This article explains how to configure an automation and manage recurring report delivery.
Introduction
Use automations to generate recurring reports without publishing each one manually. Choose a report template, select one or more locations, and set the reporting schedule. You can also configure who can access the reports, notify selected users by email with a report link, and add a publication delay to allow time for data to arrive.
Configure automating reports
Use an automation to create reports regularly without publishing each one manually. An automation can cover multiple locations and send report links by email.
- Open Automations and create an automation.
- Select the template. Choose the layout that every report generated by the automation should use.
- Choose the reporting scope. Select the locations and, where needed, use tags to filter the data. Set the report language and logo where available.
- Set the schedule. Choose the automation's start and end dates and the reporting frequency, such as monthly. The automation's active date range determines how long it runs; each report has its own reporting period.
- Set a publication delay if needed. Choose how many days to wait after the reporting period before creating the report. This gives late-arriving readings more time to enter the platform, but does not guarantee complete data.
- Choose publication visibility and email recipients. Set who can access the generated reports and, if you want email delivery, select the users to notify. Report visibility and email notifications are separate settings.
- Review and save. Check the template, locations, dates, frequency, delay and recipients carefully before saving.
Example: For monthly reports covering several buildings, select those locations and a monthly frequency. Add a delay if meter readings usually arrive after month-end. Each report will cover its intended reporting period; delaying publication does not move that period forward.
What recipients receive
Recipients receive an email containing a link to view their report. They can open the link without logging in and download a PDF from the report view.
Email distribution has the following limits:
- Recipients must be existing platform users in the account. You cannot enter arbitrary external email addresses.
- An automation can email up to 100 users. Mailing lists and user groups are not supported for email distribution.
- Emails contain links, not PDF attachments. The email content cannot be customised.
- You cannot manually resend an email from an existing report instance.
Sharing a template with a user group is different from selecting the email recipients of an automation.
Historical reports
If the automation's date range includes past reporting periods, it creates the corresponding historical report instances. Historical instances are not sent by email.
Change, stop or delete an automation
Automations cannot currently be edited after creation, including their recipient settings. Review the configuration before saving.
| Action | What happens |
|---|---|
| Reach the end date | The automation expires and stops creating new reports. |
| Stop the automation | No more reports are created. Existing report instances are kept. |
| Delete the automation | The automation and all report instances it created are permanently deleted for all users. |
To change a schedule or configuration while keeping historical reports, stop the existing automation and create a replacement.
Deleting an automation cannot be undone. Recreating a similar automation does not restore the deleted instances.