Use Text Blocks and Commentary

Use text blocks when the page needs explanation or commentary that the numbers cannot carry on their own.

Good uses include:

• executive summaries
• section introductions
• commentary above or below a statement
• short callouts next to a chart or scorecard
• footnotes or reader guidance

Edit the text block directly on the canvas

Click directly into the text block on the page and edit it there.

You can use:

• bold, italic, bullet, and numbered list controls
• text style choices such as body, heading, and title
• variable insertion
• dynamic value insertion
• horizontal and vertical alignment controls

This is different from chart or table settings. Do not look for a separate text editor somewhere else.

Use variables and dynamic values when the text should stay current

Use Insert Variable when the text should pull in report details such as the report name or period label.

Use Insert Dynamic Value when the sentence needs a live value or metric in the text.

Keep each text block small and specific

Strong text blocks usually do one of these jobs well:

• explain what the reader is about to see
• interpret a result that matters
• call out a risk, exception, or action item

Match the text to the page

• On an executive-summary Grid Page, keep the text short and direct.
• On a full statement page, use text blocks sparingly, for framing or context; let the statement carry the line items.
• On a cover page or in report settings, use the built-in report text fields instead of a normal text block when the content belongs to the whole report.

Watch out for

• If a number in the text keeps going stale, replace it with a variable or dynamic value instead of manually updating the prose.