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Setting Up Email Reports

This guide walks you through the complete setup of automated PDF reports using the Reporting module. The process consists of three main steps: creating the report layout, preparing the email message, and configuring the scheduler.

Step 1: Create a Report Template​

First, we need to define how the resulting PDF will look and what data it will contain.

  1. Navigate to Reporting -> Overview (or Templates) in the left main menu.
  2. Click the + Add report template button in the top right corner and select Create new report template.
  3. Enter a name for the template (e.g., General Monthly Report) and leave the format as PDF.
  4. You are now in the visual Report Builder. Drag and drop components from the left panel:
    • Text & Content: For adding headers, titles, and footers (Markdown is supported).
    • Charts: To insert graphs. In the chart settings, select the target devices and the time window (e.g., Previous month).
    • Tables: To insert data tables. Tip: If you want to merge data from multiple devices into a single row, make sure to enable data aggregation (e.g., 1 Day) in the table settings.
  5. Once you are satisfied with the layout, click Save / Apply to store the template.
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Official Documentation: Learn more about creating and designing report layouts here: ThingsBoard Reporting Key Concepts

Step 2: Create a Notification Template​

To send the report to customers, we must create the email text that will accompany the PDF attachment.

  1. Navigate to Notification center -> Templates in the left menu.
  2. Click the + Add template button to create a new notification template.
  3. Name the template (e.g., Monthly Report Email Template).
  4. Select the appropriate Notification type (e.g., Report generated).
  5. In the Delivery methods section, check the Email option.
  6. Fill in the email content:
    • Subject: e.g., Monthly Monitoring Report - %d{MMMM yyyy}.
    • Body: Write the accompanying text the customer will see in the email. You can use plain text or HTML formatting (bullet points, bold text, etc.).
    • Note: ThingsBoard will automatically attach the generated PDF file to this email template when triggered by the scheduler.
  7. Save the template.
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Official Documentation: For advanced email formatting and notification routing, check out: ThingsBoard Notification Templates

Step 3: Schedule the Automated Delivery​

Now we need to combine the previous steps and tell the system when and to whom the report should be sent.

  1. Go back to the Reporting section in the left menu and click on Scheduling reports.
  2. Click the + icon to add a new schedule.
  3. Fill in the scheduler configuration:
    • Report template: Select the report layout you created in Step 1.
    • Notification template: Select the email template you prepared in Step 2.
  4. Go to the Schedule settings:
    • Select the correct timezone.
    • Set the repeat interval – for monthly reports, schedule it to run on the 1st day of every month at your preferred time (e.g., 01:00 AM).
  5. In the Recipients / Targets section, define who will receive the email. You can select specific Users, Customers, or enter direct email addresses.
  6. Save the schedule.
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Official Documentation: Read more about scheduling events and report delivery here: ThingsBoard Scheduler

Done! The system will now automatically generate the PDF based on your design every month, attach it to the prepared email, and send it to the specified recipients.