This article provides an overview of the automated reports feature inside the Isentia platform.

What is an Automated Report?

Automated reports streamline your report building by automatically adding media items into the report builder based on filters, criteria, and a schedule you’ve selected.

Each new automated report that is generated is called an instance. Once a report instance has been generated, you can review the content and further customise the report before sending or exporting your finished report.

Understanding Report Instances

A report instance is when an automated report pulls media items into the report builder.

You can manage report instances under the report instance option on the reports page. From here, you can edit the latest instance, view a list of previous report instances and the status for each, and a link to view and copy previous report instances as a custom copy link. Only the latest report instance can be edited. Past report instances cannot be edited.

Examples of report instances:

• If I create an automated report, set up filters and schedule as ‘One-off’, and click ‘Save,’ the automated report creates one instance when it successfully pulls media items from the report builder.
• If I set an automated report on a ‘Repeat’ schedule, then once the next schedule occurs, a new report instance is created when media items are pulled from the Feed / Topic into the report

Note: An automated reports instance differs from a report instance for email analytics. For automated reports, it is each time a report is generated per the schedule you’ve set. An instance for Report analytics is defined as each time the report is sent using the send now or later options.

Creating an Automated Report

To create a new automated report, follow these steps:

1. Select +Create Report > Automated Report
2. Select a template to apply to your automated report
3. Select Set up an automated report
4. Setup your automated report
5. Click Save

Note: Clicking Save when building a one-off type automated report will automatically be added to the report builder.

Note: If you’ve created a “repeat” type automated report, you will receive an email notification each time a new report instance is ready.

Automated Report Settings

When building your automated report, you have the following options: Schedule, Media Item Filters, Syndicates, Maximum media items, and Media item date. Each setting determines which and how many media items are added to the report builder each time your automated report is generated.

Once you’ve selected your report criteria, click Save to finalise the setup of your automated report.

Schedule

The report schedule will set how often your new automated report will be generated. You can select either One-off or Repeat type automated reports.

• One-off: Create a single automated report instance. Once you’ve set your report criteria and selected Save, the automated report will add matching media items to the report builder. This automated report type is great for easily building quick ad-hoc reports to share with your stakeholders.
• Repeat: Creates a repeated automated report that adds matching media items into the report builder based on the time period selected. Using the Every option, you can choose how often a new report is generated.

Media Item Filters

Use these options to determine which media items are added when a new report is generated. You can filter to include media items from select topics across certain media types, from key geographic locations or media outlets, or media items with a specific automated sentiment score.

Syndicates

Choose how to handle syndicated media items in your report. Select Pull all syndicates of media items to make sure every version of a syndicated media item is added to your report.

If this option is unticked, only the first media item will appear in the report builder, determined by the first item in a syndicated group delivered to the Isentia platform.

Maximum number of media items

You can control how many matching media items will be added to your report. The media items selected will be determined by the grouping and sorting options applied in the report builder the first time you run the report.

Example: If 200 media items match the criteria selected when building your report, and your report builder sorted option is by Media Outlet (A-Z) when the report is generated, but your maximum number of items in the report is 100, the first 100 media items based on Media Outlet A-Z order would be added to the report builder.

Note: A maximum of 400 media items can be automatically added when building a one-off automated report, but additional items can be manually added once the automated report has been generated. A repeated automated report has a maximum limit of 1000 media items.

Include media items (One-off reports)

When building a one-off report, you can use this option to select the date range from which matching media items will be chosen.

Get media items from (Repeat Reports)

This option only applies to the first instance of a repeat automated report you are building and sets the time frame to return matching media items the first time you generate a report (e.g. in my first generated report, collect matching media items from 2 weeks previous)

New Report Notification

If you’ve chosen to set up a repeat automated report, you will receive an email notification when a new report instance has been generated. This email will be sent to the email address linked to the Isentia platform in which the repeated automated report is created.

Adding additional media items to an automated report

Once an automated report instance has been created. You can add additional items to the report builder by using the Add to Report option when selecting media items in the Feed or Topic.

Customising an Automated report

Once a report has been generated, you can further customise your report, including the report format, logo and banner images, as well as the colour scheme applied to your report.

Using the Display options for settings, you can also manage sections within your report, how media items are organised, grouped, and sorted, and how media items in your report will be displayed.

More details about customisation options and report settings can be found here.

Sharing an automated report

Once your media items have been automatically added to the report builder, you have options to further customise your report, including the appearance and media item display options, before previewing your finished report or exporting or sharing your report using the options available:

• Export: Open PDF (List format report only)—This option creates a PDF of your report. Once the PDF has been processed, it will instantly download as a file to your device.
• Export: Copy custom link (List format report only) – Copies a custom web link containing your report. This link can be shared directly with recipients, and wherever the link is opened, the report can be viewed.
• Download Excel (Table format report only)—Download an Excel spreadsheet report to your device. The data columns shown in your finished report directly correlate to the column selection in the Display Options section of the report builder.
• Email now or later – Email your finished report directly to yourself and any other recipients from the Isentia platform:
  • Send Now – Send your finished report instantly to yourself and any other recipients.
  • Send Later – Select a future date and time to send your report to your recipients. (If a report is scheduled for a later send, it will show as ‘Scheduled’ in the status column on the reports page).

More information on report export and sharing options can be found here.

Report Analytics

Once an automated report has been shared via email, you can view related analytics using the Report Analytics tab on the Reports page. For each automated report shared via email, the following metrics are available:

• Delivered – the number of times the email report was successfully delivered to recipients.
• Unique open – the number of unique individuals (email recipients) who have opened the email report
• Unique clicks – the number of unique individuals (email recipients) that have clicked a link in the email report
• Total opens – The total number of times recipients opened your email report.
• Total clicks – The total number of clicks on links to view original coverage included in the email report.