I am not one to just look for the negative in something, but I've found some things that really irk me with the new google reporting tool:

1. why do I *always* have to name a report in order to run it?

2. And what genius decided you could only have 5 reports? GRRR.

3. You *still* cannot edit reports after you make them: you have to start over.

I haven't used it extensively, and am still working with it. Anyone else have any comments on the new Adwords reporting tool? I am hoping to find some improvements, but so far just frustration. What do y'all think?

I'm not impressed. I used to order reports and they would start downloading within seconds. With the new system I submit a request and have to wait for hours (and sometimes until the next day) before it arrives.

I honestly don't understand what the changes were intended to achieve. I don't really feel as though the introduction of the Download Center has changed my life for the better.

Long time lurker, first time poster. :)

I have to agree - the old Reports interface was way better than the new one. I hate having to name a report, and the fact that you can't go back and edit a previous report. I spent a bunch of time the other day trying to get data that used to be very easy to come by. And why did they add the extra step of making us go to their "Download Center" to get the data? What was wrong with just serving up the report as soon as it was finished?

Annoying to say the least. AWR, can you comment on this?

Melissa

...I've found some things that really irk me with the new google reporting tool:

1. why do I *always* have to name a report in order to run it?

2. And what genius decided you could only have 5 reports? GRRR.

3. You *still* cannot edit reports after you make them: you have to start over.

I'm not impressed. I used to order reports and they would start downloading within seconds. With the new system I submit a request and have to wait for hours (and sometimes until the next day) before it arrives.

I honestly don't understand what the changes were intended to achieve. I don't really feel as though the introduction of the Download Center has changed my life for the better.

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I have to agree - the old Reports interface was way better than the new one. I hate having to name a report, and the fact that you can't go back and edit a previous report. I spent a bunch of time the other day trying to get data that used to be very easy to come by. And why did they add the extra step of making us go to their "Download Center" to get the data? What was wrong with just serving up the report as soon as it was finished?

Annoying to say the least. AWR, can you comment on this?

Sorry to be quite late in getting to this thread. It has been a pretty darn busy day! Before going any further, though, welcome to posting on SEW, Melissa! Fun, huh?

Ok, now to the subject at hand, the Report Center.

First off, please know that I'll pass along the link to this thread this evening, in the weekly Advertiser feedback report that I send out each Thursday. So your comments will be heard, verbatim, by the right people here at Google.

Briefly, the intent of the new Report Center boils down to adding features that advertisers have asked for, while also improving scalability and speed for the future, as the AdWords advertiser base grows. We have seen an ever increasing number of advertisers who needed reports capturing a truly vast amount of data, for example - and the old Report Center could not have continued to meet their needs.

Also, these advertisers could not work in their accounts while their report was generating in the previous version, and the report generation could take a very long time. Now the reports are generated in the background, and advertiser can continue to work in their account while that is taking place.

Integral to that fix was the creation of a download center. And the reason that every report must have a name is that you'll need a way to identify it in the download center.

As an aside, please be aware that you can name a report with a single letter or number if you wish. So, yes, while there is an extra step - it need not be particularly time consuming.

SimonN, I am hoping you'll find the speed to be much better now. I think you may have experienced a brief glitch, which I believe was associated with the time change for daylight savings. Engineering tells me that reports should be generating as normal now.

My guess is that there is a little bit of 'the shock of the new' going on here, and that once advertisers are accustomed to the new features, they may even come to like them a little bit. (For a real world example, I only need to think back to how much I disliked every interface change made to a well known online auction site, when they first occured. Now that I'm used to them, you couldn't make me go back.)

Regardless, as I said earlier, I'll pass your feedback on later this evening - in about five hours to be exact. So I invite your additional comments about what is, and what is not working for you.

AWR

Have to say you are a great addition to the forum AWR. The members here now have the sense that their feedback is getting through. Keep up the good work! And thanks for getting involved.

Have to say you are a great addition to the forum AWR. The members here now have the sense that their feedback is getting through. Keep up the good work! And thanks for getting involved.
Thanks for the very kind words, AussieWebmaster, which are much appreciated. :)

It is my pleasure to be here.

AWR

Hi AWR, thanks for the welcome! I appreciate you passing on our comments to the AdWords team.

I didn't realize we could continue to work in our accounts while reports were running - I guess I never tried it! That is good to know. I still think the Download Center is an unnecessary step, but I'm sure I'll get used to it. :)

Keep up the good work!