(Legacy) Create and Modify Custom Report Layouts
> [!NOTE]
Custom report layouts is a legacy feature that is being phased out. Instead, you should start creating user-defined layouts as described here.
By default, a report will have a built-in report layout, which can be either an RDLC report layout, a Word report layout, or both. You can't modify built-in layouts, but you can create custom layouts. A report can have multiple custom report layouts, which lets you switch the layout that is used as needed.
[!NOTE]
In Business Central, the term "report" also covers externally-facing documents, such as sales invoices and order confirmations that you send to customers as PDF files.
To create a custom layout, you either make a copy of an existing custom layout or add a new custom layout, which is often based on a built-in layout. When you add a new custom layout, you can choose to add an RDLC or Word report layout type, or both. The new custom layout will be based on the built-in layout for the report, if one is available. If there's no built-in layout for the type, a new blank layout is a created. You'll have to modify and design this blank layout from scratch. For more information about RDLC and Word report layouts, built-in and custom layouts, and more, see Manage Report Layouts.
[!TIP] Use account schedules to get insight into the financial data stored in your chart of accounts. For more information, see Prepare Financial Reporting with Account Schedules and Account Categories.
When custom report layouts are defined, you can select them from customer and vendor cards to specify that the selected layouts will be used for documents that you create for the customer or vendor in question. For more information, see Define Document Layouts for Customers and Vendors.
To create a custom layout
Choose the
icon, enter Report Layout Selection, and then choose the related link.The Report Layout Selection page lists all the reports that are available in the company that is specified in the Company Name field at the top of the page.
Set the Company field to the company in which you want to create the report layout.
Select the row for the report that you want to create the layout for, and then choose the Custom Layouts action.
The Custom Report Layouts page appears and lists all the custom layouts that are available for the selected report.
If you want to create a copy of an existing custom layout, select the existing custom layout in the list, and then choose the Copy action.
The copy of the custom layout appears on the Custom Report Layouts page and has the words Copy of in the Description field.
If you want to add a new custom layout that is based on a built-in layout, do the following steps:
- Choose the New action. The Insert Built-in Layout for a Report page appears. The ID and Name fields are automatically filled in.
- To add a custom Word report layout type, select the Insert Word Layout check box.
- To add a custom RDLC report layout type, select the Insert RDLC Layout check box.
- Choose the OK button.
The new custom layout now appears on the Custom Report Layouts page. If a new layout is based on a built-in layout, then it has the words Copy of a Built-in Layout in the Description field. If there was no built-in layout for the report, then the new layout has the words New Layout in the Description field, which indicates that custom layout is blank.
By default, the Company Name field is blank, which means that the custom layout will be available for the report in all companies. To make the custom layout available in a specific company only, choose Edit, and then set the Company Name field to the company that you want.
The custom layout has been created. You can now modify the custom layout as needed.
[!TIP] You can export the report results to an Excel file for viewing the full dataset, including all columns, but without the layout. The Excel file can help you validate that the report returns the expected data or diagnose problems. For more information, see Analyzing Report Data with Excel.
Modifying a custom layout
To modify a report layout, you must first export the report layout as a file to a location on your computer or network. Then, open the exported document and make the changes. When you're finished making the changes, you import the report layout.
To modify a custom layout
You export a custom layout from the Custom Report Layouts page. If this page isn't already open, search for and open the Report Layout Selection page, select the report that has the layout that you want to modify, and then choose the Custom Layouts action.
On the Custom Report Layouts page, select the layout that you want to modify, choose the Export Layout action, and then choose Save or Save As to save the report layout document to a location on your computer or network.
Open the report layout document that you saved, and then make changes.
If you're changing a Word layout, open the layout document in Word. For editing details, see Work with Word Layouts.
RDLC report layouts are more advanced than Word report layouts. For more information about modifying an RDLC report layout, see Designing RDLC Report Layouts.
Remember to save your changes when you're done.
Return to the Custom Report Layouts page, select the report layout that you exported and modified, and then choose the Import Layout action.
In the Import dialog box, select Choose to find and select the modified report layout document, and then choose Open.
[!IMPORTANT] Remember to import the report layout document that you modified. Otherwise, the new report layout will not be available.
See Related Training at Microsoft Learn
See Also
Managing Report Layouts
Change the Current Report Layout
Import and Export a Custom Report or Document Layout
Work with Reports, Batch Jobs, and XMLports
Prepare Financial Reporting with Account Schedules and Account Categories
Business Intelligence
Work with Business Central
--- author: edupont04