# Running reports

## Why this matters

Every report in Diarybook is run the same way: choose the report, choose a format, narrow it with
filters, then open the result. Once you know the steps for one report you can run all of them, and
the filters printed at the top of each report show exactly what it covers.

## Before you start

Any user can run reports. For appointment reports, what you see depends on your permissions:

| Your permission | Appointments included |
|---|---|
| **Can view All Appointments** | Every appointment in the account |
| **Can view Department Appointments**, with a department set on your user record | Appointments in your department |
| Neither | Only your own appointments |
{.table}

The Breach Alert waiting list report follows the same rules. Waiting lists have no department of
their own, so a department-limited user sees the entries assigned to at least one user in their
department. A user with neither permission sees only the entries assigned to them. Either way,
unassigned entries are left out.

See [Users and Permissions](/docs/setting-up/users-and-permissions/) for how these permissions are
set.

## Steps

1. Open the **Reports** area  from the icons on the left. The
   screen lists every report with its **Area**, **Report** name and **Description**.
2. Select a report. The **Filters** panel opens with the report's name as its title.
3. Under **Report Format**, choose **View**, **.CSV File** or **.PDF File**. Only the formats that
   report supports are listed.
4. Set the dates in **From:** and **To:**. Only appointment and message reports have dates.
5. Set any filters. Each filter is a button that opens a list: select one or more entries, or leave
   it alone to include everything. The filters depend on the area of the report:

   | Area | Filters |
   |---|---|
   | Appointments | **Users**, **Types**, **Rooms**, **Departments**, **Confirmed**, **Attendance** |
   | Clients | **Groups**, and one of **Exclude archived clients** (the default), **Include archived clients** or **Only include archived clients** |
   | Messages | Dates only |
   | Waiting Lists | **Users**, **Waiting Lists**, **Status**, **Priority** |
   {.table}

6. Select **Generate Report**. The **Generating Report...** panel shows its progress: *submitted*,
   then *in queue...*, then *rendering...*.
7. When **Your Report is Ready** appears, select **Open**. A View report opens in a new browser
   tab. A CSV or PDF file downloads.

**Reset** clears every filter. Diarybook remembers the dates and filters you last used during your session, so the next
report you run starts from them.

## What's at the top of every report

View and PDF reports open with a header showing the date range (for reports that have one), your
account number and name, the date the report was created and who created it, the number of
appointments included (on appointment reports), and every filter that was applied. If the figures look wrong, check the
header before anything else.

## What to watch for

**"Please enter a valid date range"**
The **To:** date is before the **From:** date, or one of them is empty.

**"Sorry, there is a problem generating this report. Please try again later"**
The report failed to build. Run it again, and contact support if it keeps failing.

**The report has fewer appointments than expected**
Check the filters in the report header first. Filters are remembered between reports, so one you
set for an earlier report may still be applied. Select **Reset** and run the report again. If you
don't have **Can view All Appointments**, the report is also limited by your permissions (see
**Before you start**).

**The report is still generating after you closed the panel**
Closing the **Generating Report...** panel stops Diarybook checking on the report, so you won't see
**Open**. Run the report again and leave the panel open until it finishes.

## Related

- [Appointments Summary Report](/docs/reporting/appointments-summary-report/)
- [Appointments List](/docs/reporting/appointments-list/)
- [Breach Alert](/docs/reporting/breach-alert/)
- [Attendance and DNA](/docs/appointments/attendance-and-dna/)

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Source: https://diarybook.com/docs/reporting/running-reports/