Tabular reporting with Qlik Cloud Analytics

Create dynamic tabular reports by combining the Qlik add-in for Microsoft Excel with report preparation features available within a Qlik Sense app. Deliver report output by email and to folders defined in Microsoft SharePoint connections. Reports can be in .xlsx or PDF format.

In Qlik Cloud Analytics, you manage your tabular reports in the Reporting section under the Prepare tab in the Qlik Sense app.

Report jobs are created and managed through report tasks. Data reduction is controlled with report filters. Recipients, and associated groups containing multiple recipients, are available from a distribution list.

Generating tabular reports is typically a centrally managed activity by report developers. Tabular reports in Qlik Cloud Analytics are delivered from the value-add Qlik Reporting Service capability. Check with your service account owner about your Qlik Cloud subscription's included capacities. For more information about centralized report development and delivery, see Reporting from Qlik Cloud Analytics.

End-to-end workflow

At a high level, complete the following steps to create a tabular report:

1. Prepare your report template using the Qlik add-in for Microsoft Excel. The template defines the data that populates the report when the report is generated.

   To get started with the add-in, see Building report templates with the Qlik add-in for Microsoft Excel.

   

2. In the Qlik Sense app from which you're generating the report, define the app's distribution list. This is the list of all recipients, and groups of recipients, who can be added as receivers of reporting output. See Creating a distribution list for your report.

3. Upload the template file into your Qlik Sense app. For information about managing your templates, see Working with report templates in the Qlik Sense app.

4. Create a report task in the app to configure the delivery of the report. See Working with report tasks.

As you develop your report template, you can test its output as needed using the preview functionality in the add-in. See Previewing the report.

To access the full potential of report generation in Qlik Cloud Analytics, use the following features:

• To further refine the data from the app that is displayed in reports, use report filters. Filters allow bursting of report content, meaning that a single report task can generate individualized output which varies by recipient or group. Filters can be defined globally (at the level of a report task), at the recipient level, or both. See Working with report filters.

• Arrange for the report output to be distributed to a remote distribution folder. The distribution folder is defined by a Microsoft SharePoint data connection. Distribution folders can be used either alongside, or as an alternative, to email distribution. See Delivering tabular reports to a distribution folder.

Requirements

Consider the following general requirements:

• Your ability to use tabular reporting in Qlik Cloud Analytics is governed by your Qlik Cloud subscription. Before using these capabilities, check with your service account owner to become familiar with your tenant's capacities and restrictions.

• To view the requirements for working with the Qlik add-in for Microsoft Excel, see Requirements for using the add-in.

• To distribute your report output by email, an SMTP server needs to be configured for the tenant. For more information, see Configuring email support and Working with report tasks.

Permissions

If the app is in a shared space, you need, at minimum, the Can edit space role to see and use the Reporting section in an app. If the app is in a managed space, you need one of the following space roles to see and use the Reporting section in an app:

• Owner

• Can manage

• Can operate (Professional or Full User entitlement only)

If you have this access and do not see the Reporting section in the app under the Prepare tab, your administrator has not turned on the reporting feature for the tenant. If this is the case, you cannot configure tabular reports with the app.

The specific permissions requirements are also broken down by space type below.

Requirements for apps in shared spaces

The following requirements apply for apps in shared spaces:

• To view and use the Reporting section of an app, you need Can edit access to the space in which the app is located.

• To load a distribution list for use in report tasks, you must be the app owner or have Can edit data in apps access in the shared space. For more information about how to add a distribution list to your app, see Creating a distribution list for your report.

For more information about the roles required to manage all aspects of your app's reporting capabilities, see Managing permissions in shared spaces.

Requirements for apps in managed spaces

To view and use the Reporting section of an app, you need one of the following space roles in the space where the app is located:

• Owner

• Can manage

• Can operate (Professional or Full User entitlement only)

For more information about the roles required to manage all aspects of your app's reporting capabilities, see Managing permissions in managed spaces.

Requirements for an app in your personal space

You must have the Private Analytics Content Creator user role in the tenant to have full control over report tasks, distribution lists, filters, and templates.

Who can receive tabular reports?

In Qlik Cloud Analytics, you can send Excel email reports to both internal and external recipients. The following table describes each type of recipient and what can they expect to see in their reports.

If the Qlik Sense app uses section access, it is important to be aware of how this affects who receives the reports. See Tabular reporting and section access.

If you are instead distributing reports via a distribution folder (Microsoft SharePoint), anyone who has access to the location specified in the corresponding connection can access the reports.

Tabular reporting and section access

The data reduction applied to a report is dependent on whether the source app uses section access.

Any internal report recipient (user in the Qlik Cloud tenant) must have access to the app and be included in the section access table for the report to be generated and sent to them. The data in the report output will also be filtered based on the data access restrictions defined for that user in the section access script.

Managing data security with Section Access

Report tasks and section access

It is important to be aware of how working with report tasks is different if the app uses section access:

• If a section access table is added to or removed from the app, the report task is automatically disabled. It can be re-enabled manually. This allows the report developer to evaluate whether they want to proceed with report deliveries, based on the definitions of the recipients in the distribution list.

• If the app has section access and a tenant admin changes the ownership of the report task in the Management Console, the report task is automatically disabled. After this, only the new report task owner can re-enable the report task.

• Report delivery via Microsoft SharePoint distribution folder is not available if the app uses section access.

Administrator requirements

Qlik Cloud tenant admins can turn reporting capabilities on or off in the Management Console. For more information, see Managing availability of reporting, subscriptions, and sharing.

If you have all required permissions and still cannot access the tabular reporting features, contact your tenant administrator.

Limitations

For a list of limitations, see Qlik Reporting Service specifications and limitations.