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How to Create Your Own Salesforce Report or Dashboard (Without Losing Your Mind)

Josh Stoker |

 

So your boss just asked for a dashboard. Not just any dashboard—a dashboard that shows everything. And they want it yesterday.

Fear not, fellow Salesforce wrangler. Whether you're a freshly minted admin, a curious power user, or someone who just clicked the “Reports” tab for the first time and screamed internally, this guide will walk you through creating a custom Salesforce report or dashboard that doesn’t make people’s eyes bleed. You don't need to wait for Joe IT. Trust me.

🛠 Step 1: Know What You're Trying to Show (Before You Build It)

Before you click anything, ask yourself (or your overly enthusiastic boss):

  • What question are we trying to answer?

  • What object(s) does this data live on?

  • Who will be looking at this report—an exec or someone who actually uses Salesforce?

Write down what you're measuring: maybe it’s sales pipeline by rep, open cases by priority, or the number of leads named “Steve” in Q2.  Understanding this well will make the rest much easier.

📋 Step 2: Create a Report (Yes, It Starts Here)

Head to the Reports tab, click New Report, and pick your report type. Pro tip: If you pick the wrong type, your report will either be empty or make you cry softly. Choose wisely.

Let’s say you're tracking opportunities. Pick "Opportunities" or "Opportunities with Products" if you’re feeling spicy. 

Now build your report like a lasagna:

  • Filters: Start with “Close Date” and “Stage.” Less is more.

  • Groupings: Group by rep, product, region—whatever makes the most sense.

  • Summaries: Add a sum, average, or row count to show off your math skills.

  • Charts (Optional but Fun): Pie charts are for pizza. Use bar or line charts unless you really want to confuse people.

Hit Run and admire your work. If it looks like data exploded in all directions, go back to filters. Too much data is the fastest way to get ignored.

📈 Step 3: Dashboards—AKA the Greatest Hits Album

Now that you’ve created your Grammy-worthy report, let’s dashboard it.

Go to the Dashboards tab and click New Dashboard. Give it a name your future self will understand (not “test1-final-FINAL”).

Inside the dashboard builder:

  • Click +Component

  • Choose your report

  • Pick your chart type (and please preview it—just because you can use a 3D funnel doesn’t mean you should)

  • Add filters if needed (e.g., by Region or Rep)

  • Arrange widgets like you’re decorating a data living room

🎯 Pro Tip: Only show what someone needs to act on. If a chart doesn’t inspire a “we should do something about this,” it doesn’t belong on your dashboard.

🧠 Bonus Wisdom: Dashboards Are Like Houseplants

  • Check them regularly.

  • Keep them clean.

  • Don't build 14 of them and forget they exist.

Final Thought:
Creating a Salesforce report or dashboard is less about flashy visuals and more about clarity. Done right, it can help your team make better decisions, spot trends, and maybe even get you out of that next 3-hour meeting.

Now go forth and dashboard like a rockstar. 


 

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