Publish and Export a Report
Once an edition is approved and an output is generated, you publish the report to the workspace and export it for distribution. This page covers the full publish-to-export workflow including format-specific options.
Before publishing
Run through this checklist:
- All required section fields are complete.
- All review comments are resolved.
- Output pages have been previewed and layout checked.
- The edition status is Approved.
- The output template has been saved and published.
Step 1: Generate the output
- Open the approved edition.
- Click Generate output.
- Select an output template from the dropdown — the list shows all published templates linked to this blueprint.
- Click Generate — Report Forge renders all pages using the edition's live data.
- When generation is complete, the output opens in the Report Viewer.
Step 2: Review in the Report Viewer
The Report Viewer shows the rendered report before you publish or export.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Page thumbnails (left strip) | Click to jump to any page. |
| Zoom | Fit to width, 100%, or custom zoom percentage. |
| Fullscreen | Expands the viewer to fill the browser window. |
| Comment mode | Add annotation comments to the rendered output (visible to collaborators, not exported). |
| History | View previously generated versions of this output. |
If you spot layout issues, return to the Output Designer, correct them, and regenerate.
Step 3: Publish the report
- In the Report Viewer, click Publish.
- The report status changes to Published — it is now visible to all team members with at least Viewer access.
- A published report can be shared via a direct link — copy the link from the Share button.
- Observers and external stakeholders with the link can view the published report in the browser (no login required for public links; authentication required for workspace links).
Step 4: Export the report
- In the Report Viewer, click Export.
- Choose the export format.
Format options
| Format | Best for |
|---|---|
| Formal distribution, board packs, archive copies. Layout is pixel-faithful. | |
| Excel | Data-heavy reports where stakeholders need to filter or pivot. Tables and matrices export as live data tables. |
| Word | Reports that need to be edited, marked up, or incorporated into a larger document. |
| CSV | Raw data extract for a single table or matrix component. |
PDF export options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Paper size | A4, A3, Letter, A0, or match canvas size. |
| Orientation | Portrait or Landscape. |
| Margins | Top / bottom / left / right in mm (default 20 mm). |
| Include cover page | Prepend the blueprint's cover page template. |
| Include table of contents | Auto-generate a TOC from page titles. |
| Page numbering | Show page numbers in the footer. |
| Header / footer content | Logo, report title, data date, report date, page number. |
| Image quality | Screen (72 dpi), Print (150 dpi), High-res (300 dpi). |
| Compression | Reduce file size — use for email distribution; disable for archive copies. |
| Embed fonts | Embed all fonts for guaranteed rendering on systems without the installed font. |
| Flatten form fields | Converts interactive elements to static — recommended for archiving. |
| Accessibility metadata | Adds document title, author, and language tags for screen readers. |
| Bookmarks | Creates PDF bookmarks from page titles for easy navigation. |
Excel export options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| One sheet per page | Each report page becomes a separate Excel sheet. |
| Sheet names | Derived from page titles. |
| Table format | Tables and matrices export as Excel Table objects with auto-filter. |
| Formula cells | Calculated field values can export as Excel formulas (when enabled). |
| Include cover page | Adds a summary cover sheet as the first tab. |
| Freeze panes | Freeze header rows on table exports. |
Word export options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Paper size / orientation | Matches PDF settings. |
| Table borders | Include or remove table border styling. |
| Image resolution | Screen or print quality. |
| Style mapping | Section headers map to Word Heading styles for navigation. |
Step 5: Schedule recurring exports (optional)
To automatically export and deliver a report on a schedule:
- In the Report Viewer, click Schedule Export.
- Set the Recurrence: daily, weekly, monthly, or a custom cron expression.
- Set the Export format and options.
- Choose the Delivery destination: email recipients, SharePoint folder, or webhook URL.
- Click Save schedule.
Scheduled exports run automatically each cycle using the latest generated output for the edition.
Step 6: View export history
All exports are logged in the Export History panel (Report Viewer → History tab):
- Date and time of each export.
- Format and options used.
- Who triggered the export.
- Download link for up to 90 days.
Governance tips
- Name editions consistently. Use the same naming pattern every cycle (e.g. "Monthly Progress — May 2026") so the report list stays sortable.
- Record review decisions before exporting. Approvals made in the review panel are part of the audit trail.
- Use versioned exports for formal records. Export with a version number or date in the filename when the report is a contractual deliverable.
- Do not edit the blueprint during an active edition. Structural changes mid-cycle confuse contributors and can break output bindings.