Use this guide when the report already exists and the main problem is the outline: what comes first, what belongs together, and where each page should live.
The Sections rail is the outline of the report. Use it when you need to add pages, reorder the report, change section settings, or move content to a different part of the report.
Start with the outline
The structure is:
- Report for the whole document
- Section for a group of related pages
- Page for one printable canvas inside the section
- Widget for the content placed on that page
Use the Sections rail for document structure
The Sections tab handles everything structural: adding sections and pages, reordering, deleting, and opening section settings. Clicking a page thumbnail switches the canvas to that page, and anything you add next goes there.
Choose the page type before adding widgets
Pick the page type before you add content; Flow and Grid pages each take their own widgets (see Build Reports).
- Use a Flow Page when the page should be a single full-page statement such as Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow, Trial Balance, Drivers, or KPI Dashboard.
- Use a Grid Page when the page needs mixed content such as tables, charts, KPI scorecards, and text blocks.
Add and reorder sections with intention
Use a new section when the topic clearly changes, such as moving from the executive summary into financial statements or from the operating review into the appendix.
Good section patterns:
- Executive Summary
- Financial Statements
- Department or business-unit detail
- Appendix or supporting schedules
Inside a section, keep related pages together. Reorder sections and pages from the handles in the Sections rail, then click the page you want to work on before you keep building.
Open section settings when the whole section needs to change
Use section settings when the change should apply to every page in that section instead of to one page or one widget. For example, this is where you change section-wide options such as page orientation.
If the change affects the entire report, use Settings from the top toolbar instead of section settings.
Moving a widget is different from dragging it
- Dragging changes position on the current page only.
- Move widget sends the widget to another page or another section.
Use the widget's move action any time the content belongs somewhere else in the report. If you only drag it, it stays on the same page.
Watch out for
- If a page type no longer fits, create the right page type in the same section and move or rebuild the content there. Do not duplicate a section just to fix ordering; reorder the existing outline instead.