pause subscriptions temporarily

Report Templates

Save time with reusable templates.

Creating Templates

Basic Template Structure:

Template Name: Weekly Performance Report
Subject: ${report_name} - Week of ${week_start_date}

Email Body:
Hi Team,

Here's your weekly performance report for the week of ${week_start_date}.

## Overview
${summary_metrics}

## Highlights
${top_performers}
${notable_changes}

## Details
Please see the attached report for full details.

${dashboard_link}

Questions? Reply to this email.

Best,
${sender_name}

Template Variables

Use variables to make templates dynamic:

Date Variables:

${date} - Current date
${date:YYYY-MM-DD} - Formatted date
${week_start_date} - Start of current week
${week_end_date} - End of current week
${month} - Current month name
${month_year} - "January 2024"
${quarter} - "Q1 2024"
${year} - Current year

Dashboard Variables:

${dashboard_name} - Name of the dashboard
${dashboard_link} - URL to view dashboard
${last_updated} - When dashboard was last refreshed
${refresh_time} - When data was last updated

Metric Variables:

${total_revenue} - From specific widget/metric
${order_count} - From specific widget/metric
${top_region} - From specific widget/metric
${growth_pct} - Calculated from data

User Variables:

${recipient_name} - First name of recipient
${recipient_full_name} - Full name of recipient
${sender_name} - Name of report sender
${company_name} - Organization name

Conditional Content:

${if revenue > 100000}
Congratulations! You exceeded the revenue target this week.
${else}
Keep pushing - we're at ${revenue_pct}% of our target.
${endif}

Template Categories

Organize templates by purpose:

Executive Reports:

- Monthly Business Review
- Quarterly Board Report
- Annual Performance Summary

Operational Reports:

- Daily Operations Dashboard
- Hourly System Monitoring
- Real-time Alerts

Team Reports:

- Weekly Team Performance
- Sprint Summary
- Project Status Update

Client Reports:

- Campaign Performance
- ROI Summary
- Service Level Report

Email Customization

Make your reports professional and on-brand.

Subject Line Best Practices

Include key information:

Good: "Weekly Sales Report - Week of Jan 15, 2024 - Revenue: $245K"
Better: "Sales Report (Jan 15-21): $245K revenue (+12% vs last week)"

Use clear, scannable format:

[Report Type] - [Date/Period] - [Key Metric]
Weekly Sales - Jan 2024 - $1.2M revenue
Daily Operations - Jan 15 - 99.8% uptime

Avoid spam triggers:

Don’t use all caps
Avoid excessive punctuation!!!
Skip words like “Free”, “Act now”, “Limited time”

Email Body Formatting

Use Markdown for formatting:

# Weekly Sales Report
Week of January 15-21, 2024

## Key Metrics
- **Total Revenue:** $245,000 (+12% vs last week)
- **Orders:** 1,234 (+8%)
- **Average Order Value:** $198 (+4%)

## Top Performers
1. **North Region:** $85,000 (35% of total)
2. **South Region:** $72,000 (29% of total)
3. **East Region:** $88,000 (36% of total)

## Action Items
- [ ] Follow up with East Region on exceptional performance
- [ ] Investigate South Region's slight decline
- [ ] Schedule Q1 strategy meeting

---
View the full dashboard: [Sales Dashboard](${dashboard_link})

HTML for advanced formatting:

<div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; max-width: 600px;">
  <h1 style="color: #1a73e8;">Weekly Sales Report</h1>

  <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;">
    <tr style="background-color: #f5f5f5;">
      <th style="padding: 10px; text-align: left;">Metric</th>
      <th style="padding: 10px; text-align: right;">Value</th>
      <th style="padding: 10px; text-align: right;">Change</th>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td style="padding: 10px;">Revenue</td>
      <td style="padding: 10px; text-align: right;">$245,000</td>
      <td style="padding: 10px; text-align: right; color: green;">+12%</td>
    </tr>
  </table>
</div>

Branding Elements

Email Header:

<div style="background-color: #1a73e8; padding: 20px; text-align: center;">
  <img src="${company_logo_url}" alt="Company Logo" height="50">
  <h2 style="color: white; margin: 10px 0 0 0;">Sales Analytics</h2>
</div>

Email Footer:

<div style="margin-top: 30px; padding-top: 20px; border-top: 1px solid #ccc; font-size: 12px; color: #666;">
  <p>This is an automated report from Querri Analytics</p>
  <p>Questions? Contact analytics@company.com</p>
  <p>
    <a href="${unsubscribe_link}">Unsubscribe</a> |
    <a href="${preferences_link}">Manage Preferences</a>
  </p>
</div>

Color Scheme:

Primary Color: #1a73e8 (Blue)
Success Color: #34a853 (Green)
Warning Color: #fbbc04 (Yellow)
Error Color: #ea4335 (Red)
Text Color: #202124 (Dark Gray)
Background: #ffffff (White)

Advanced Features

Conditional Reports

Send reports only when certain conditions are met:

Threshold-Based:

Send report only if:
  total_revenue > $100,000 OR
  error_rate > 5% OR
  customer_satisfaction < 80%

Subject: ALERT - ${metric_name} threshold exceeded

Change-Based:

Send report only if:
  revenue_change_pct > 10% OR
  revenue_change_pct < -10%

Subject: Significant Change Alert - Revenue ${change_direction} ${change_pct}%

Anomaly Detection:

Send report only if:
  current_value is outside 2 standard deviations from mean

Subject: Anomaly Detected - ${metric_name}

Personalized Reports

Customize content for each recipient:

User-Specific Data:

Query filters by recipient:
WHERE region = ${recipient_region}
  AND manager = ${recipient_manager_id}

Each recipient sees only their relevant data.

Personalized Message:

Hi ${recipient_first_name},

Here's your personal performance report:

Your team's revenue: ${recipient_team_revenue}
Your ranking: ${recipient_ranking} out of ${total_teams}
Your progress to goal: ${recipient_goal_pct}%

${if recipient_ranking <= 3}
Congratulations on being a top performer!
${endif}

Attachment Options

Multiple Attachments:

Attachments:
1. PDF Report (visual summary)
2. Excel Export (detailed data)
3. Supporting Documentation (reference materials)

Total size limit: 25 MB (most email servers)

Data Exports:

Include raw data as:
- CSV file (for analysis)
- Excel workbook (multiple sheets)
- JSON file (for developers)

Compression:

For large reports:
- Compress as ZIP file
- Split into multiple emails
- Upload to cloud storage and include link

Testing and Validation

Before Going Live

1. Send Test Emails:

Send to yourself first
Check formatting in different email clients
Verify all links work
Confirm attachments open correctly

2. Test with Recipients:

Send to a small test group
Gather feedback on content and timing
Verify data accuracy
Check that variables render correctly

3. Validate Scheduling:

Confirm timezone is correct
Verify send times match expectations
Check that frequency is appropriate

Email Client Testing

Test your reports in common email clients:

Desktop Clients:

Outlook (Windows)
Outlook (Mac)
Apple Mail
Thunderbird

Web Clients:

Gmail
Outlook.com
Yahoo Mail
iCloud Mail

Mobile Clients:

iOS Mail
Gmail App
Outlook App

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Emails Not Sending:

Verify email addresses are valid
Check spam filters
Confirm email service is configured
Review bounce notifications

Formatting Issues:

Test in multiple email clients
Use email-safe HTML
Avoid complex CSS
Include plain text alternative

Large File Size:

Compress images
Limit data in report
Use cloud links instead of attachments
Split into multiple reports

Variable Not Rendering:

Check variable name spelling
Verify data source has the field
Confirm permissions to access data
Use default values: ${revenue:$0}

Best Practices

Keep it concise: Focus on key insights, link to details
Test thoroughly: Send test emails before going live
Monitor engagement: Track open rates and click-through
Gather feedback: Ask recipients if reports are useful
Update regularly: Keep templates fresh and relevant
Respect inboxes: Don’t over-send reports
Provide value: Every email should have actionable insights
Make it easy to unsubscribe: Respect preferences
Brand consistently: Use company colors and logos
Mobile-optimize: Many people read email on phones

Next Steps

Scheduling Basics - Master cron expressions for report timing
Recurring Analysis - Automate data preparation for reports
Monitoring Automations - Track report delivery and engagement

Create automated reports that deliver insights right to your stakeholders’ inboxes!