Understand changes to Advanced Online Layout Editor reports

What's changing

We’re upgrading the platform used by Advanced Online Layout Editor/BI Publisher in Aconex Reports to strengthen the security of the reporting platform.

After the upgrade, reports can include records from the main subject area even when there is no data in a supporting subject area.

This provides a more complete view of your data by ensuring that main records are not excluded simply because related supporting information is missing. For example, a Documents report can include all applicable documents even when some documents do not have a project-field value.

This can help you identify gaps in supporting information, reduce the risk of overlooking relevant records, and give you a clearer picture of the data available in your report. 

No major impact to existing reports is expected.  However, since the upgrade changes how some reports handle related data, a limited set of custom reports may display different results after upgrade.  Report administrators should review these potentially affected reports before September 25, 2026.

If you want your reports to keep the existing behavior, you can update them using a filter, in advance of the upgrade.

Report behavior before the upgrade

A Custom Report can contain a main subject area and one or more supporting subject areas.

Reports in the Advanced Online Layout Editor display a main record only when matching data exists in the supporting subject area.

For example:

• A Documents and Project Fields report displays only documents with a project-field value.
• A Mail and Response Mail report displays only mails with a response (as shown in the example screenshot below).

Report behavior after the upgrade

After the upgrade, your reports will include all applicable records from the main subject area, including records that do not have matching supporting information. Values from the supporting subject area may appear blank for these records. This is expected behavior. It does not mean that records have been duplicated or that the underlying Aconex data has changed.

For example:

• A Documents and Project Fields report will include documents where the selected project field is blank.
• A Mail and Response Mail report will include mails that do not have a response (as shown in the example screenshot below).

Check whether your report may be affected

Most reports are not affected by the upgrade, including:

• Reports created only in the Report Editor.
• Offline RTF or XLS layouts.
• Reports that use only a primary subject area.
• Reports that use repeating sections.

Your report may be affected if it:

• It uses a layout created with the Advanced Online Layout Editor.
• It contains fields from both a main subject area and a supporting subject area.
• You only want the report to display the main subject area value, if data exists for the support subject area.

Review the following scenarios:

How to retain the current report behavior

If you don't want the additional records to appear in your reports, you'll need to update them with an is not null filter.

1. From the Custom reports list, find the report you need to update.
2. Click the three dots menu next to the report name.
3. Select Add/Edit BIP Layout.

4. Open the layout you want to update.

5. Select the data table in the layout. Click Filter in the table options.

6. Select the supporting subject area field that contains blank values. For example, select Workflow No for a Documents and Workflow report.

7. From the Operator list, select is not null.

7. Click OK.
8. Save the layout, click Done, and close the editor.

Reports with supporting subject-area filters

If your report uses filters from a supporting subject area, the report will not return the expected results after the platform upgrade. You have two options to address this:

• Create a new layout using the built-in designer in the Report Editor. The new layout will honor the supporting subject area filter. You can then use this layout for the report.
• Update the existing layout with an is not null filter. Applying the appropriate null filter can preserve the expected report output without requiring you to redesign the layout. See How to retain the current report behavior above.

You can make either of these changes before the upgrade.

Contacting Support after the upgrade

When contacting Support about an unexpected Custom Report result after the upgrade, provide:

• The project name or project ID.
• The report name.
• The layout name.
• The main and supporting subject areas used.
• The report filters currently applied.
• The result you expected.
• A description of the result you received.
• Screenshots or exported outputs showing the difference.
• The layout type: simple, advanced online, RTF, XLS, or repeating section.

Don't include confidential project information unless it is required to investigate the issue.