🔍 Overview
When you trigger a report export in the Report Builder, Search Atlas compiles your report data and generates a downloadable file. Depending on the size and complexity of your report, this process can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes. This article explains what to expect during generation and when loading behavior is normal versus when you should reach out for help.
⏱️ How Long Does Export Generation Take?
Report generation time varies based on the content included in your report. Smaller reports with fewer sections and a limited date range will typically complete faster, while larger reports with many modules, extended historical data, or a high volume of tracked keywords and pages will take longer. Some exports may complete in under a minute; others may take several minutes to fully generate. This is expected behavior — the system is working in the background to compile all your report data.
⚙️ Factors That Affect Generation Time
Several factors influence how quickly your report is compiled and exported:
- Number of modules included: Reports with more sections — such as backlink data, keyword rankings, site audit results, and content metrics — require more processing time.
- Date range selected: Longer historical date ranges pull more data points, increasing generation time.
- Volume of tracked keywords or pages: Reports tied to large projects with many tracked URLs or keywords take longer to compile.
- White-label customization: Custom branding, logos, and color schemes add a small amount of rendering time.
- Platform load: During peak usage periods, generation may take slightly longer than usual.
🔄 What to Do While Your Report Is Loading
While your report is being generated, avoid navigating away from the page or triggering the export again, as this may interrupt the process. Allow the export sufficient time to complete before assuming something has gone wrong. If the export appears to have stalled for an extended period without producing a file, try the following steps:
- Wait a few additional minutes to allow any background processing to finish before taking further action.
- If no file appears after waiting, try refreshing the page and initiating the export again from the Reports.
- If the export continues to stall across multiple attempts, note the name of the project, the modules included in the report, and any error messages displayed, so our team can investigate efficiently.
📋 When to Contact Support
If you have tried the steps above and your report export is still not completing, our support team can look into what is happening on the backend. Please have the following ready when you reach out:
- The name of the project you are exporting
- The modules or sections included in your report
- The approximate time you initiated the export
- Any error messages or unusual behavior you observed
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.