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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2026-03-13
Set Up Grouping and Summarizing for Matrix Reports

Set Up Grouping and Summarizing for Matrix Reports

  • Create a custom matrix report.
  • Security: These domains in the System functional area:
    • Custom Report Creation
    • Manage: All Custom Reports
You can configure the
Matrix
tab on matrix reports to:
  • Group instances of the primary business object.
  • Summarize metrics for each grouping.
You can use matrix reports as subreports in composite reporting unless the matrix report includes:
  • Only percentile summarization fields.
  • Text-based count distinct summarization fields.
  1. Access the
    Edit Custom Report
    task.
  2. As you complete the
    Column Grouping (Optional)
    or the
    Row Grouping
    section on the
    Matrix
    tab, consider:
    Option Description
    Group by Field
    Select a field of 1 of these types:
    • Boolean
    • Date
    • Numeric
    • Single Instance
    • Text
    Configure at least 1 row grouping for the report.
    Sort Columns/Rows
    Select an option so that values sort in ascending or descending:
    • Alphabetical order based on the
      Group by Field
      value.
    • Order based on the column or row total.
    Sorting isn't case-sensitive.
    When enabled, Workday uses the logical sort order for the field specified in the
    Group by Field
    value.
    The
    Other
    column or row and the
    Total
    column or row always display as the right-most column or row in the report results.
    Options
    When you select
    Sequence Defined in Field Values Group
    on the
    Sort Rows
    prompt, access the
    Create Field Values Group
    task to configure sorting options.
    Indexed
    Workday selects the check box when you select:
    • An indexed data source.
    • A
      Group by Field
      indexed for grouping.
    If the
    Indexed
    check box is clear for a row, your report might run slowly. Consider replacing the
    Group by Field
    with a field indexed for grouping so that your report can run faster.
    Maximum Number of Columns/Rows
    Enter a value to specify the maximum number of column or row results. When the number of columns or rows exceeds the limit, Workday displays an
    Other
    column or row that summarizes the remaining values.
    Workday displays more than 1
    Other
    when:
    1. You select the
      Sum Remaining Values
      check box on the
      Output
      tab.
    2. The data exceeds the number of
      Top n Values
      that you specify.
    Hide Total Column/Row
    Select the check box to hide the total column or row in your report. Workday retains the check box selection when you:
    • Copy a standard report that hides column or row totals.
    • Export your report to Excel or PDF.
    Note: Workday disables the
    Edit
    button in the
    Control Prompt Values
    column on the
    Prompts
    tab when you select the
    Use Dynamic Column Grouping
    and Use
    Dynamic Row Grouping
    check boxes. This filtering and cascading functionality is not applicable when dynamic row and column groupings are active.
  3. In the
    Define the Field(s) to Summarize
    grid, specify how Workday should aggregate the data.
    As you complete the grid, consider:
    Option Description
    Summarization Type
    Specify the aggregation method used for the field. The results of the aggregation method display in the cells on the report or chart, such as a column or donut segment.
    Select:
    • Calculation
      to create a custom calculation based on an arithmetic expression or to look up a prior value.
    • Count Distinct
      to drill into and view the distinct number of instances based on a field or row in your report results.
    You can't include a
    Lookup Prior Value
    summary calculation on a matrix report when using the report in a scorecard metric calculation.
    Summarization Field
    This field is inactive when the
    Summarization Type
    is
    Count
    .
    Select a currency, instance, numeric, or text field for 1 of these
    Summarization Type
    options:
    • Average
    • Calculation
    • Count Distinct
    • Maximum
    • Minimum
    • Percentile
    • Sum
    Workday indexes report fields on Prism RDSs, but might not index all fields on standard RDSs. To select text fields for count distinct on a standard RDS, clear the
    Optimized for Performance
    check box on the
    Advanced
    tab.
    For a
    Calculation
    Summarization Type
    , select
    Create
    Create Summarization Calculation for Report
    or
    Create
    Create System-Wide Summarization Calculation
    to:
    • Create a summary calculation based on an arithmetic expression.
    • Look up a prior value based on:
      • Average x time periods.
      • Prior rollup period.
      • Prior time period.
      • Sum x time periods.
    To create tenant-wide summarization calculations, configure the
    System-Wide Summarization Calculation Management
    domain in the System functional area.
    You can create fields calculated from values in report-specific or tenant-wide calculated fields. For faster report performance, limit the number of calculated fields you include in the report.
    Format
    The format applies to:
    • Numeric labels.
    • Table and charted outputs.
    • The horizontal axis.
    • The vertical axis.
    When displaying numbers with
    Thousands
    and
    Millions
    formatting, Workday rounds each number independently, so a group of numbers might not add up to the total displayed.
    To display 12 decimal places when you export reports to Excel or PDF, you can select
    #,##0.000000000000
    or
    #,##0.############
    for these aggregated numeric fields:
    • Average
    • Maximum
    • Minimum
    • Sum
    The data must include 12 digits to display 12 decimal places, otherwise Workday trails the number with zeros.
    Options
    Specify options that control how the field data displays. The options available depend on the field type, such as currency, date, or text.
    You can select these options from the
    Valid Options
    prompt:
    • Percent of Overall Total
      : The value at the intersection of a column and row. Workday automatically changes the
      Format
      column to a percentage format.
    • Show Currency Symbol
      : Workday displays
      Invalid
      on fields that aggregate values in different currencies.
    • Use as Target Line
      : Creates 1 or more target lines for each data group based on numeric or currency fields. You can configure target lines on the
      Output
      tab.
    You can also select the
    Create
    prompt to create these custom display options:
    • Create Analytic Indicator for Report
      , which creates a report-specific analytic indicator. To create an analytic indicator for use in other reports, access the
      Create Analytic Indicator
      task.
    • Create Detail Data Override
      . Workday generates a detail data override for your summarization field when your report uses the
      Trended Workers
      RDS. You can enter a unique drill-down layout for the field. The detail data that you specify overrides the selections on the
      Drill Down
      tab. You can select these display options for the columns:
      • Display format.
      • Drill down window columns displayed.
      • Field label overrides.
      • The sort order.
      When you complete the
      Create Detail Data Override
      task, you can select
      Translate
      from the related actions menu of the
      Detail Data Override
      . The
      Translate Detail Data Override
      task enables you to specify an override to translate and a language for translation.
      You can also control which fields to sort on and the sort direction to use.
    • Create Drill-To Report Link
      : Use to link to another report from the summarization field. You can also map fields from the source report to the prompt fields of the target report.
      For multi-instance fields, Workday only passes a single value to the target report. Example: If the
      Country
      field on the source report has values of
      USA
      and
      France
      , Workday only passes 1 value onto the target report.
    • Create Percentile for Report
      , which enables you to create custom percentiles up to 2 decimal places to use in your report. Workday uses an approximate value for currency and numeric fields in the percentile (PCTL).
    Indexed
    Workday selects the check box based on the indexed RDS, indexed data source filter, and the indexed field you select. The check box indicates if your report has the potential to run faster.