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Dashboard vs. Report Metrics

Understand the difference between dashboard KPI cards and the detailed reporting module, and when to use each.

Julian Park
Written by Julian ParkUpdated over a month ago3 min readBeginner

What this guide covers

This guide clarifies the difference between the dashboard and the reporting module. You will learn what each is designed for, why the numbers may look different, and when to use one over the other.

The dashboard at a glance

The /dashboard page is your daily command center. It shows real-time KPI cards with headline numbers:

The dashboard is designed for a quick pulse check. It answers "how are things right now?"

Screenshot: The dashboard page showing four KPI cards: Revenue Today, Jobs Scheduled, Outstanding Balance, and Upcoming Jobs.

The reporting module in depth

The /reporting page is your analysis tool. It supports date range filters, detailed tables, charts, exports, and drill-downs. Reports answer "how did things go over a period of time?"

Key differences from the dashboard:

Feature Dashboard Reports
Date range Fixed (today/week) Fully customizable
Data granularity Summary cards Row-level detail
Charts Sparklines only Full interactive
Export Not available CSV export
Drill-down Links to pages In-report filtering

Animation: Switching from the dashboard view to the reporting module, showing how the same revenue number expands into a detailed chart and table.

Why numbers may differ

The dashboard and reports use different default time windows. The dashboard's "Revenue" card may show today's total, while the reporting page defaults to the current month. Always check the date range when comparing numbers between the two.

Tip: When presenting numbers in a meeting, always use the reporting module with an explicit date range. This ensures everyone is looking at the same time window.

When to use each

Best practices

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