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Review Report Matches

Need help understanding why a certain record is or isn't showing up in your report? Review your selection matches to find out!

The selections you choose determine which records are or are not included in a report. Use this process to review the conditions created by your selections, and see the reason why each record was matched or skipped.

Usually, when you review your matches, you'll have a goal in mind. For example, you need to figure out why a letter is not printing for John Smith. Your goal determines the options you'll select in the following steps.

  1. Create or open your report.
  2. Select the options you want on the Selection Information tab, Additional Selections tab, and any other tabs you need in order to filter the records for your report.
  3. When you think you have the correct selections, click Review Selections.
  4. If this is your first time using this process, read through the Instructions tab to understand the basics.
    Tip: Once you become familiar with this process, you can clear the option for Show Instructions First. This moves the Instructions tab to the end, and the Matches/Skipped tab will show first next time you review selections.
To review individual records, go to the Matches / Skipped tab.
  1. By default, the records that match your current selections display, up to 100 records.
    • To review more than the default of 100 records that matched your Quick Selection criteria, change the number beside Stop After to the number of records you want to view. This is useful if you have a very large number of records and only need to review up to a certain point in your database.
    • To review all records that matched your Quick Selection criteria, select Review The # Records That Passed Quick Selections.
    • To review all records in your database, even if they did not match your Quick Selection criteria, select Review All # Records (Includes Records That Did Not Pass Quick Selections*). In the list on the left, the asterisk (*) displays beside records that did not match your Quick Selections.
  2. Select whether you want to see which records are Printing, Emailing (if applicable), Texting (if applicable), or Skipping. Or, click Show All to see all actions for all records in the list.
  3. If you want to view the current list of records in a text file rather than the grid view, click Show in Notepad. This is useful if you need to exit this process to update one or more of the listed records.
    Note: The text file respects the Action option you chose. For example, it only shows records that will be skipped if you have Skipping selected at the top.
  4. To quickly locate a record in the list, click Find Text. This looks for matching text in the Description column, so you can search for an ID or name.
  5. If you need to see more of the Reason for Action box or the Selection box, you can click the expand button button with two arrows pointing right.
To see and search through all records, click the View the Entire List tab.
  1. Scroll through the records to see which ones were matched or skipped and the reason why. Records display in order by ID number.
  2. To quickly locate a record in the box, click Find Text. This looks for matching text anywhere in the box, so you can search for an ID, name, action, or reason.
  3. When you're finished reviewing selections, click Close to go back to your report.
    • If your selections are matching and skipping the records as expected, you can run your report.
    • Otherwise, you may need to edit your selections and/or records in order to achieve the results you want.

Selection Review Field Descriptions

Action
Filter the list to show only the records that will be printed, emailed, texted, or skipped based on your selections. Or, you can see all records regardless of how they will be processed.
Review List
By default, the list shows records that passed Quick Selections (the options you chose on the Selection tabs), up to 100 records. This helps improve the performance of this process. If needed, you can change this number using the text box or select the option to show all the records that passed Quick Selections. Or, you can select the option to review all of your records, including the ones that did not meet your Quick Selection criteria.
Show in Notepad
Opens the list in a text file. Depending on what you need to do with the list, it may be easier to view the records in this format. The text file shows the action along with the record information, whether it passed Quick Selections and Additional Selections, and the reason why. It shows records based on the Action option you chose.

You can use the text file to update records outside of this process. For example, you might find that a group of records are being skipped in your report because they do not have a certain keyword. If the records are supposed to have that keyword, you can keep the text file open while you exit the process and go to each record to add the keyword.

Find Text
On the Matches/Skipped tab, this searches the Description column for matching text. Use this to locate a specific record by ID or name.

On the View the Entire List tab, this searches all the information for matching text. Use this to locate a specific record by ID, name, action, or reason.

Reason for Action
Explains why the selected record will be printed, emailed, texted, or skipped based on your selections.
Selection
Shows the options you chose on the Selection tabs (referred to as "Quick Selections") and any Additional Selections.
  • If a record meets the criteria in your selections, it is a match and will be processed.
  • If a record does not match your selections, it is skipped.

Watch & Learn

Learn how to review the report selections you made to see which records will be included (and will not be included) in your report. 7 min 40 sec

It may take a minute for the video to display. To watch in full screen mode, click the expand icon in the video player.

To watch more videos, visit the PDS Video Library.