How to build your first report on Salesforce

beginner 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Building your first Salesforce report involves navigating to the Reports tab, selecting a report type, choosing fields to display, applying filters, and saving your report. The Report Builder provides a drag-and-drop interface to customize your data visualization without coding.

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Prerequisites

Active Salesforce user account
Basic understanding of Salesforce objects (Accounts, Contacts, Leads)
Appropriate user permissions to create reports
Familiarity with Salesforce navigation

Step-by-Step Instructions

Navigate to the Reports Tab

From your Salesforce home page, click on the App Launcher (9-dot grid icon) in the top-left corner. Search for and select Reports, or click on the Reports tab if it's visible in your navigation bar. You'll be taken to the Reports home page where you can see existing reports and folders.

If you don't see the Reports tab, ask your Salesforce administrator to grant you the necessary permissions.

Create a New Report

Click the New Report button in the top-right corner of the Reports page. This will open the Report Type selection screen. You'll see various categories like Accounts & Contacts, Opportunities, Cases, and Activities. Each category contains different report types that determine what data you can include in your report.

Choose a report type that matches your primary data focus - you can always add related objects later.

Select Your Report Type

For your first report, select Accounts & Contacts from the customer reports section, then choose Accounts as your report type. Click Continue to proceed to the Report Builder. The Report Builder interface will load with a preview of your data and various customization options on the left sidebar.

The report type determines your primary object and which related objects you can include in your report.

Add Fields to Your Report

In the Report Builder, you'll see the Fields panel on the left. Expand the Accounts folder and drag fields like Account Name, Type, Industry, and Annual Revenue to the report preview area. You can also double-click fields to add them automatically. The fields will appear as columns in your report.

Add only the fields you need to keep your report clean and focused - you can always add more later.

Apply Filters to Your Data

Click on Add Filter in the Filters section. Choose a field to filter by, such as Type, then select your filter criteria like equals Customer. Click Apply to filter your results. You can add multiple filters to narrow down your data further. Use Filter Logic to create complex AND/OR conditions if needed.

Start with broad filters and narrow them down as you refine your report requirements.

Customize Report Format and Grouping

In the Format section, you can change your report format from Tabular to Summary or Matrix. For grouping data, drag a field like Industry to the Group Rows area. This will organize your accounts by industry and provide subtotals. You can also add charts by clicking Add Chart and selecting your preferred visualization.

Summary reports with grouping are great for analyzing trends and patterns in your data.

Run and Review Your Report

Click the Run Report button to generate your report with the current settings. Review the results to ensure they match your expectations. Check that all necessary data is displayed correctly and that your filters are working as intended. You can click Edit to make any adjustments to fields, filters, or formatting.

Always run your report before saving to catch any configuration issues early.

Save Your Report

Click Save in the top-right corner. Enter a descriptive name like Active Customer Accounts by Industry and add a brief description explaining the report's purpose. Choose a folder to save your report in - select Private Reports for personal use or a shared folder if others need access. Click Save to complete the process.

Use descriptive names and organize reports in folders to make them easier to find later.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

No data appears in my report

Check your filters - they may be too restrictive. Remove filters one by one to identify which one is limiting your results. Also verify that you have the proper permissions to view the data you're trying to report on.

I can't find the field I need

The field may be in a related object. Look in different folders in the Fields panel, or consider changing your report type to one that includes the object containing your desired field. Custom fields appear at the bottom of each object's field list.

Report is running too slowly

Add more specific filters to reduce the amount of data being processed. Limit the date range if working with time-sensitive data. Remove unnecessary fields and consider using summary reports instead of detailed tabular reports for large datasets.

Can't save report to desired folder

You may not have write access to that folder. Try saving to your Private Reports folder first, then ask your administrator for access to the shared folder. You can move the report later once permissions are granted.

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