Creating a report

The report creation flow allows you to configure custom analytics exports adapted to your organization’s structure and needs. Reports can be scheduled or generated once, with powerful filtering, data sampling, and file delivery options.

To create a new report, go to: https://desk.collectiveaudience.co/settings/reports/new

✏️ 1. Report Name

  • This is the name that will be used for the exported file.

  • You can use macros inside the name to personalize each export:

    • [DATE] → injects the generation date

    • [ACCOUNT_USERNAME] → injects the username of the account owner (useful for media groups with multiple child accounts)

Example: Weekly_Report_[ACCOUNT_USERNAME]_[DATE].xlsx

📁 2. Report Type

Select the report type that fits your use case. Each type comes with its own set of dimensions, metrics, and filters.

👉 A dedicated section later in this documentation will provide a detailed breakdown of all available report types.

🧱 3. Dimensions

Once a report type is selected, you'll be able to choose from the available dimensions specific to that type (e.g. campaign name, creative ID, placement...).

📊 4. Metrics

Select the KPIs you want to track (e.g. impressions, clicks, CTR, conversions...).

🔍 5. Filters

Apply one or more filters to narrow down the dataset.

Note: A default invisible filter is always applied to isolate the data per account. A user can only access statistics belonging to their own account or its children. For more details, contact your account manager.

🌍 6. Timezone

Choose a timezone used for:

  • report generation schedule (e.g. "send at 9AM Paris time")

  • data sampling reference

Options available:

  • UTC

  • Europe/Paris

  • America/Los_Angeles

  • America/New_York

🔁 7. Recurrence Mode

Choose between:

  • Once: one-time export, generated now or at a later date

  • Recurring: schedule regular exports (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)

If Once:

  • Select an optional future date to receive the report.

If Recurring:

  • Choose the frequency: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly

  • Fill in required time parameters:

    • Hour

    • Day of week / day of month / day & month

  • Select a start date and an end date for the recurrence

⏱️ 8. Data Sample (Time Range)

Choose the time range for the data to be included in the report.

  • For Recurring reports, you can use relative timeframes like:

    • Previous day

    • Past 24 hours

    • Previous week

    • Past 7 days

    • Current week

    • Previous month

    • Current month

    • From specific date

  • For Once reports, you can also select a custom start and end date.

📂 9. File settings

Export format

Choose the format of the data inside the export:

  • CSV

  • Excel (.xlsx)

  • JSON

For CSV exports, you can optionally include metadata headers in the first rows.

Password-protect export (optional)

In the same File settings block, you can enable Password-protect export.

When enabled:

  • The report still uses the format you selected (CSV, Excel, or JSON).

  • At delivery time, Collective Audience™ does not send that file as-is.

  • It is placed inside a password-protected ZIP archive (one file per archive).

  • Recipients need the password you configured to open the ZIP and access the export inside.

Important for recipients

Delivery method

What they receive

SFTP, S3, GCS

A .zip file (not a raw .csv, .xlsx, or .json)

Email with download link

The link points to the ZIP file

Email with attachment

The ZIP is attached directly

Configuring the password

  • New report: turn on the toggle and set a password before saving. A password is required when protection is enabled.

  • Existing protected report: the UI indicates that a password is already set (the value is never displayed again). Leave the password field empty when saving if you do not want to change it.

  • Change password: enter a new password and save.

  • Remove protection: turn off Password-protect export and save.

Passwords are stored encrypted on our side (same approach as other transfer secrets). They are never shown again in clear text in the app.

Duplicating a report

Copying a report does not copy the export password. Configure protection again on the duplicate if needed.

Security note: Share the ZIP password with recipients through a separate channel from the file delivery when possible (for example, do not send the password in the same email as the download link unless your policy allows it).

👥 10. Recipients

Set up one or more recipients via the Transfer module.

➡️ See Transfers documentation for details on how to manage and send reports to external systems or email.

✅ 11. Generate

Click the "Generate" button to save your configuration and:

  • schedule the report (if recurring)

  • or trigger it (if once)

👉 Next up: Report Types Reference — an in-depth breakdown of each available report type, with all associated dimensions, metrics, and filters.