If you’re in B2B marketing or sales ops, you know that figuring out where your leads actually come from is both crucial and, frankly, a pain. You probably have a hunch about which channels work, but without real data, it’s just guesswork. This guide is for anyone who wants to wrangle detailed lead source reports out of Leadsquared and actually use them to make decisions—without wasting hours clicking around.
Let’s dig in. No fluff, just practical advice.
Why Lead Source Reporting Matters (and Where It Usually Goes Wrong)
Before you start pulling reports, ask yourself: what do you actually want to know? Here’s what detailed lead source reports can do for you: - Show which campaigns or channels send real pipeline, not just raw leads. - Help you stop wasting money on sources that don’t convert. - Give sales and marketing a single source of truth (so you’re not arguing over spreadsheets).
But here’s the catch: most lead source reporting is trash because: - The “source” field is set once and never updated (even if the lead comes back from a new channel). - There’s a mess of duplicate or mislabeled sources (“LinkedIn,” “linkedin.com,” “LnkdIn Ads”…you get the idea). - The reports only show surface-level numbers—no context.
You can do better. Here’s how.
Step 1: Get Your Lead Source Data Clean (Or at Least Consistent)
Don’t skip this. If your source data is messy, your reports will be garbage. You can’t fix this after the fact.
What to check: - How are sources captured? Is it a dropdown, manual entry, hidden field, integration? - Are naming conventions consistent? Are “Google Ads” and “AdWords” being tracked as the same source? - Do you track first touch, last touch, or both? Decide up front. (For B2B, first touch is usually more useful, but some orgs care about both.)
Pro Tips: - Audit the last 100 leads. If you see weird variants, fix them now—either by updating your forms or cleaning up in bulk. - If possible, lock down the “source” field to a picklist. Manual entry invites chaos. - If you use integrations (like web forms or ad platforms), check that mapping is correct. One slip-up and you’ll spend hours cleaning up later.
Ignore this at your own risk. Clean data isn’t sexy, but it’s the only way to get real insights.
Step 2: Map Out the Questions You Want to Answer
Don’t just pull a “lead source” report and hope for the best. Think about what you actually need: - Which sources bring in the most leads? - Which sources bring in the most qualified leads? - What’s the conversion rate for each source (to opportunity, deal, etc)? - Are there seasonal or campaign trends? - Where are we wasting spend?
Write down your top 2-3 questions. This will save you from report overload and help you focus. If your boss wants “all the data,” push back—it’s better to have a few clear answers than a giant, unreadable chart.
Step 3: Build Your Detailed Lead Source Report in Leadsquared
Here’s the step-by-step process in Leadsquared. Assume you have admin or reporting permissions.
- Go to Reports > Lead Reports.
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Ignore the “default” reports for now—they’re usually too basic.
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Create a Custom Report.
- Look for “Custom Reports” or “Advanced Analytics” in your account’s navigation. (Menu names change, but it’s there.)
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Select “Leads” as your base data set.
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Add the Fields You Actually Care About.
- At minimum: Lead Source, Created Date, Lead Status, and Owner.
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For more detail: Lead Score, Campaign, Industry, and any custom fields that matter to your sales cycle.
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Group By Lead Source (and Time, if Needed).
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Grouping is your friend. Start with “Lead Source,” then add “Month” or “Campaign” if you want trends.
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Add Filters for Quality.
- Want to know which sources deliver not just volume, but good leads? Filter by Lead Status (e.g., only “Qualified” or “Sales Accepted”).
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You can also filter by date range, sales rep, etc.
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Add Calculated Columns (Optional, but Powerful).
- If you want conversion rates, create calculated fields (e.g., “Leads Converted / Total Leads”).
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Not all Leadsquared plans support this, but it’s worth doing if you can.
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Preview and Save the Report.
- Don’t just hit “Save” and send it to your boss. Preview the data first.
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Check for nonsense (e.g., “Facebook Ads” with zero leads, or totals that don’t make sense).
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Schedule or Export as Needed.
- You can schedule the report to email to yourself or your team, or just export to Excel/CSV for deeper analysis.
What works: - Custom reports with proper grouping/filters give you real insight, not just vanity metrics. - Filtering by lead quality avoids the classic “we got 500 leads from Facebook!” trap when only 2 were legit.
What doesn’t: - Relying on default dashboards. They’re fine for a snapshot, but never detailed enough for real decisions. - Including every possible field. More data isn’t better; it’s just harder to read.
Step 4: Make the Data Useful—Visualize or Slice It Further
Raw tables are fine, but people actually look at charts. Leadsquared has built-in charting, but let’s be real: it’s basic. Here’s what to do:
- Use the built-in pie or bar charts for quick overviews (e.g., “Leads by Source”).
- For deeper analysis, export the data and use Excel, Google Sheets, or a BI tool. This lets you:
- Show conversion rates by source in a simple bar chart.
- Compare trends month-over-month.
- Spot outliers, like a sudden spike (or drop) from a given campaign.
Pro tip: Don’t obsess over making the perfect dashboard. Get a chart that answers your key questions, and move on.
Step 5: Share Reports and Close the Loop with Sales
A report is only valuable if someone actually uses it. Make sure the right people see it, and that there’s a process to act on what you find.
- Send summaries, not data dumps. If you’re emailing the team, send a screenshot and two sentences: “Google Ads leads converted at 5% this month, LinkedIn at 0.5%. We should rethink our spend.”
- Review regularly. Monthly is usually enough for B2B. More often is overkill.
- Ask for feedback. If sales says “these lead sources don’t match what we see,” dig in. Sometimes the issue is data entry, sometimes it’s a workflow mismatch.
What to ignore: - Vanity metrics (“we generated 5,000 leads!”). Focus on pipeline, not just leads. - Endless report tweaks. If you’re spending hours making the chart look nicer, you’re missing the point.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)
- Messy source names: Clean them up before you start. Once they’re in your reports, it’s much harder.
- Double-counting leads: Make sure your filters prevent the same lead from showing up multiple times if it’s touched by more than one campaign.
- Analysis paralysis: Don’t try to answer every question at once. Start simple, add complexity only if you need it.
Keep It Simple, Review Often, and Iterate
Building useful lead source reports in Leadsquared isn’t rocket science, but it does require some up-front work and a healthy dose of skepticism. Start with clean data and clear goals, build your custom reports, and don’t get bogged down in the details. Check your reports each month, tweak as needed, and ignore the noise. That’s how you actually get insights that help your B2B team win.
Now, go make your data work for you—don’t let it run your life.