Create a report lets you build a report from scratch, tailored to exactly what you want to see. Instead of starting from a fixed report type, you choose how your data is grouped, which numbers to measure, and how to filter it — then preview the result live as you go. When it's just right, you can save it as a reusable template, share it with teammates, and export it.

Contents

• Creating a report
• Saving a report
• Sharing a report
• Exporting a report

Creating a report

The report builder has three areas:

• An Inputs panel on the left, where you add Fields and Metrics
• A toolbar across the top for your date range and filters
• A live preview that updates as you build

1. Add fields (how your data is grouped)

Fields control how rows are grouped — think of them as the "by" in "hours by project by week."

In the Fields section, click Add and choose from:

• Date — group by Day, Week, Semi-month, Month, Quarter, or Year
• Group by — group by Client, Project, Teammate, Task, Status, Category, Role, and more

Drag fields to reorder them (the order sets the nesting), and use Clear all to start over. You can add up to 6 fields.

2. Add metrics (the numbers you want to see)

Metrics become the value columns of your report.

In the Metrics section, click Add and pick from categories such as Performance (Hours, Billable amount, Cost, Utilization), Invoicing, Team, Project management, and more. There's no limit on the number of metrics, and you can drag to reorder them.

If a metric is greyed out, a tooltip explains why — for example "Not available with your permissions" or "Not compatible with the current subject."

Tip: Harvest automatically works out what you're reporting on — time, expenses, or invoices — from the fields and metrics you add. There's no separate report type to choose. If a choice would conflict with what you've already added, it's disabled.

3. Set the date range

Use the date control in the toolbar to set your reporting window. Choose Day, Week, Semi-month, Month, Quarter, Year, or Custom, and use the arrows to step backward and forward. A Return to this period link brings you back to the present.

4. Filter your data

Quick filters in the toolbar let you narrow by Client, Project, Role, and Teammate. Select as many values as you like; leaving one empty includes everything.

Advanced filters (the Advanced button) let you build rules. Each rule has a column, an operator, a value, and an Apply to setting:

• Apply to → Each row checks individual entries (for example, "Hours is greater than 8").
• Apply to → a grouping level checks the totalled value for a group (for example, "only show Projects where Billable amount is at least $5,000").

Rules combine with AND, and you can add up to 10.

5. Read the preview

The preview shows your results as you build:

• Summary rolls entries up and totals them. Switch between Grouped (an expandable, indented view) and Ungrouped (a flat table).
• Detailed lists every individual entry, expense, or invoice line with no totalling.

Click any column header to sort. Turn on Include zero values to show rows that have no data (for example, every project even those with zero hours). On a brand-new report the preview is capped at 50 rows until you save it.

Saving a report

Click Save, then give your report a Name and an optional Description. Saved reports become templates you can reopen any time — they always re-run against your latest data. When editing an existing report, click Save changes to keep your updates. Once a report is saved, you can find it within the Saved reports section.

Sharing a report

Open a report you own and click Share. Search for teammates and give each one access:

• Can view — open, run, and export the report
• Can edit — everything a viewer can do, plus rename it and change its setup

When someone with edit access changes the filters, those changes stay private to them at first. They can Reset to the shared version, or choose Save for everyone to update the shared report.

Exporting a report

Open a saved report and click Export to download it as a CSV. Small reports download right away. Larger reports are prepared on our servers and emailed to you as a download link — you'll see a message letting you know it's on the way. The export always matches the filters you have on screen at the time.

Reference

What you can report on (subjects)

Date grouping options: Day, Week, Semi-month, Month, Quarter, Year. Week, Quarter, and Year follow your company's week-start and fiscal-year settings.

How totals add up: most metrics add together (hours, amounts, counts). Rates and Utilization use a weighted average rather than a sum. Yes/no fields show as a percentage in summary rows (for example, "75% Approved").

What you can see depends on your permissions. Billable rates, cost rates, and invoice data are each restricted, and you'll only ever see the entries, expenses, and invoices your role allows.

Forecast: if your account is connected to Forecast, you can add Forecasted hours and Delta (forecasted minus logged). These appear in Summary view when grouped by a single Project or Teammate.

First time here?

The first time you open the builder, a quick guided tour walks you through adding fields and metrics, filtering, and saving your first report. You can skip it at any time, or restart it later from the Show me a tutorial link on the empty builder.