Best Practices for Reports

Updated May 08, 2026 14:14

Overview

This article will cover the best practices for accessing, viewing and pulling reports. The steps include configuring the system settings, templates, and permissions to ensure smooth reporting processes.

Reporting

Accessing and Reviewing Individual Reports

The Operation Reports tab allows you to view new and pending approval reports, approved reports, and reports in all statuses. This article will show you how to access the operations reports in your TrackTik portal.

To view only incident-tagged reports:

Open Operation Reports and select Filters.
Choose Tag and select the incident tag(s) you want to include.
Apply the filter and save the view if you plan to reuse it.

To enforce tagging on incident reports:

Make the incident tag field required in your incident form.
Add validation or instructions so users cannot submit the form without selecting a tag.
Train staff to use the correct forms and tags for incident reporting, and archive forms that should not appear in Operation Reports if appropriate.

Best Practices for Accessing and Reviewing Individual Reports

Do Not Auto-Approve Important Reports -It's recommended that a supervisor review reports like incident reports before approval. Only more straightforward reports, like Daily Activity Report Entries, should be auto-approved.

If reports are missing, they may have been automatically approved. Always check the report template settings to see if automatic approval is enabled.
Troubleshoot Missing Mandatory Fields in Mobile Event Reports – If officers do not see required fields in Event Reports or cannot submit mandatory information, they may be using an outdated mobile app. Older app versions may not support newer field types or updated validation. To resolve:
- Confirm the app version on the officer’s device.
- Update to the latest version from the app store.
- Sync the app after the update and retest the report.
- If you recently changed report templates, ensure those updates have been published and are visible in the mobile app.
- Communicate minimum supported versions to users so template changes are consistently applied.

Configuring Auto-Approval

If you prefer not to require manual approval for certain reports, you can enable auto-approval.

Go to Settings.
Open the Report Templates settings section.
Create a New Custom Report Form, or Edit an existing one,
Check the box next to "Approve automatically"

Notes:

Some organizations apply approvals at the template level. If auto-approve is enabled globally but a template still requires approval, edit that template’s workflow to auto-approve.
Auto-approved reports will immediately be eligible for notifications and client viewing based on your notification schedule.

View Report Status

Reports can be filtered by status. Ensure that the correct filter is selected when viewing this page.

New Reports – Reports that have been submitted but not yet approved.
Approved Reports – Reports that a supervisor has reviewed and approved.
All Statuses – This view will show all reports regardless of status.

Set View-Only Access to Reports and Mentions – To grant read-only access to the employee Reports and Report Mentions tabs:

Enable the Customer Report Section under the Patrol tab for the user's role.
Provide view-only subpermissions for Reports and Report Mentions. Do not grant edit/delete if you want read-only

Troubleshoot Missing Reports

Reports are not permanently deleted; they may be archived or associated with closed sites.
If you can’t find a report, review filters and search locations:

Date range – Set a window that covers the report’s submission date.
Status – Include Archived reports if applicable.
Closed accounts – Enable the “With closed accounts” filter to include reports from sites that have been closed.
Region/Site – Confirm you’re searching the correct region/site. If searching globally, ensure region-level restrictions are not hiding results.

Where to search:

Operation Reports – Use the filters above and the global search.
Site-level Reports – Open the specific site’s Reports tab; if the site is closed, use the closed accounts filter.

If still missing:

Verify user permissions allow viewing archived or closed-site data.
Ask an admin to unarchive the report or temporarily reopen the site if needed for regular visibility.
Provide Support with the report title or number, site name, and approximate date to assist in locating it.

Troubleshooting Reports Not Visible in the Web Portal

If reports created in the TrackTik Guard Tour app aren’t visible in the web portal, try the following:

Check the app version - Update the Guard Tour app to the latest available version. Outdated versions can cause unexpected behavior.
Confirm network connectivity - Verify the device had Wi‑Fi or cellular connectivity at the time of submission. If the device was offline, the report may be queued and will upload once online.
Verify submission status - Review the submission state in the app (if available) and in Operation Reports on the web. Set the filter to All Statuses to include pending, submitted, approved, and rejected reports.
Validate account, site, and template - Ensure the guard is logged into the correct account/site and that the report template used is active for that site.
Confirm permissions - Verify the user’s role has permission to submit reports for the site.
Retry and escalate - Have the guard update the app, sign out/in, and resubmit. If reports are still missing, gather device details, app version, submission time, and site/zone name and share with Support to investigate.

Downloading Reports by Site

To download all reports from a specific Site:

Go to Operation Reports.
Set the Filters to the target Account/Site.
Optionally filter by Report Type (e.g., Incident, Activity, Tour) and date range.
Apply the filters and review the list.
Use Export to download CSV (recommended for large lists) or PDF (subject to the 800-record PDF limit).

Alternate approach: Use Data Lab to build a widget filtered by the Site, then export the widget data. Note that grouping multiple Site locations under one combined name is not supported; filter or report on each Site individually.
Learn how to navigate the Data Lab, and how to Create Widgets.

Ensure Site Assignment and Permissions

Employees must be assigned to the specific Site to view and work with reports for that Site. Zone user assignment is not required if they are already assigned to the Site.
Go to the employee profile and assign the Site under their assignments.
Confirm their role has permissions to view/submit the relevant report templates.
Test by logging in as the employee or ask them to confirm access under the Site's Reports section.

Troubleshooting Report Submission

If you are unable to submit a report or encounter timeouts, follow these steps:

From the Dashboards, open the Operation Reports tab and set the Status filter to All Statuses to check whether the report is listed as pending, submitted, approved, or rejected.
Confirm the report template is active for the account or site.
Ensure all required fields are completed; missing required fields can block submission.
Reduce the size of very large attachments and retry.
Sign out and back in to refresh your session, then clear your browser cache.
Update the mobile app to the latest version, or try submitting via the web portal if permitted.
Check connectivity and attempt from a different network or browser.
If the issue persists, capture the exact error message, time, site, template, and user information, then contact support for investigation.

Editing Submitted Reports

Editing submitted reports allows you to edit reports that have already been submitted and are available under the Operation Reports tab. Here is an article that guides you through the step-by-step process.

Best Practices for Edit Submitted Reports

Click on Edit – Supervisors can edit any part of the report, including correcting verbiage or adding extra details.
Upload Photos – Supervisors can add photos to a report if a security guard submits a report without them.
Save – After making edits, submit the updated version.
Verify Required Fields Before Saving – If you cannot save edits, a required field is likely missing. Open the report, check all fields marked as required (often highlighted or flagged), and ensure each has a value. For example, if a Site location field is required but blank due to template changes, the system will block saving until it’s filled. If the template’s required fields were recently modified and older reports are missing those values, temporarily relax the requirement in the template to correct the legacy reports, or enter the necessary data directly into the report and save.

Edited reports do not notify the client of changes unless a report notification for Report Edited is configured. However, the system keeps a backup of all versions.

Relinking Submitted Reports

Relinking a submitted report is available only in the web portal and requires the appropriate permissions. It cannot be performed from mobile. Relinking cannot be performed by the original submitter unless their role is configured with the necessary web permissions. Use the steps below to relink a report to the correct account, site, or template.

Go to Dashboards > Operation Reports
From the list of Reports, locate the one you wish to Relink
Choose Relink (should be on the right of the "Account" bracket)
Select the correct account, site, and/or template to link the report to.
Confirm and save.

Requirements:

The role must have permissions to edit and relink reports.
Relinking should be performed by an admin or a user granted the necessary report-management permissions.

Summary Reports

The Shift Summary Report or Daily Activity Report are reports that TrackTik creates automatically. They compile the activity your employees or users perform during their shifts. A Shift Summary Report will show information regarding the tasks an individual employee completed during their shift. In contrast, the Daily Activity Report shows all the work done by all the employees at a Site during 24 hours. The PDFs compile any reports completed by employees, checkpoints scanned, and Watch Mode Recordings.

This article will walk you through viewing your summary reports.

Summary Report Best Practices

Tailor the content of the Summary Report to only include relevant information. Learn how to control content in your Summary Reports here.

Only configure the Daily Site Summary or the Shift Summary to be sent to a client. If you set both to be sent, the client will receive more emails than necessary and duplicate information. In most cases, sending only the Daily Site Summary is recommended, as that has all the information the client will need.

Recieving duplicates of partol reports

Similar-looking patrol reports are often tied to different job types, which makes them distinct records rather than true duplicates.

Why this happens

Multiple job types may be used for patrol work at the same site (for example, Routine Patrol vs. Special Patrol), producing separate reports that look similar.

How to resolve and prevent

Standardize job types: Decide which job type(s) should be used for patrols and update templates and staff guidance accordingly.
Correct misassigned reports: Where permitted, edit a report’s job type to the intended one to consolidate reporting.
Filter or group by job type: In Analytics or Reports, use job type filters or groupings so perceived duplicates are separated or excluded.
Review automations: Ensure automations don’t create multiple reports for the same patrol event under different job types

Summary Report Notifications

Summary Reports compile all activities completed during a day or shift. The summary report notifications automatically send these reports to site contacts. Summary reports are a way to automatically send a client a summary of all activities performed at their site by day or shift. Learn how to configure summary report notifications here.

Configure the content for the Shift Summary Report at the Region level. Site-level configuration is not supported for this report type. This approach allows different Regions to display different columns or metrics.To set up Region-specific content:

Open the Region settings for each Region.
Adjust the Shift Summary configuration to include the fields and columns relevant to that Region.
Save and test the report for Sites in that Region.
Document the differences for stakeholders.

Pulling Reports using Report Metrics

Report metrics let you build custom reports by combining fields from existing report templates. Report metrics make your analytics more powerful and more meaningful. This article will guide you through creating them.

You can include the vehicle used
(for example, Vehicle Name, Vehicle ID, License Plate) in exported files by configuring your Report Metrics.

Navigate to Dashboards > Operation Reports > Report Metrics
Create or edit a metric configuration Select the relevant report type (e.g., Vehicle Inspection). Add fields related to vehicle information such as Vehicle Name, Vehicle ID, License Plate, Odometer, and Inspection results.
Choose filters and date range: Set Site or Client filters and the desired time window.
Save the configuration and export: Run the metric and export to Excel/CSV. The export will include the vehicle columns you selected.

Tips:

If you do not see vehicle fields in the list, confirm the underlying report template captures vehicle data and that your role has access to those fields.
Clear column names (for example, “Vehicle Name”) help downstream recipients understand the data.

Note on exporting from the Operation Reports screen

Outputs generated here use a fixed format and cannot be modified. Any columns you add or adjust while viewing the report in the interface will not carry over to the downloaded file.

The systems export logic is predefined and does not adopt on-screen layout changes.
What you can do instead:

Use Report Metrics (where available) to create a tailored export of report data with the specific fields/columns you want included. This produces an export based on a metric configuration rather than the default report layout.
Request a custom export via Data Lab if Report Metrics does not cover the data you need. A Data Lab export can be scoped to include the exact columns you require.
Export the default file and apply your own formatting in Excel. While not ideal, this is sometimes the fastest workaround if your needs are primarily cosmetic.

Limitations to be aware of:

The PDF format of Operation Reports is not customizable for font, layout, or column visibility.
CSV/XLS exports from Operation Reports follow a fixed schema.

If you need a specific field added to your export:

Document the report type, the fields/columns you want, and any filters.
Share a sample of your desired output and open a request for a custom Report Metrics configuration or Data Lab export.

Report Metrics Best Practices

You can save multiple report metrics for different use cases (e.g., Monthly Parking Violations Report, Weekly Incident Report, Weekly Vehicle Inspections, etc.). This saves time as you don't have to configure fields every time.

Searching Operation Reports for Mentions

You can search Operation Reports by keywords to find mentions of an individual person's name in report titles, descriptions, and comment fields.

Steps

Go to Operation Reports.
Use the Search bar at the top to enter the keyword(s). For exact phrases, use quotes (e.g., "John Smith").
Filter by Region or Site.
Set a specific date range.
Filter by Report Template (e.g., Incident, Activity, Patrol) if you know the type.
Use the Author or Submitted By filter if applicable.
Review the results list; open reports to see the highlighted keyword in context.

Limitations

The search does not index content inside attached files (PDFs, images, external docs).
Some custom fields may not be searchable if they were added as non-indexed attachment types.

Tips

Try common variations and spellings of the person's name.
Search shorter windows (e.g., weekly or monthly) per site/region to speed up results.
If you need a comprehensive export, use DataLab to query report bodies/comments for keywords and export to CSV.

Suppression and Unsuppression of Domain Emails

Domain-wide removal is not supported - unsuppression must be done per email address.
Identify affected recipients by gathering the specific email addresses that are suppressed or not receiving messages.
Request unsuppression by sending the list of addresses to support and asking for removal from the suppression list. Include any bounce details or error messages if available.
Verify delivery after unsuppression: have recipients check their inbox and spam folder and send a test notification.
Prevent future suppression: ask recipients to whitelist your sending domain, mark previous emails as "not spam," and ensure mailboxes aren’t full and their email server isn’t rejecting messages. If suppressions persist, share timestamps, message types (e.g., clock-in/out notifications), and recipient addresses with support so we can review sending logs and advise further.

Troubleshooting Report Exports

If a PDF or standard export is failing, timing out, or returning a 500 Server Error, use the steps below to complete your export reliably.

Bulk PDF Export Limit and Recommendations

The system enforces a hardcoded limit of 800 records for bulk PDF export. Attempts to export more than 800 reports to PDF will fail.

Recommendations:

Reduce the date range or tighten filters to keep the export under 800 reports.
Export to CSV for larger datasets; CSV is not subject to the same limit.
Perform multiple PDF exports in batches under 800 records each.
Consider using Data Lab or reporting widgets for analytics at scale, then export summaries.

Quick Alternatives to PDF Exports

Export to CSV or Excel (XLSX) – On most data tables and reports, choose Export and select CSV or Excel instead of PDF. These formats handle larger datasets and are faster to generate.
Use Data Lab to export – Open Data Lab, run your query or select the relevant dataset, then use Export to download as CSV/XLSX. This is ideal for large payroll, timekeeping, or activity datasets.
Schedule the report to email – If available for your report, set up a Scheduled Report to receive the results by email (usually as CSV or ZIP). Scheduling runs the export in the background, reducing timeouts.
Split the export into smaller batches – Narrow the date range (for example, to one or two weeks at a time), filter by site or department, or remove optional columns/attachments to reduce size.
Use browser print-to-PDF as a last resort – If you must have a PDF, you can sometimes print the on-screen table to PDF from your browser. Apply filters/pagination first, since the print view may only include visible rows.

Improve Performance for Media-Heavy Reports to Prevent Timeouts and 500 Server Errors

Reduce the scope – Lower the date range, limit to specific sites/guards, and remove heavy fields (images/attachments).
Run during off-peak hours – Heavy exports can compete with peak usage.
Confirm filters and sorting – Complex sorts or joins cost time. Start simple, then add complexity.
Check for special characters – Rarely, unusual characters can break PDF generation. CSV/XLSX is more robust.

If Errors Persist

Capture details – Note the exact page or module, filters, date range, export format, and the time the failure occurs.
Try another format – CSV/XLSX almost always succeed when PDF fails due to size.
Contact Support – Share the details above and, if shown, any job ID or request ID from the error message so we can investigate server-side logs.

Exporting Data (Excel) Limitations

Some Excel exports are hardcoded and cannot include additional fields beyond the default set.
Alternatives to get more data:

Data Lab – Build a custom dataset or report including the fields you need, then export to CSV/Excel.
API – Use the API to retrieve all available fields programmatically and assemble your own export.
PDF – If the missing fields are present in the PDF, provide the PDF to recipients alongside the spreadsheet.

If you’re unsure whether a field can be added, share the required field list with support; we’ll advise on the best extraction method.

Additionally, confirm the notification rule is active, targets the correct recipients, and applies to the intended templates/sites. Check spam/junk folders and any security gateways, and ask your IT team to whitelist the system's sending email address. Verify recipient emails for typos, trailing spaces, or formatting issues, and test with a known-good address to isolate recipient-specific failures. If edit-triggered alerts are expected, note that mobile edits can trigger notification rules, whereas web edits do not trigger automatically.

When Payroll or Timekeeping Exports Fail

Try Data Lab – Query the payroll/timekeeping dataset and export CSV/XLSX.
Break by pay period or site – Export each pay period or site separately to avoid timeouts.

Report data Rows and Columns

Shift report data is structured in rows, so the system does not natively present entire reports in a columnar format.
To achieve a similar presentation, try the following:

Use Report Metrics in the portal - Configure metrics and summaries that group data by the parameters you care about (e.g., site, shift, date) to create a concise view.
Export and pivot - Export the report or metrics to CSV, then use a spreadsheet tool (Excel or Google Sheets) to pivot the data into columns (e.g., each shift or site as a column, with metrics as rows).
Saved views and filters - Create saved filters or metric views that align with your desired layout, then reuse these when exporting.
Share a sample with support - If you have a specific column layout in mind, share an example with support; we can advise whether Report Metrics can replicate it or help you build an export that’s easy to pivot.

Mobile App Draft Limitation - Multiple Report Drafts at the same time

The mobile app does not support having multiple report drafts open at the same time. If you navigate away from an in-progress shift report (e.g., a Daily Activity Report entry) to start an incident report, unsaved text and photos can be lost. Use the workflow below to avoid data loss.

Recommended workflow (workaround)

Submit the in-progress shift report first — Add a brief note indicating it is a preliminary submission (e.g., "Submitting before incident; will update"), then tap Submit.
Create and submit the incident report — Start a new incident report, capture all details and photos, and submit the incident.
Edit the original shift report to include incident details - Open the shift report you just submitted (Reports > My Submissions or Site Reports), tap Edit (permission required), add a reference to the incident (incident ID, summary, outcomes), and Save/Resubmit.

Troubleshooting Clients not recieving reports on mobile

If clients are not receiving reports or report sections (such as photos) appear to be missing, verify that the mobile device has successfully uploaded all content before submission:

Check Synchronization Status in the app: Open the TrackTik Guard Tour app and locate Synchronization Status (typically under Menu or Settings). This screen shows pending uploads and any upload errors.
Resolve pending uploads:
- Connect to reliable Wi‑Fi or strong mobile data.
- Keep the TrackTik app open and the device awake until the queue is empty.
- If a Retry button appears next to failed items, tap it.
- If your app has an “Upload on Wi‑Fi only” setting, temporarily disable it if you need to use mobile data.
Confirm permissions and storage: Ensure Camera/Photos/Storage permissions are granted and that there is sufficient free storage to save and process attachments.
Verify report content locally: Before submitting, review the report within the app and confirm that photos appear in the relevant sections. Reattach photos if needed.
Do not clear storage with unsent items: Clearing app storage/data will delete pending uploads. Confirm the Synchronization Status queue is empty before clearing app data or reinstalling.
Check device date/time: Incorrect device time can cause sync or token issues. Enable automatic date/time and time zone.

Embedded Email Reports Removed –

Since August 2025 we no longer allow to embed report content directly within the email body. This change is permanent and cannot be reversed on individual accounts or sites.

Recommended alternatives:
- Send reports as email attachments – When sharing a report, the system attaches the report (commonly as a PDF) rather than embedding it.
- Share a secure portal link – If recipients have appropriate access, share or schedule a link to the report in the portal so they can view it online.
- Use scheduled delivery – Schedule delivery so stakeholders receive reports at the right frequency as attachments or links.
- Customize your email message – Include a concise summary in the email body to provide context while the full report remains attached.
Important notes:
- There is no setting to re-enable embedded email reports.
- If recipients do not have portal access, ensure attachments are enabled for your report sharing settings.
- Verify recipients’ permissions if you choose to send links rather than attachments.

F.A.Q

Can clients see if a report has been edited?

Clients cannot see if a report was edited unless specified in its notification settings. However, you can configure notifications to alert you when a report is edited.

Can guards edit their reports?

Yes, but this must be enabled in the permissions settings. Depending on the configuration, security guards can edit only their reports or those submitted by all security guards in their team.

How do I prevent specific reports from being included in daily summaries?

Go to the report template settings and select the Exclude from Shift Summary option. This will prevent specific internal reports, like disciplinary reports, from being included in the daily or shift summaries.

What's the difference between a Daily and Shift Summary?

A Shift Summary includes all activities a specific security guard does during their shift.
A Daily Summary includes all activities done by all guards working multiple shifts at a Site or Zone for 24 hours.

Why do guards see "Access Denied" when submitting reports?

Guards likely lack prerequisite visibility permissions. Confirm their role includes View the list of employees working at the sites (Employee tab of the Guard role). Missing this can cause report workflows to fail because report attribution often references employee lists.
Also ensure the role has the relevant Patrol/Reports permissions to view and submit reports at the Site.

What happens to my reports when my subscription ends?

Once your subscription ends, portal access is removed, and you will not be able to view past reports in the TrackTik portal.

Recommended actions before your subscription ends:

Export reports: Download required reports (PDF/CSV/Excel) and store them in your records.
Bulk export: If you need a large export for compliance, contact support to discuss bulk data export options and timelines.
Archive: Save reports to your internal document repository with appropriate metadata.

After termination:

Access is cut off. If you need data for compliance, reach out promptly—availability windows may be limited and fees may apply for post-termination export services.

Branding on Report PDFs

Reports currently support dual branding only - your organization logo and the client/site logo display together on report outputs. It is not possible to show only the client’s logo or remove your company branding from report PDFs.

What you can configure:

Upload or update your company logo under your organization settings.
Add the client’s logo to the client or site profile so it appears alongside yours.

Can we white label reports for a client?

Not at this time. Single-logo or completely unbranded report PDFs are not supported.

Will updating logos change historical reports?

Logo updates apply to newly generated PDFs. Previously generated PDFs may retain older branding depending on caching and generation behavior.

Is there a workaround for client-only branding?

If you must deliver a purely client-branded version, export raw data and generate a custom client-facing report outside the platform.

Conclusion

Following the steps outlined in this guide, customers can efficiently pull and adjust reports. Ensure that all relevant settings, such as report templates, permissions, and notification rules, are appropriately configured to meet operational needs. For more advanced configurations, contact your Customer Success Manager.