Enable the running of CSV, PDF reports via the API and using Oauth tokens

DavidFeeley · March 23, 2022

Hello API team,

Suggestion

Enable the running of CSV, PDF reports via the API and using Oauth tokens.

Details

Although not formally supported through the API, it is possible to run these reports programatically at the moment using Full Access Tokens. I have found this very useful for my own wave business -- it has allowed me to create custom reports (reports that start from the csv export of a standard Wave report, and apply customizations from there), schedule reports to run automatically, create reporting packs which combine a number of standard or custom reports into a single pdf or zip file (e.g. monthend close reporting pack), as well as convenience features like creating sets of frequently-used report parameters to make it easy to run reports without having to set parameters individually each time.

With the ability to run reports only available to full access tokens it means that these kinds of features can not be offered to other Wave users as an app / integration.

Objections

I understand that the reports endpoint is considered an internal API. However on the input side the set of report parameters is small and already pretty well defined. On the output side, the contents of a CSV or PDF are necessarily 'as-is', ie. there need be no particular contract for Wave to support for consumers of same, the consumers would own the responsibility of parsing / interpreting the CSV data.
I also understand that using a CSV as the starting point for creating extended/custom reports is arguably not ideal (a true reports API that returns json representation of report content, as certain other platforms offer, would be preferable). However, short of a fully baked reports API I think enabling this ability could be significantly value add for the platform for relatively little effort, and would not preclude the development of the fuller reports API in time.

Interest in this feature

In the forums I have seen frequent requests for:

Running reports through the API
Querying transactions through the API (the Account Transactions report is a good starting point for this)
Creating custom reports

See references below for example posts in each category.

Enabling the running of reports as described above could allow each of these categories to be addressed by a 3rd party app / integration.

thanks for your consideration
Dave

Community Forum References

Enable the running of CSV, PDF reports via the API and using Oauth tokens

Suggestion

Details

Objections

Interest in this feature

Community Forum References

Running reports through the API

Querying transactions through the API

Creating custom reports