How do I create a report using AI?

Creating a report with AI is helpful when you have a clear question in mind but are not sure which fields or filters to use. You describe the report you want in plain language, and Remote suggests the data source, columns, and filters for you to review.

Before you start

You need the Custom Reporting permission to create reports. AI uses the same data sources and fields that are available when you build a report manually, so the results reflect the data you already have access to.

Create a report with AI

1. Go to Reporting and Analytics and select All reports.
2. Select Create report, then choose the option to Build with AI.
   
3. In the prompt field, describe the report you need. For example:
   • “Show me all active employees in Germany grouped by department with their salary and start date.”
   • “Show headcount by country for the sales department.”
   • “Create a payroll cost report for March 2026.”
   • “Show employee terminations by department as of December 1, 2025.”
   • “Generate a variance report comparing payroll costs between January and February 2026.”
     
4. Review the configuration that Remote generates:
   • Review the columns and filters.
   • Confirm any time period or grouping.
   • Adjust anything you need to fine-tune the report.
5. Select Run report to download it as a CSV or Excel file.
   
6. The report is automatically saved and you can view it from the reports dashboard.

Tips for better results

A good prompt usually includes a few of these:

• Start with the type of report you want, such as headcount, termination, payroll cost, general ledger (GL), or variance.
• Mention the filters that matter, such as country, legal entity, department, or employment type.
• Specify how you want the data grouped, such as “by country,” “by department,” or “by legal entity.”
• For comparisons, state the periods you want to compare, such as “February 2026 versus January 2026.”
• Add a time period or snapshot date when it is relevant. How you handle dates depends on what you plan to do with the report, as explained below.

Match your filters to how you use the report

How you phrase dates and scope in your prompt should depend on whether the report is a one-time pull or something you plan to reuse, share, or schedule.

One-off reports (run once, not shared)

Narrow filters are fine here. You can be as specific as you like, because exact date ranges, snapshot dates, and tight scopes all work well.

• Example: “Show headcount in Germany as of January 1, 2026, grouped by department.”

Recurring, shared, or scheduled reports

Avoid narrow date filters and narrow data scopes. A fixed date range freezes the report to that period and does not roll forward on each run, and tightly scoped filters may not behave correctly when the report runs for other users or on a schedule.

• Use relative or open time references, for example “current month” or “this quarter,” instead of fixed dates like “January 1 to January 31, 2026.”
• Keep the scope broad and let access permissions control what each viewer sees, rather than hard-coding a narrow scope into the report.
• Example: “Show headcount by country and department for the current period.”

Scheduled reports are available today in the Workflow engine(WFE). Building scheduled reports directly in the report builder is coming in Q3.

If the first result is not quite right, add more detail to your prompt or adjust the configuration manually before running it again.