Help › Generating Reports

Generating Reports

The report builder pulls live Instagram and TikTok analytics, lets you add curated insights, and produces a shareable or exportable report — all in a few clicks.

Opening the report builder

Go to Generate Report in the top nav, or click the Generate Report button on any client card on the dashboard (this pre-selects that client for you).

Building a report

Step 1 — Select a client and date range

Choose the client from the dropdown. Then set your Date From and Date To — these default to the previous calendar month, which is the most common reporting period.

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The date range applies to all platforms. Data is pulled directly from Instagram and TikTok's APIs for the selected period.

Step 2 — Add competitor highlights (optional)

The Competitors section lets you showcase what the competition is doing and what you can learn from it. For each competitor:

  • Add their handle using the Add competitor field (you can paste a full URL or just the handle)
  • Paste a link to their best post for the period
  • Enter their post's likes and/or views for context
  • Write a short "What We Can Learn" note

You can add up to 6 competitors per client. Competitors are saved against the client so you don't have to re-add them each month.

Step 3 — Add content inspiration (optional)

The Content Inspiration section lets you add up to 6 posts from anywhere on the internet (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube) as inspiration for the client's upcoming content.

  • Paste a post URL into a slot and click Preview — Catalyst fetches the embed automatically
  • Add a note on what makes the content stand out (The Inspiring Bit) and how the client can apply it (How We Can Apply It)

Step 4 — Generate

Click Generate Report. Catalyst fetches the analytics data and renders a full preview in the right panel. This usually takes a few seconds.

Reading the report

The generated report includes:

  • Cover page — client logo, name, and date range
  • Instagram overview — follower count, reach, impressions, engagement rate, top posts
  • TikTok overview — follower count, video views, likes, comments, shares, top videos
  • Competitor highlights — your curated competitor posts and insights
  • Content inspiration — embedded posts and notes
  • Strategic recommendations — auto-generated based on the data trends

Sections only appear if there's data to show — if a platform isn't connected, its section is omitted.

Saving a report

Click Save Report to store the report in Catalyst. Saved reports:

  • Appear in the Saved Reports list at the bottom of the page for that client
  • Can be loaded back into the builder at any time
  • Get a unique share link automatically (see below)

Sharing a report

After saving, a share link is shown. Anyone with this link can view the report — no Catalyst login required. This is the easiest way to send a report to a client or stakeholder.

Share links are permanent until you delete the saved report.

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Tip: Share links are great for async review — send the link in an email or Slack and the client can view it on their phone without any friction.

Exporting to HTML / PDF

Click Export as HTML to download a fully self-contained .html file. This file:

  • Opens in any browser — no internet connection needed
  • Can be printed to PDF from the browser (File → Print → Save as PDF)
  • Can be attached to an email
  • Is branded with the client's accent colour and logo

Alternatively, click Print to open the browser's print dialog directly — all report sections are automatically expanded for a clean PDF output.

Loading a saved report

The Saved Reports table at the bottom of the page lists all reports for the selected client. Click Load to restore a report into the builder — you can then re-generate with new data, update the notes, or re-export.

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Loading a saved report overwrites the current builder state. Make sure you've saved any current work first.

Overriding metrics manually

Some metrics aren't available via the platform APIs — for example, TikTok's Profile Visits, For You page %, and Search % require a business-tier API access that isn't available in all regions. The Override Metrics feature lets you enter these values manually so your report is complete.

How to override

  1. Generate or load a report
  2. Click Override Metrics in the report preview action bar
  3. A panel slides in from the right with fields for every key metric across Instagram and TikTok
  4. Fill in only the fields you want to change — leave anything blank to keep the API value
  5. Click Apply & Refresh Preview — the report re-renders immediately with your values

What can be overridden

Instagram: Followers, Follower Growth, Total Reach, Profile Visits, Website Clicks, Total Engagement, Total Views, Followers % of Reach, Non-Followers % of Reach.

TikTok: Followers, Follower Growth, Total Video Views, Total Engagement, Profile Visits, For You Page %, Search %, Following %.

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Tip: Override values are saved with the report — if you save after overriding and reload later, your manual values will be pre-filled in the panel automatically.

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Overrides apply to the preview, export, and print output. The raw API data stored in the report is not modified — clearing overrides restores the original API values instantly.

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