Complete Guide To Custom Report Types Salesforce For Teams 2025

Are standard reports limiting your business’s ability to analyze data in Salesforce? For many organizations, default reports are not enough to reflect complex data relationships or provide a complete view for decision-making. In this article, MOR Software introduces insights and solutions with custom report types salesforce, helping businesses maximize the value of their data.

What Are Custom Report Types In Salesforce?

Custom report types salesforce are templates for reports that can be defined by users or admins within the salesforce system. When creating a custom report type salesforce, you can select a primary object, add related objects, and determine which fields will be included in the report.

Instead of manually selecting data each time, custom report types salesforce act as a pre-designed blueprint, making it easier to create custom report salesforce quickly and accurately. Admins can decide which fields appear by default, organize them into logical sections, and even add additional fields via lookup.

With custom report types salesforce, users can streamline the process of creating custom reports in salesforce without heavy salesforce customization at the report level. Everything is defined in advance within the report type, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring consistency across the organization.

Key Features Of Custom Report Types In Salesforce

One of the biggest advantages of custom report types salesforce is their flexibility and scalability to meet various data analysis needs. In this section, we will explore the most important features.

Include Multiple Objects in Reports

A key feature of creating custom report type salesforce is the ability to add up to four objects in a single report, including one primary object and three related secondary objects. This makes reports more flexible and multidimensional, instead of being limited to a single object’s data.

When defining relationships, you can choose either “with” or “with or without” to determine how records are displayed. This configuration ensures the report reflects accurate business logic and expands data analysis capabilities.

Add Fields via Lookup

This feature allows you to extend your report by adding fields from related objects through lookup, even if those objects are not directly connected in the relationship chain. It is an essential functionality when create custom report salesforce, as it eliminates the need to create extra formula fields solely for reporting purposes.

With this flexibility, reports become more comprehensive and deliver a complete view of your data. For example, you can pull Account information into an Opportunity report, giving better visibility into customer context and deal progress.

Organize Report Sections and Fields

In a custom report salesforce, organizing fields and sections plays a critical role in making reports easy to read and navigate. You can group fields into separate sections, such as Account fields, Opportunity fields, or Activity-related fields, to streamline access.

Admins can also hide unnecessary or irrelevant fields to reduce clutter. This ensures that end users can quickly find the information they need, improving the reporting experience and making analysis more efficient.

Define Default Columns

When a user selects a report type, the system automatically displays the default fields that were predefined. This is especially valuable when creating custom reports in salesforce, as it ensures every report starts with the most essential data.

For example, admins might choose fields such as Name, Owner, Status, Amount, or Close Date as default columns. This saves users time and effort, allowing them to focus directly on analysis and make further adjustments only if needed.

>>> READ MORE: Salesforce Workflow: Best Practices & Real-Life Examples 2025

Common Types Of Custom Report Types In Salesforce You Should Know

Common custom report types salesforce are often used to meet different business reporting needs. In this section, we will explore the most popular types of custom report salesforce and see how they fit specific business scenarios.

Accounts with or without opportunities

This type of report allows create custom report salesforce to identify “Accounts” with or without related “Opportunities”. It is an essential tool for pipeline management, helping sales teams track deal progress and uncover unexploited opportunities.

Example: A B2B company with hundreds of customers can use this report to detect 50 major Accounts that have never generated any deals. This enables the sales team to create prospecting lists, allocate territories efficiently, reach potential clients, and develop strategies for generating new business opportunities.

Additionally, this report helps track “Opportunity” distribution across different stages in the pipeline, allowing managers to evaluate sales team performance and make strategic decisions based on accurate insights.

Contacts with Cases and Activities

This report allows you to monitor contacts along with all related Cases and Activities, including emails, calls, meetings, or other interactions. It is a valuable custom report salesforce workflow for assessing customer engagement with sales or support teams.

Users can easily filter and categorize “Contacts” based on the number of “Cases” or “Activities”, helping to identify customers who need urgent support or are at risk of dissatisfaction.

Example: A software company’s support team may notice that Customer A submits numerous Cases but responds to very few emails. Using this report, the team can adjust communication methods, prioritize resolving critical issues, and enhance the overall customer experience.

All Fields for a Single Object

This report displays all fields of a single object and is a type of custom report types salesforce that provides a comprehensive view of the data. It is ideal for auditing, in-depth analysis, or when a business needs to review all information within an object.

Users can access all data fields without limitation, ensuring full analysis and preventing critical information from being overlooked. However, it is essential to note that including too many fields can make the report cumbersome and make it more difficult for users to locate the necessary information.

When Should You Use Custom Report Types In Salesforce?

Custom report types salesforce are essential when a business wants to create reports tailored to specific needs, but salesforce does not provide a suitable standard report type. In this section, we will explore when to use custom report salesforce and real-world scenarios that help optimize report data.

Missing Standard Report Type

When Salesforce does not provide a suitable report type for your specific data analysis needs, you can use custom report types salesforce to create reports tailored to your requirements. This feature is essential for businesses to flexibly collect and consolidate data from multiple sources.

Example: A logistics company wants to generate a report summarizing the status of warehouses (Warehouse) and shipments (Shipment) for each customer (Account).

• Problem: The standard report type does not allow combining multiple warehouses, shipment statuses, and accounts at the same time to track inventory, delayed shipments, or overdue deliveries.
• Solution: Create a custom report types salesforce combining Account, Warehouse, and Shipment. Select fields such as inventory quantity per warehouse, shipment status (pending, in transit, delivered), expected delivery date, and actual delivery date.
• Result: Warehouse and operations management gain a comprehensive view, detecting overloaded warehouses or delayed shipments. This enables the company to plan resource and vehicle allocation effectively, reduce shipping costs, and improve customer satisfaction.

Incomplete Field Availability

Sometimes, standard report types do not include all the fields required for complete data analysis. In such cases, you can create custom report salesforce to add missing fields, including via lookup, ensuring reports are comprehensive and accurate.

Example: A cosmetics company wants to report sales by product line, sales representative, and marketing campaign for each store.

• Problem: The standard report type only shows order and customer information, missing fields such as Product Type, Marketing Campaign, Sales Representative, and Sales Channel (offline/online).
• Solution: Create a custom report salesforce, adding Product Type, Marketing Campaign, Sales Representative, and Sales Channel fields from related objects. Group the report by marketing campaign and filter by product type and sales representative for better analysis.
• Result: The sales and marketing teams have comprehensive reports, easily evaluating the effectiveness of each campaign, comparing sales by representative and product line, adjusting sales strategies, allocating staff efficiently, and optimizing revenue.

>>> Top 10 salesforce commerce cloud consultants you can work with in 2025 to ensure growth and long-term success.

Specific Data Relationships

When you need to analyze records with or without related data, custom report salesforce allows visibility into relationships that standard report types cannot provide.

Example: An e-commerce company wants to track orders (Order) that are unpaid (Payment) or have not yet been returned (Return) to detect risks and manage cash flow.

• Problem: Standard report types only report completed orders and cannot filter for orders pending payment or return, making it difficult for finance and customer service teams to manage.
• Solution: Create a custom report salesforce displaying all Orders with Payment status (paid, pending, failed) and Return status (returned, not returned). Add fields such as order date, payment method, products, and customer for detailed analysis.
• Result: Finance and customer service teams quickly identify unpaid or return-pending orders, reducing revenue risk, improving customer experience, and supporting logistics teams in effectively managing warehouses for returned items.

Field Renaming And Customization

Custom report types salesforce allow admins to rename and customize fields directly in the layout, making reports more intuitive for users.

Example: A customer service company wants to report on case status and measure resolution efficiency.

• Problem: The original field “Case Status” is confusing for new employees and customers, with values like “In Progress” or “Escalated” being unclear and causing misunderstanding.
• Solution: Rename the field in custom report types salesforce to “Customer Support Status,” and customize status values to “In Progress,” “Priority Required,” and “Resolved.” Add brief explanations for each status to make it easy for end-users to understand.
• Result: Employees can quickly understand the status of customer requests, reducing confusion and making reports more user-friendly. Management can evaluate resolution efficiency and improve overall customer service quality.

How To Create A Custom Report In Salesforce​?

The process of creating custom reports in salesforce is fairly straightforward if one understands each step. In this section, we will walk through the detailed steps of this process.

Navigate to the Report Types section

To start creating a custom report type salesforce, go to "Setup". In the "Quick Find" box, type "Report Types" and select it. This is the central place where all report types are managed.

At this step, administrators can:

• Check whether an existing report type already meets the reporting requirements.
• Review or edit existing custom report types salesforce.
• Create a new one when necessary.

By validating first, the system avoids unnecessary duplication and keeps the reporting framework organized.

Create a new custom report type

On the "Report Types" page, click "New Custom Report Type". Then fill in the basic configuration details, including:

• Primary Object: The main object for the report, such as Accounts, Contacts, or Opportunities.
• Report Type Label: A clear name so users can identify it easily.
• Description: A short explanation of the report type’s purpose.
• Category: The folder where it will be stored, such as Accounts & Contacts, Opportunities, Leads, Campaigns, or Other Reports.
• Deployment Status: Choose "In Development" for admin-only access, or "Deployed" to make it available for end users immediately.

Next, define the object relationships. For example, if Accounts are selected as the primary object, they can be related to Opportunities. Salesforce provides two options:

• Show only records that have related data (e.g., Accounts with Opportunities).
• Show all records, with or without related data (all Accounts, even without Opportunities).

This ensures the custom report salesforce aligns with the business logic and avoids missing critical records.

Customize fields and layout

After defining relationships, the next step is to configure fields and layout. Open "Edit Layout" to make adjustments such as:

• Adding or removing fields from the primary object or related objects.
• Rearranging the layout into sections for clarity.
• Setting default columns to simplify report building for end users.
• Using "Add Fields via Lookup" to include data from indirectly related objects, which standard report types often cannot handle.

Customizing fields ensures the custom report types Salesforce only display meaningful information, organized in a way that is logical and easy to read.

Save and deploy the report type

Once all settings are complete, click "Save" to store the configuration. If the report is ready, set the deployment status to "Deployed". Before rolling it out broadly, administrators should:

• Create a sample report using the new report type.
• Apply common filters and validate data accuracy.
• Confirm the results match business expectations.

After successful testing, the new report type becomes available across the organization. Deploying it properly ensures Salesforce data can be leveraged effectively for faster, more accurate decision-making.

>>> Walk through the best crm for startups in 2025 and help you decide which CRM fits your business goals best right now!

Best Practices For Using Custom Report Types In Salesforce

Using custom report types salesforce effectively helps create accurate reports and saves time for both users and admins. In this section, we will explore the best practices for creating custom reports salesforce to ensure reports are user-friendly, flexible, and meet specific data analysis needs.

Plan Object Relationships Carefully

Before creating custom report types salesforce, defining the relationships between objects is a critical step. It is essential to start with the main business questions to determine which objects need to be included, then establish their relationships logically. Key questions to consider include:

• Which customers and products generate the highest revenue in each region?
• Which employees are managing specific opportunities and what are their win rates?
• Which orders are pending payment or have not been processed?
• Which marketing campaigns deliver the best results by product and region?

Answering these questions ensures that when create custom report salesforce, the report accurately reflects business logic, avoids data inconsistencies, and compiles information comprehensively and correctly.

Keep Reports Simple for End Users

When creating custom report salesforce, it is crucial that reports are easy to read and user-friendly. Only include necessary fields and sections, and avoid overcrowding reports with excessive data that could confuse end users.

A simplified, well-organized report allows users to quickly access the information they need, reduces analysis time, and supports faster decision-making. Clear labeling and logical grouping enhance report readability and efficiency, ensuring that create custom report salesforce provides maximum value to sales, marketing, and management teams.

Test Before Deployment

Before deploying any custom report types salesforce, thorough testing is essential. Create sample reports using common filters and fields, and compare results with actual data to ensure accuracy and correct logic.

Testing helps identify missing fields or errors early, allowing adjustments before the report is rolled out widely. This process ensures that custom report salesforce is reliable, builds trust among end users, and provides a solid foundation for maintaining consistency when reports are expanded or updated in the future.

Update Regularly

Custom report types salesforce must be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect the latest data and meet evolving business requirements. When there are schema changes such as new objects, added fields, or modified relationships, reports should be updated to maintain completeness and accuracy.

Collecting feedback from users also helps optimize the layout and content, ensuring reports remain user-friendly and relevant to business operations. Regular updates prevent redundant reports, reduce confusion, and maintain effectiveness when create custom report salesforce across the organization.

Why Choose MOR Software To Implement Salesforce Custom Report Types?

When implementing salesforce custom report types, selecting a reliable and experienced partner is crucial to ensure accurate reporting and effective data analysis. MOR Software JSC is a leading software outsourcing company in Vietnam and salesforce consulting company in Vietnam, offering key benefits for businesses:

• Extensive salesforce implementation experience: Successfully delivered projects for top banks, Forbes 50 companies, and B2B/B2C enterprises, optimizing processes for custom report salesforce creation and usage.
• Experienced Salesforce experts: Over 300 certified professionals support designing, customizing, and creating custom report salesforce accurately, ensuring reports reflect real business logic.
• Commitment to quality and international standards: Adheres to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013, and Agile/Scrum methodologies to ensure project quality, timely delivery, and data security.

• Custom reporting solutions tailored for businesses: Develops CRM solutions to meet detailed analytical needs by customer, opportunity, marketing campaign, and key data relationships.
• Long-term support and post-deployment services: Maintenance, updates, and report optimization ensure systems remain stable and custom report salesforce data is always accurate, supporting continuous business analysis.

Conclusion

Implementing custom report types salesforce is not just about creating reports, but about building an accurate data foundation that enables faster and smarter business decisions. With MOR Software as a trusted partner, enterprises can transform Salesforce reporting into a powerful strategic tool. Ready to elevate your Salesforce reporting to the next level? Contact MOR Software today to get started.