Reports troubleshooting and limitations

The following issues may arise when working with reports:

Search for	Example	Results
A single word	`cat`	Topics that contain the word "cat". You will also find its grammatical variations, such as "cats".
A phrase. You can specify that the search results contain a specific phrase.	`"cat food"` (quotation marks)	Topics that contain the literal phrase "cat food" and all its grammatical variations. Without the quotation marks, the query is equivalent to specifying an OR operator, which finds topics with one of the individual words instead of the phrase.

Search for	Operator	Example
Two or more words in the same topic	`AND` `and` `+` (plus symbol) `&` (ampersand)	`cat AND dog` `"cat food"+milk` `"cat food"&"dog food"`
Either word in a topic	`OR` `or` `\|` (pipe)	`cat OR dog` `cat \| dog`
Topics that do not contain a specific word or phrase	`NOT` `not` `!` (exclamation point)	`NOT cat` `! dog`
Topics that contain one string and do not contain another	`^` (caret)	`cat ^ mouse`
A combination of search types	`( )` parentheses	`cat + (dog \| mouse)` `cat \| dog + (! mouse)`

Issue	Causes and solutions
Report cannot be displayed	If the raw data for an operational report exceeds 4,000 records, the report cannot be displayed. If the aggregated data for a report (operational or analytic) exceeds 800 rows, the report cannot be displayed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties.
Chart cannot be displayed	If the report data exceeds 40 bars or columns in a bar or column chart or 40 pie slices in a pie chart, the chart cannot be viewed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties. If the report data exceeds 20 different subgroups in a stacked bar or column chart, the chart cannot be viewed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties. If more than two grouping options are selected for the report, no chart is displayed. In an operational report, if no grouping option and no function are selected, no chart is displayed.
Cannot drill down from report	If the source data for the selected bar or slice of a chart or grid row is greater than 4,000 rows of data, you cannot drill down to it. If the report filter and the grouping options do not contain at least one searchable field, you cannot drill down from the report to the source data. Searchable fields are defined in the metadata for the record type. Drill down is not available for reports based on articles, models, tasks, or Service Level targets. In an analytic report, if the report is grouped by a time field by hour, you cannot drill down to the source data. In an analytic report, if the report is grouped by a time field, you cannot drill down to the source data for the section representing a null value. Drill down is not available for survey reports.
Report cannot be changed from analytic to operational	Grouping by a time field is not supported for operational reports. If your analytic report has a grouping defined on a time field, select a different grouping field.
Report cannot be changed from operational to analytic	Analytic reports require at least one grouping option and one function. If your operational report has no grouping option and no function, it cannot be changed to an analytic report. Analytic reports do not support the filter by Me feature. If your operational report has a filter defined for a field of type person by Me, it cannot be changed to an analytic report. Enter your name in the filter. If your operational report includes field selections in the filter or the grouping options that are not supported for analytic reports, change the selection. If you are unable to change an operational report to an analytic one because you are exceeding your quota, see below for suggestions on how to reduce your quota usage.
Invalid grouping selection	You can select a maximum of three different related records for groupings by a related record field. (You can select more than three groupings by related record field for the same related record.) In an analytic report, if one of the related record groupings is of type Incident, Request, or Service Level Target, no other related record grouping of those types can be selected.
Quota is exceeded	If you are unable to save or activate a report because you have exceeded your quota, try one of the following methods to reduce your quota usage: Deactivate some active analytic reports. Change some active analytic reports to operational reports. Reduce the recalculation frequency of some analytic reports.

Issue

Causes and solutions

Report cannot be displayed

If the raw data for an operational report exceeds 4,000 records, the report cannot be displayed.
If the aggregated data for a report (operational or analytic) exceeds 800 rows, the report cannot be displayed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties.

Chart cannot be displayed

If the report data exceeds 40 bars or columns in a bar or column chart or 40 pie slices in a pie chart, the chart cannot be viewed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties.
If the report data exceeds 20 different subgroups in a stacked bar or column chart, the chart cannot be viewed. Try refining your data by applying a filter in the Report properties.
If more than two grouping options are selected for the report, no chart is displayed.
In an operational report, if no grouping option and no function are selected, no chart is displayed.

Cannot drill down from report

If the source data for the selected bar or slice of a chart or grid row is greater than 4,000 rows of data, you cannot drill down to it.
If the report filter and the grouping options do not contain at least one searchable field, you cannot drill down from the report to the source data. Searchable fields are defined in the metadata for the record type.
Drill down is not available for reports based on articles, models, tasks, or Service Level targets.
In an analytic report, if the report is grouped by a time field by hour, you cannot drill down to the source data.
In an analytic report, if the report is grouped by a time field, you cannot drill down to the source data for the section representing a null value.
Drill down is not available for survey reports.

Report cannot be changed from analytic to operational

Grouping by a time field is not supported for operational reports. If your analytic report has a grouping defined on a time field, select a different grouping field.

Report cannot be changed from operational to analytic

Analytic reports require at least one grouping option and one function. If your operational report has no grouping option and no function, it cannot be changed to an analytic report.
Analytic reports do not support the filter by Me feature. If your operational report has a filter defined for a field of type person by Me, it cannot be changed to an analytic report. Enter your name in the filter.
If your operational report includes field selections in the filter or the grouping options that are not supported for analytic reports, change the selection.
If you are unable to change an operational report to an analytic one because you are exceeding your quota, see below for suggestions on how to reduce your quota usage.

Invalid grouping selection

You can select a maximum of three different related records for groupings by a related record field. (You can select more than three groupings by related record field for the same related record.)
In an analytic report, if one of the related record groupings is of type Incident, Request, or Service Level Target, no other related record grouping of those types can be selected.

Quota is exceeded

If you are unable to save or activate a report because you have exceeded your quota, try one of the following methods to reduce your quota usage: