--- title: Customize an Existing Report by Chatting with Your AI Assistant description: Ask your AI assistant to add a page, fix a chart, or build a formatted table in a Reach report you already have. --- [Skip to content](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#main-content) ![Asset 1.png\]](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%201.png?height=22&name=Asset%201.png) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [Go to reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) [Go to reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) How can we help improve your Reach? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Knowledge Center](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/?hsLang=en) 2. [AI Enhanced Reporting Info](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting-info?hsLang=en) 3. [Creating with AI Assistants](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting-info?hsLang=en#creating-with-ai-assistants) # Customize an Existing Report by Chatting with Your AI Assistant ## Ask your AI assistant to add a page, fix a chart, or build a formatted table inside a report you already have. ### **In this article:** - [What You Can Do with Your AI Assistant](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#what_you_can_do) - [Before You Start](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Before_you_start) - [What Happens While Your Assistant Edits a Report](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#What_happens_while) - [Examples of What You Can Ask For](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Examples_of_what_you_can_ask_for) - [Add a New Page to an Existing Report](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Add_a_new_page_to-an_existing_report) - [Fix or Update an Existing Page](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Fix_or_update_an_existing_page) - [Build a Table with Conditional Formatting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#build_a_table_with_conditional_formatting) - [Getting the Best Results](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Getting_the_Best_Results) - [Troubleshooting and Known Limitations](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#Troubleshooting_and_Known_Limitations) - [Related Articles](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/customize-an-existing-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant#related_articles) --- ### **What You Can Do with Your AI Assistant** The [Reach connector](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-connectors?hsLang=en) lets you use your AI assistant to add to and update the reports you already use. Once it’s set up in Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, Grok, or another supported assistant, you can ask it to add a page, rebuild a chart, or create a table. Your assistant builds the result directly in Reach using the company’s live data and your report’s existing design. Everything it creates is a standard Reach page, metric, or live text element, so you can review and edit it just like anything you built yourself. To build a new report from scratch, see [Design a Report by Chatting with Your AI Assistant](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/design-a-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant?hsLang=en). **Note:** The examples and screenshots in this article were recorded in Claude. Other assistants look different on screen, and results and timing can vary from one assistant to another. --- ### **Before You Start** You need three things in place: - **The Reach connector added to your AI assistant.** If you haven't connected it yet, follow the setup guide for your assistant: [Claude](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/designing-reports-with-claude-the-reach-connector?hsLang=en), [ChatGPT](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/designing-reports-with-chatgpt-the-reach-connector?hsLang=en), [Cursor](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/designing-reports-with-cursor-the-reach-connector?hsLang=en), or [Grok](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/designing-reports-with-grok-the-reach-connector?hsLang=en). All guides are listed under [AI Connectors](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting-info#main-content). - **AI Enhanced Reporting turned on for the company.** Your assistant can only see and edit companies where AI is enabled. On the workspace home page, those companies show a sparkle icon next to their name. See [AI Enhanced Reporting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting?hsLang=en) to turn it on. - **An existing report to work in.** The examples in this article start from a report that already has at least one page. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 2.52.22 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%202.52.22%20PM.png?width=670&height=211&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%202.52.22%20PM.png) **Note:** Once you're signed in, your assistant can see every AI-enabled company you have access to in Reach. Name the company and the report in your first message so it works in the right place. --- ### **What Happens While Your Assistant Edits a Report** When your assistant starts working, Reach locks the report so your changes and the assistant's don't collide. A banner across the top reads **Reach AI is editing this report — viewing live updates (read only)**. While it's showing, you can't edit, drag and drop, or use the left menu. You can watch the page build in real time, and the report unlocks when your assistant finishes. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 2.54.43 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%202.54.43%20PM.png?width=670&height=361&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%202.54.43%20PM.png) A few things are true of everything your assistant builds: - **It uses this company's data.** Your assistant reads the company's actual chart of accounts and figures through Reach. That's why requests like "top cost of goods sold accounts" work here even though they can't be saved as a generic template: every company's accounts are different. - **It follows the report's existing design.** Your assistant looks at how the report is already built and matches it, including backgrounds, page settings, decorative elements, and the disclaimer. - **It builds real Reach elements.** Charts and tables are standard [metrics](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/metrics-statement-builder?hsLang=en), and dynamic numbers in text are [live text](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/live-text?hsLang=en). You can open and edit any of them afterward. **Note:** A single page usually takes a few minutes to build. Timing depends on your assistant and how much the page includes. --- ### **Examples of What You Can Ask For** These are a few common requests. You can ask your assistant for almost anything you'd normally build by hand in the report builder. #### **Add a New Page to an Existing Report** This example adds a gross profit page that highlights the company's top cost of goods sold accounts. ##### **Step 1: Open the report in Reach** Open the report you want to change so you can watch your assistant's work as it happens. ##### **Step 2: Describe the page to your assistant** Say what you want and point your assistant to the report. For example: > My client wants to see a gross profit page showing top COGS. Report: Ironvale Monthly Report ##### **Step 3: Wait for your assistant to finish** The report locks while your assistant works. When it's done, it summarizes what it added in the chat. Some assistants also offer a print preview link. If you already have the report open, you can skip it. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.04.12 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.04.12%20PM.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.04.12%20PM.png) In this example, the assistant built a page with: - A gross profit vs. cost of goods sold column chart for the trailing 12 months - Summary tiles for the last month's gross profit, year-to-date gross profit, and total COGS, each with live text comparisons - A table of the top cost of goods sold accounts with a bar chart of their year-to-date amounts ##### **Step 4: Review what your assistant built** Open any metric to see exactly how it's set up. The rows, columns, and data sources are all visible in the [Metric/Statement Builder](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/metrics-statement-builder?hsLang=en), and you can change anything you like. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.06.38 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.06.38%20PM.png?width=670&height=364&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.06.38%20PM.png) **Tip:** Check the figures your assistant quotes in its chat summary against the metric itself. The metric is the source of truth, and it updates with your [book month](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/book-month-how-to-use?hsLang=en) like any other report element. --- #### **Fix or Update an Existing Page** Your assistant can also change what's already in a report. Name the page and say what you want changed. For example: > On page 1, I need net profit margin in the graph. In this example, the assistant finds the chart on page 1, adds net profit margin as a line on the right-hand axis, and left the rest of the page as it was. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.08.48 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.08.48%20PM.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.08.48%20PM.png) When you open the metric, you can see how the assistant produced the number. Here it added an income row and calculated the margin with a custom formula, then hid the helper row so it doesn't show in the chart. Your assistant can add, hide, and delete rows and columns, and write formulas, the same way you would in the builder. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.12.30 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.12.30%20PM.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.12.30%20PM.png) **Note:** Your assistant may calculate a value with its own formula instead of using Reach's built-in version (for example, the built-in Net Profit Margin). The result is usually the same. If you'd rather use the built-in option, ask for it by name or swap the row yourself. --- #### **Build a Table with Conditional Formatting** This is where page-level requests save the most time. Instead of building a metric, writing formulas, and setting up formatting rules by hand, you can describe the result. ##### **Step 1: Add a blank page (optional)** Add a new page where you want the table to go. You can also skip this and ask your assistant to add the page for you. ##### **Step 2: Describe the table** Say which page, what kind of metric, and how it should be formatted. For example: > On page 3, I need a health metric. Make sure it's a table, and I want conditional formatting to compare the last 3 months. Typos are usually fine. Your assistant will generally work out what you mean. ##### **Step 3: Review the result** In this example, the assistant built a Financial Health Scorecard comparing gross margin, net profit margin, current ratio, quick ratio, and debt-to-equity across the last three months. Green marks an improvement over the prior month and red marks a decline. It also added a legend explaining the colors and a short definition of what each metric tells you. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.14.31 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.14.31%20PM.png?width=670&height=364&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.14.31%20PM.png) Open the metric to see the work behind it. The assistant built the ratio formulas, hid the supporting rows, and set up every conditional formatting rule (for example, if B10 is greater than A10, format it green). ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.18.39 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.18.39%20PM.png?width=670&height=364&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.18.39%20PM.png) ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.19.37 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.19.37%20PM.png?width=670&height=363&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.19.37%20PM.png) ##### **Step 4: Refine with a follow-up** You can keep adjusting the same table in plain language, or edit it yourself. For example: > Make the table header font bold and do a black background. When you change one style, your assistant decides how related styles should adjust. Here, it made the header text white so it stayed readable on black. Different assistants may make different choices, so if you want a specific result, say so in your request. ![Screenshot 2026-11-02 at 3.21.03 PM](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.21.03%20PM.png?width=670&height=362&name=Screenshot%202026-11-02%20at%203.21.03%20PM.png) --- ### **Getting the Best Results** Your assistant can build a full report from scratch, from a sample, or from a PDF or Excel file you upload (see [Design a Report by Chatting with Your AI Assistant](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/design-a-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant?hsLang=en)). The most detailed results, though, come from narrow requests. When you ask for a whole report ("build an investor report" or "do a balance sheet health review"), your assistant spreads its effort across every page. It tends to keep each page simpler, and complex extras like conditional formatting are less likely. When you ask for one page, one metric, or one table, it can put all of that effort into getting the details right. A good working pattern: - **Build the overall report first, then refine it page by page.** Use broad requests for structure and focused requests for detail. - **Name the page and the element.** "On page 3, the revenue chart" is clearer than "the chart." - **Say the format you want.** Table or chart, which comparison period, and any formatting rules. - **Ask for a redesign when you're ready.** Once the content is right, you can ask your assistant to restyle the whole report, for example to look more corporate or investor-ready. - **Edit by hand whenever it's faster.** Everything your assistant builds can be changed or deleted in Reach directly. --- ### **Troubleshooting and Known Limitations** **My assistant can't find my company.** Check that AI Enhanced Reporting is turned on for that company. Your assistant only has access to AI-enabled companies. See [AI Enhanced Reporting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting?hsLang=en). **The report still says it's read-only.** The report stays locked until your assistant finishes. If it has finished and the banner is still showing, hold **Shift** and refresh your browser. **Someone else can't open the report.** Reach supports one person in a report at a time, and that includes your AI assistant. Wait until it finishes, and make sure no teammates have the report open when you start a request. **My assistant used its own formula instead of a built-in metric.** This can happen, and the result is usually the same. Ask for the built-in metric by name if you want it used. --- ### **Related Articles** - - [AI Connectors](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-connectors?hsLang=en) (setup guides for Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, and Grok) - [Design a Report by Chatting with Your AI Assistant](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/design-a-report-by-chatting-with-your-ai-assistant?hsLang=en) - [AI Enhanced Reporting](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-enhanced-reporting?hsLang=en) - [AI-Powered Reports and Dashboards](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/ai-powered-reports-and-dashboards?hsLang=en) - [Metrics/Statement Builder](https://knowledge.reachreporting.com/metrics-statement-builder?hsLang=en) --- ### [**Go to the Reach Reporting app\>**](https://app.reachreporting.com/login) **ARE YOU NOT CURRENTLY USING REACH REPORTING?** [learn more at reachreporting.com](https://reachreporting.com/) ### **We are dedicated to helping you.** - Need Additional Help? *Your success is important to us.* Whether you're working as a CFO of a business or part of an accounting firm, Reach Reporting is here to improve your working knowledge of reporting and provide service tips and skills to ensure you're at the top of your game. 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