Product documentation

Using sections to group reporting results

Sections allow you to group report results based on a specific field. Grouping helps organize large result sets so they are easier to read and analyze.

Sections allow you to group report results based on a specific field. Grouping helps organize large result sets so they are easier to read and analyze.

Instead of displaying one long list of records, sections divide the results into logical groups based on shared values.

When to group report results

  • when a report contains many records and needs better organization
  • when you want related records displayed together
  • when analyzing totals, activity, or patterns within categories

Examples of useful grouping

  • group delegates by event
  • group events by course
  • group invoices by account
  • group activity by trainer

Grouping helps readers understand how records relate to each other and makes large reports easier to scan.

Before grouping results

  • Confirm the report uses the correct entity.
  • Choose a grouping field that represents a meaningful category.
  • Make sure the report already includes the records you want before adjusting layout.

Tip: Grouping changes how results are organized, but it does not change which records are returned.

Group results in a report

  1. Open the report
    Navigate to Reports and open the report you want to edit.
  2. Locate the Sections configuration
    Find the part of the report builder where grouping or sections are defined.
  3. Select a grouping field
    Choose the field that should divide the results into sections.
  4. Apply the grouping
    The report will display records grouped by the selected field when it runs.
  5. Run the report
    Review how the grouped results appear.
  6. Validate the layout
    Check:
    • whether the sections are meaningful
    • whether the number of sections is manageable
    • whether records appear under the expected headings
  7. Save the report
    Save once the grouped layout is correct.

Tips for effective grouping

  • Choose grouping fields that represent meaningful categories.
  • Avoid grouping by fields with many unique values.
  • Use grouping together with sorting to improve readability.
  • Place identifying columns near the start of the output for easier scanning.

Understanding grouping behavior

Grouping changes the visual organization of the results, not the underlying data.

  • It does not remove duplicates.
  • It does not change the selected entity.
  • It does not replace filters.

If the report contains too many records or unexpected rows, review the entity and filters first. Use sections to improve readability after the dataset is correct.

Common issues

Grouping does not improve readability

If grouping creates too many sections, choose a broader field.

Records appear in unexpected sections

Verify that the selected grouping field contains the values you expect.

The report is still difficult to scan

Use sorting together with grouping so records appear in a consistent order within each section.

Next steps