Salesforce DictionarySalesforce DictionaryDetailed data analysis vs visual KPI summary
A Report in Salesforce is a configurable view of data that displays records meeting specified filter criteria in rows and columns. Reports can be tabular, summary, matrix, or joined, and support groupings, formulas, charts, and conditional highlighting. They are the foundation of Salesforce analytics and can be scheduled, exported, and embedded in dashboards.
A Dashboard in Salesforce is a visual display of data from multiple reports presented as charts, gauges, tables, and metrics on a single page. Dashboards provide an at-a-glance view of key business data and can be filtered dynamically by the viewing user. Each dashboard component is backed by a source report.
| Dimension | Report | Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Output | Tabular, summary, matrix, or joined data | Visual charts, gauges, tables, and metrics |
| Data Source | Directly queries objects and fields | Built from one or more existing Reports |
| Interactivity | Filter, sort, group, drill into rows | Click components to view underlying report |
| Detail Level | Row-level data with drill-down | Aggregated visual summaries |
| Purpose | Analyze and export detailed data | Monitor KPIs and trends at a glance |
When you need detailed data analysis, row-level inspection, or data export.
When you want a visual overview of multiple metrics on a single screen.