🔍 Overview
When you download an individual Local SEO Heatmap report from Report Builder, the business results comparison section may appear blank in the exported PDF. This is a known display issue most commonly caused by cached browser data interfering with how the report renders before download. Following the steps below — starting with clearing your browser cache — resolves this in the majority of cases.
🧹 Step 1: Clear Your Browser Cache (Primary Fix)
A stale browser cache is the most common cause of comparison data not populating in downloaded Heatmap PDFs. Clear it before trying anything else.
- In Google Chrome, press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac) to open the Clear browsing data panel.
- Set the Time range to All time.
- Check Cached images and files and Cookies and other site data.
- Click Clear data.
- Close and reopen your browser, then log back in to Search Atlas.
- Navigate to Left sidebar → Report Builder and open your Local SEO Heatmap report.
- Attempt the PDF download again and confirm the comparison data is now populating.
If you use a browser other than Chrome, locate the equivalent cache-clearing option in your browser settings — the steps are similar in Firefox, Edge, and Safari.
📄 Step 2: Re-Download the Report from Report Builder
After clearing your cache, follow these steps to download the Heatmap report correctly.
- Go to Left sidebar → Report Builder.
- Locate and open the relevant project in your reports list.
- Find the Local SEO Heatmap report you need.
- Click the download or export option to generate the PDF.
- Open the downloaded file and verify that the business results comparison section is fully populated.
🔄 Step 3: Try an Incognito or Private Window
If clearing the cache does not resolve the issue immediately, open an incognito or private browsing window. This bypasses any remaining cached data or browser extensions that may be interfering with report rendering.
- Open a new Incognito window in Chrome (Ctrl + Shift + N / Cmd + Shift + N) or an equivalent private window in your browser.
- Log in to Search Atlas and navigate to Left sidebar → Report Builder.
- Open the Local SEO Heatmap report and attempt the PDF download again.
⚙️ Step 4: Check Your Local SEO Heatmap Setup
If comparison data is still missing after the cache fix, confirm that your Heatmap report is configured correctly in the Local section of the platform.
- Navigate to Left sidebar → GBP Projects → Overview and confirm the business profile associated with the report is active and properly connected.
- Ensure that at least one competitor has been added to the Heatmap configuration. Comparison data requires competitor entries to be present — without them, the comparison section will remain empty even in a correctly rendered PDF.
- If you recently added competitors or made configuration changes, allow a short processing window before downloading. Newly added data may not appear instantly in exported reports.
🖥️ Step 5: Switch Browsers
If the issue persists across the steps above, try downloading the report using a different browser entirely. Browser-specific rendering behaviour can occasionally affect how PDF exports are generated, and switching browsers is a quick way to rule this out.
⚠️ When to Escalate
If you have completed all of the steps above and the business results comparison data is still not appearing in your downloaded PDF, the issue may require investigation on the platform side. 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.