> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.timetracker.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reports overview

> Reports turn your tracked time, projects, invoices and leave into answers. Learn what a report is, the eight data sources, and who can see what.

Reports answer questions about your work with real numbers. Where did this month's hours go? What have we not invoiced yet? Which project is going over budget?

## What is a report?

A report is a saved question. You pick five things, and TimeTracker runs them live every time the report is opened:

| You choose      | It means                                                                             |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Data source** | Which kind of record the report counts – time entries, invoices, projects, and so on |
| **Period**      | The date window, such as **This month**                                              |
| **Columns**     | The fields and figures each row shows                                                |
| **Filters**     | Which records are included                                                           |
| **Layout**      | Whether rows are flat, nested into groups, or laid out as a pivot                    |

A report never stores numbers. It stores the question. Open a **This month** report in August and you see August.

## Where reports live

Go to **Reports** in the sidebar. You land on the report library – a searchable table of every report you can see.

| Column          | What it shows                                                                                                    |
| --------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**        | The report name. A **Template** chip marks a starter report. A lifecycle chip marks it Archived or in the Trash. |
| **Visibility**  | **Personal** (only you) or **Shared** (the whole workspace)                                                      |
| **Data source** | Which source the report reads, such as `Time entries`                                                            |
| **Owner**       | Who created it. Your own reports read **You**.                                                                   |
| **Updated**     | When it was last saved                                                                                           |

Click any row to open the report. The row-end controls are a rename pencil, a duplicate icon, and the lifecycle menu – they only appear on reports you may curate.

Above the table sit two filters and one button:

* A **visibility** dropdown: **All reports**, **Personal**, **Shared**
* A **lifecycle** dropdown: Active, Archived, Trash, All
* **New report**, shown only if you can create reports

<Note>
  The two dropdowns filter on different axes. Visibility is about who a report is for. Lifecycle is about whether it is live or retired. See [/data/archive-something](/data/archive-something).
</Note>

### Empty states

* No reports at all: **"No reports yet."** with **"Build your first report to see time, budget, and profitability across your work."**
* Nothing matches a search or filter: **"No reports match your search or filter."**

## The eight data sources

Every report reads exactly one source. A source decides what one row means.

| Source           | One row is                | Answers                                 |
| ---------------- | ------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| **Time entries** | One logged time entry     | Where did the hours go?                 |
| **Expenses**     | One expense               | What did we spend, and is it billable?  |
| **Invoices**     | One invoice               | Who owes us, and for how long?          |
| **Projects**     | One project               | Is this project still profitable?       |
| **Tasks**        | One task                  | Are we ahead of or behind the estimate? |
| **Timesheets**   | One member and one period | Who has not submitted?                  |
| **Time off**     | One leave request         | How much leave is booked?               |
| **Timecard**     | One member and one day    | Who was late, absent, or over hours?    |

Reports cannot join sources. A projects report cannot reach into invoices, and vice versa. Full detail in [/reports/report-sources](/reports/report-sources).

<Warning>
  Not every figure is available on every source. The estimate and budget family cannot be worked out from time entries – budget figures live on the **Projects** source. Picking the wrong source is the most common reason a report will not build.
</Warning>

## Three layouts

| Layout        | Shown as                                                     | Use it for                               |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------- |
| **Plain**     | A flat table, one row per record                             | Auditing the raw detail                  |
| **Subgroups** | Rows nested under grouping levels, with a subtotal per group | Rolling hours up by project, then client |
| **Pivot**     | A matrix – one figure across a row axis and a column axis    | Hours per member per week                |

See [/reports/grouping-and-pivots](/reports/grouping-and-pivots).

## What is free and what is Pro

The **Reports** app is on every plan. It is switched on by default and never hidden behind a paywall.

What the plan tiers is the depth:

| Action                                   | Free | Pro |
| ---------------------------------------- | ---- | --- |
| Open and run a report                    | Yes  | Yes |
| Use the starter templates                | Yes  | Yes |
| Change the period or filters temporarily | Yes  | Yes |
| Drill into a total                       | Yes  | Yes |
| Print a report                           | Yes  | Yes |
| **Save a new or edited report**          | No   | Yes |
| **Export to CSV, Excel or PDF**          | No   | Yes |
| **Schedule a report by email**           | No   | Yes |

<Note>
  Saving is what needs Pro, not looking. On Free you can open every starter report, change its period, and read the answer. You cannot keep the change as a saved report.
</Note>

See [/concepts/plans-and-features](/concepts/plans-and-features) and [/billing/free-vs-pro](/billing/free-vs-pro).

## Example

Northwind Studio opens **Reports** on a Monday morning.

* Priya Raman opens **Hours by project** and sees Bluebird Coffee – Website Redesign at 62 hours this month.
* She clicks the subtotal to drill in and finds Sarah Lin's 3 hours on "Homepage wireframes".
* Maya Ellis opens **Budget vs actual** and sees the \$40,000 Website Redesign budget against actual cost and tracked value.
* Sarah Lin opens the same **Hours by project** report and reads the hours. The cost columns are not there for her – her role cannot see cost.

## Permissions

| To do this                                        | You need                     |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| Open the Reports page and run a report            | `report.view`                |
| Create a new report                               | `report.create`              |
| Edit a report you own                             | `report.edit` plus ownership |
| Edit or archive any report, including shared ones | `report.manage`              |
| Publish a report to the workspace                 | `report.share`               |
| Set up a scheduled email                          | `report.schedule`            |
| Download a report as a file                       | `report.export`              |

Out of the box, Owner and Admin hold all seven. Project Manager and Member hold view, create and edit. Finance, Contractor and Client hold none, so **Reports** does not appear in their sidebar.

Full detail in [/reports/report-permissions](/reports/report-permissions) and [/concepts/roles-and-capabilities](/concepts/roles-and-capabilities).

## What happens next

Once you have a report you trust:

* **Share it** so the whole workspace reads the same number – [/reports/share-a-report](/reports/share-a-report)
* **Schedule it** so it arrives by email every week – [/reports/schedule-a-report](/reports/schedule-a-report)
* **Export it** to CSV, Excel or PDF – [/reports/export-a-report](/reports/export-a-report)

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I have to build a report from scratch?">
    No. Every new workspace starts with five ready-made reports. Open one, change what you want, and save it as a new report. See [/reports/report-templates](/reports/report-templates).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why can I not see Reports in the sidebar?">
    Either your role does not hold `report.view`, or the Reports app is switched off for the whole workspace. An app that is off is hidden entirely. See [/concepts/apps-and-modules](/concepts/apps-and-modules).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do reports show live data?">
    Yes. A report runs against your current records each time it is opened. Nothing is cached or frozen.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can two people see different numbers in the same report?">
    Yes, and that is deliberate. Cost and revenue columns are hidden from people whose role cannot see them, and the rows themselves cover only the people you supervise. See [/reports/report-permissions](/reports/report-permissions).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is the dashboard a report?">
    No. The dashboard is a fixed set of personal widgets, not a report you configure. See [/reports/dashboards](/reports/dashboards).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Problem                                         | Why                                                             | Fix                                                                              |
| ----------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| The report shows **"No data for this report."** | Nothing in the period matches the filters                       | Widen the period, or remove a filter                                             |
| A column reads **Restricted** with a lock       | Your role cannot see that figure                                | Ask an admin for `time.viewCost` or `rate.viewBilling`                           |
| A note says **"Covering 4 of 12 members"**      | Your supervision scope covers part of the roster                | This is expected. See [/concepts/supervision-scope](/concepts/supervision-scope) |
| **Save** is disabled                            | The report is incomplete, nothing changed, or your plan is Free | Read the reason under the preview, then fix it                                   |

More in [/troubleshooting/report-problems](/troubleshooting/report-problems).

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Build a report" icon="wrench" href="/reports/build-a-report">
    Every control in the report builder, step by step.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Report sources" icon="database" href="/reports/report-sources">
    All eight sources, their fields and their figures.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Report templates" icon="sparkles" href="/reports/report-templates">
    The five starter reports in every workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Report permissions" icon="lock" href="/reports/report-permissions">
    Who sees what, and how the cost firewall works.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Metrics reference" icon="list" href="/reports/metrics-reference">
    Every figure a report can calculate.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Dashboards" icon="layout-dashboard" href="/reports/dashboards">
    The personal dashboard and its widgets.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>