Building a report in Civic Review is a straightforward process that allows you to easily pull data from applications based on your specific needs. This guide explains how to build a report within the Reports section of Civic Review. More detailed reports can be pulled in the All Permit section. Here's how to do that .
Here is a video overview showing you how to build a report:
These are the steps you'll take:
Step 1: Navigate to the Reports Section
From the Civic Review dashboard, find the "Reports" section in the left-hand navigation menu. Click on it to open the reports page.
Step 2: Add a New Report
On the Reports page, locate and click the "Add Report" button in the top right corner.
Step 3: Define Your Report's Details and Filters
On the report building page, you'll set up the specifics for your new report.
Name & Visibility: Give your report a descriptive name and an optional description. If you want the report to be visible to all users, check the box. If not, it will only be visible to administrators.
Filters: Use the "Filters" section to determine what data the report will include. You can add filters for criteria like Permit Type, Date Applied, Status, and more. To add a filter, click "Add Filter," select the filter type from the dropdown, and then choose the specific value.
For example, to create a report for Active Building Permits submitted in May 2025, you would add the following filters:
Status: "Active"
Permit Type: "Building Permit"
Date Applied: Set the date range from May 1, 2025, to May 31, 2025.
Step 4
Step 4: Choose Your Report Columns
The "Columns" section determines what information will appear in your report. Every report automatically includes standard columns: Entity Name, Contact Email, and Reference Number.
Standard Columns: You can keep or delete these columns by clicking the "x" next to them. You can also add other standard columns from the dropdown menu, such as Date Applied.
Custom Columns: To add information from the application form itself (like Project Name or Project Type), select the custom field from the dropdown menu.
Step 5: Save and Export the Report
Save: Once you've set up your filters and columns, click "Save New Report" at the bottom of the left side of the page.
Export: Find your newly created report in the list and click "Download CSV" to export the data. This will download a file that you can open and save in your preferred format (e.g., as a spreadsheet).
Once it's downloaded, go ahead and open it up. Now you'll use whatever process is required to save your report in a different format. For example, I will click "File" and "Export to"...
This process may be slightly different on your computer, but you will get the same results.
That's all you have to do to make a report! It's simple and quick. Good luck!
A Note About Collection Fields
Collection fields are a powerful way to gather multiple sub-records under a single application. For example, if you want to gather a list of emergency contacts for a permit under a paper form, you may be limited to only 2 contacts. But with collection fields, there's no limit to the number of emergency contacts you can ask for. This is also commonly used for gathering a list of subcontractors on building permits, or owners on business licenses.
This creates what's called a "One-to-Many" relationship. One permit record could have many emergency contacts.
The problem is when you want to generate a report that shows emergency contacts. Spreadsheets are two-dimensional, meaning usually each row can only have one record on it.
In Civic Review, if you add a collection field to a report, it will duplicate the permit for each collection item that you have on record.
