Custom Report
A custom report is a saved query in a CRM that pulls specific fields, filters, and groupings from contact, deal, or activity data into a table or chart tailored to one team's question.
Last updated July 18, 2026
What a custom report is
A custom report is a saved query that lets a user define exactly which records, fields, filters, and groupings appear in the output, instead of viewing a fixed report a CRM vendor built in advance. Built-in reports answer generic questions like "how many deals closed this month." Custom reports answer the specific questions a particular team actually has — which reps are missing follow-ups, which lead source produces the highest average deal size, which accounts have had no contact in 30 days.
Most CRMs build custom reports from three components: a data source (contacts, deals, activities, or a combination), a set of filters (date ranges, stage, owner, custom field values), and a display format (table, bar chart, pie chart, or trend line). Once saved, a custom report re-runs against live data every time it's opened, so it stays accurate without anyone re-building it.
Why custom reports matter
Fixed, vendor-built reports work for common questions but break down as soon as a business tracks something the vendor didn't anticipate — a custom lead source field, a multi-step approval stage, a service-plan tier. Custom reporting lets a team turn any field it tracks into something it can filter, group, and chart, without waiting on the vendor to add that report or exporting data to a spreadsheet to build it manually.
Custom reports also let different roles see different slices of the same underlying data. A rep might build a report of their own open deals sorted by close date; a manager might build one showing every rep's win rate by lead source for the quarter. Both pull from the same records — the report definition is what changes.
Example
A property management company adds a custom field for "lease renewal date" to each account. A built-in CRM report has no way to surface this. A custom report filtered to "renewal date within 60 days" and grouped by property manager gives each manager a live list of renewals to work, updated automatically as dates pass or leases get renewed.
Custom reports vs. custom fields
A custom field is where the data lives — a single piece of information added to a record, like "referral source" or "policy type." A custom report is how that data gets surfaced and analyzed — filtered, grouped, and displayed alongside other fields. Custom fields without reporting on top of them just sit on the record unused; custom reports are usually what makes a custom field worth adding in the first place, since they turn stored data into an answerable question.