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

# Report Builder

> Assemble custom reports and board packs from metrics, tables, and charts.

Report Builder lets you compose custom reports and board packs from the building blocks already in Novaplan: metrics, tables, charts, and commentary. Every metric is bound to the Metrics Center, so a number means the same thing here as everywhere else.

## What You Can Build

* A monthly board pack that refreshes on your real numbers each cycle.
* A department review with the KPIs that team actually cares about.
* A recurring management report you regenerate every period.

## How It Works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Start a report">
    Begin from a blank report, or ask Nova to draft a layout from a plain-language description of what you want.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add blocks">
    Drop in metric cards, tables, and charts. Every metric binds to the Metrics Center, so numbers stay consistent with the rest of the platform.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add commentary">
    Write the narrative around the numbers so the report reads as a finished document, not just a grid.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Share and regenerate">
    Generate the report and share it. Regenerating refreshes it against current data.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Block Types

| Block       | What it shows                                                               |
| ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Metric card | A single KPI bound to a Metrics Center metric, with its definition on hover |
| Table       | A grid of rows and columns over a chosen slice of data                      |
| Chart       | A bar, line, or waterfall visual of a measure                               |
| Commentary  | Free text narrative around the numbers                                      |

## Common Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do the numbers update when the data changes?">
    Yes. Blocks are bound to live metrics and data, so regenerating the report pulls current numbers rather than a frozen snapshot.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Will a metric here match the same metric on a dashboard?">
    Yes. Both read the same [Metrics Center](/reporting/metrics-center) definition, so the figure is identical wherever it appears.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can Nova draft the whole layout for me?">
    Yes. Describe the report you want and Nova proposes a layout you can then refine block by block.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between this and a Brief?">
    A [Brief](/reporting/briefs) is a generated variance story with a fixed structure. Report Builder is a flexible canvas you compose yourself for recurring packs.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## If the Numbers Look Off

* If a metric card reads blank, confirm the metric exists in the Metrics Center and is bound to a source; an unbound metric cannot produce a value.
* If a table total looks wrong, check the block's filter scope before assuming the data is wrong.

<Tip>
  Need a one-off slice instead of a recurring pack? Build it in [Data Explorer](/reporting/data-explorer), then bring the view into a report once it is right.
</Tip>