If you’re managing a deal pipeline, keeping track of what’s actually happening is half the battle. You need reports that show you what matters, not just a wall of data. This is for anyone using Affinity who’s sick of generic dashboards and wants to build custom reports that truly fit how their team works. Let’s cut through the noise and get you reporting on what you care about—without spending your whole afternoon on it.
Why bother with custom reports?
Out-of-the-box reports are fine for a quick look, but they’re rarely tailored to your team’s quirks or your boss’s latest “urgent” questions. Custom reports let you:
- See where deals get stuck (and why)
- Track team activity and accountability
- Forecast revenue with a little less hand-waving
- Prove what’s working (and call out what’s not)
But here’s the thing: It’s easy to overcomplicate this. Focus on reports you’ll actually use, not every possible metric.
Step 1: Decide what you really need to see
Before clicking anything, get clear on what you want to answer. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mess of charts no one looks at.
Common questions custom reports help answer:
- “Where are deals dropping off in our pipeline?”
- “Which team member is moving things forward?”
- “How long is it taking deals to close?”
- “What’s our projected revenue this quarter?”
Pro tip: Write your questions down. If a report doesn’t answer something specific, skip it.
Step 2: Know your data (and its limits)
Affinity organizes data around “lists” (think: pipelines), “entities” (companies, people, opportunities), and “fields” (your custom info). The good news: You can track almost anything. The bad news: If your team isn’t entering data consistently, your reports will be garbage.
Checklist before building reports:
- Is your pipeline up to date? (No zombie deals lingering for months)
- Are fields filled out consistently? (No “TBD” or “N/A” everywhere)
- Are custom fields set up for what you want to track? (E.g., deal stage, close date, owner, value)
What to ignore: Don’t try to retroactively fix years of messy data. Start with what’s accurate now.
Step 3: Build your report using Affinity’s tools
Let’s get to the meat of it. In Affinity, you’ll mostly use two tools for reporting:
- Saved Views: Custom filters and columns on your pipeline list. Fast, flexible, good for day-to-day tracking.
- Reports/Dashboards: Visual charts and summaries (if your Affinity plan supports it). Best for sharing summaries with the team or leadership.
3.1. Create a Saved View
- Go to your pipeline list (e.g., “Active Deals”).
- Filter the data: Use filters to only show what matters (e.g., deals in “Negotiation” stage, deals owned by Sarah, deals closing this quarter).
- Pick your columns: Show only the fields you care about. Hide the rest.
- Sort/group as needed: Want to see deals grouped by stage, or sorted by value? Do it here.
- Save the view: Click “Save View” so you (and your team) can access it later.
When to use Saved Views: For quick “cheat sheet” lists—e.g., “Deals closing this month” or “Stuck deals by owner.”
3.2. Build a Report or Dashboard
If your plan includes reporting (not all do—check before you get too excited), you can make dashboards with charts.
- Go to the Reports or Dashboards section.
- Choose your pipeline/list as the data source.
- Pick a chart type: Bar, pie, line, etc. Don’t overthink it—bar charts work for most things.
- Select metrics and breakdowns: E.g., count of deals by stage, deal value by owner, average time in stage.
- Apply filters: Same as Saved Views—focus on what matters.
- Name and save your report/dashboard.
What works well: Visual summaries for weekly check-ins or exec updates.
What doesn’t: Hyper-detailed dashboards that try to answer everything in one place. Keep it simple.
Step 4: Share (but don’t overshare)
Reports are only useful if people actually see and use them. But sending out 12 dashboards every Monday? That just trains everyone to ignore your emails.
Ways to share reports in Affinity:
- Share Saved Views: Let teammates access them in Affinity, or send a direct link.
- Export to CSV: For the spreadsheet diehards (there’s always one).
- Schedule email reports: (If your plan allows) automate sending key reports to stakeholders.
- Show dashboards in meetings: Pull up real numbers instead of talking in hypotheticals.
Pro tip: Don’t give everyone edit access. Protect your reports from accidental “improvements.”
Step 5: Keep reports clean and useful
Custom reports aren’t “set it and forget it.” Pipelines change, teams shift, and your boss always wants that one new metric.
- Review reports monthly: Are they still answering useful questions? Cut anything that’s just noise.
- Update fields as your process evolves: If you start tracking a new stage or metric, add it to your reports.
- Get feedback: Ask the team what’s helpful (and what’s ignored).
What to avoid: Don’t try to report on every possible metric just because you can. If no one uses it, dump it.
Honest takes: What works, what doesn’t
What works: - Focusing on 2-3 key reports you actually use. - Keeping filters and columns super clear (no one remembers what “custom_field_6” means). - Using visual dashboards for standups and exec reviews—saves time and arguments.
What doesn’t: - Overly complex dashboards. If you need a manual to explain your chart, it’s too much. - Ignoring data hygiene. Incomplete or outdated info makes even the prettiest chart worthless. - Trying to “automate insight.” At the end of the day, you still need someone to interpret the story the data tells.
Ignore the hype: Affinity’s reporting is solid, but it won’t magically solve pipeline problems. It’s a tool, not a silver bullet.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple, iterate often
Building custom reports in Affinity isn’t rocket science, but it does take a little setup and clear thinking. Start with the reports you know you’ll use, keep your data clean, and don’t be afraid to tweak things as your process changes. The goal is to spend less time fiddling with reports—and more time actually moving deals forward.