The Report Canvas

What is the Report Canvas?

The Report Canvas is a side panel that opens next to your chat. It gives you an interactive space to explore generated reports and dashboards — while keeping your conversation visible on the left.

Think of it as a split screen: chat on the left, report on the right.

Generated Reports

When you ask VAL Agent to generate a report, it uses a skill to query your data, assemble the analysis, and produce a formatted HTML report. Once the report is ready, you will see a Download Report link in the chat.

The chat response includes:

• A Download Report link to open the full report
• Key Findings — a summary table with current values and comparisons to prior periods (green = up, red = down)
• The Story — narrative analysis explaining what the numbers mean and what to watch for

Opening the Report Canvas

Click the Download Report link and the Report Canvas slides open on the right side of your screen. The full HTML report renders in the panel with interactive charts, metrics, and export options:

The Report Canvas gives you:

• A formatted report — styled with charts, tables, KPI cards, and narrative sections
• Key metrics at a glance — revenue, receipts, average check, and other KPIs
• The Bottom Line — a summary of what the data means for your business
• Export options — download the data as .xlsx or save the report

Dashboards in the Canvas

The Report Canvas also opens when you view existing VAL dashboards. Ask VAL Agent to show your dashboards and click Open on any of them:

Dashboard features in the canvas:

• Interactive charts — line charts, bar charts, and more
• Tabs — switch between metrics (e.g. SALES, # INVOICES, AOV)
• Filters — narrow the view to a specific outlet, brand, or period
• Real-time updates — charts refresh as you change filters

Keep Chatting While You Explore

The canvas stays open while you chat. Ask follow-up questions about what you see:

• "What's driving the dip in October?"
• "Break this down by outlet"
• "Compare this to the same period last year"

VAL Agent can see what you are looking at and tailor its answers.

Close or Expand

• Click X to close the canvas and return to full-width chat
• Click the expand button to make the canvas fill the screen

Tips

• Ask for specific reports — "Generate a performance summary for last month" produces richer output than a general question
• Use the canvas alongside chat — ask questions about what you see without closing the report
• Try different tabs and filters in dashboards — there is often more data than what loads first

Next Steps

• Using Skills — skills power the report generation you see here
• Uploading & Analysing Files — attach files for instant analysis
• Getting Started with VAL Agent — back to the basics