When you enable Hide Empty Sections in a GHL classical report, the web view correctly removes blank sections — but that setting does not carry over when you download the report as a PDF. A fix is actively being deployed; the workarounds below help you produce clean exports in the meantime.
📋 How the "Hide Empty Sections" Toggle Works in GHL Classical Reports
The Hide Empty Sections toggle lives in the Report Builder for GHL classical reports. Enable it, and any section that contains no data — such as the Local SEO section — is removed from the web view instantly, keeping your report focused on populated data only.
⚠️ Known Issue: Empty Sections Reappear in Downloaded GHL PDF Reports
When you download a GHL classical report as a PDF with Hide Empty Sections enabled, the PDF does not reflect the toggle state. Empty sections that are correctly hidden in the web view reappear in the exported file.
This happens because the PDF rendering engine reads the full report structure rather than the filtered web view state — producing a PDF with blank placeholder sections, such as an empty Local SEO block, even when the toggle is on.
Scope: This affects GHL classical reports only. Custom report layouts are not impacted.
🛠️ Workarounds While the Hide Empty Sections PDF Fix Is Deployed
Use one of the following approaches to deliver a clean report to your client while the fix rolls out:
-
Share the live web report link. The web view correctly applies Hide Empty Sections, so recipients see only populated sections — no PDF download required.
-
Print to PDF directly from your browser:
- Open the GHL classical report in your browser with Hide Empty Sections enabled.
- Press Ctrl + P (Windows) or Cmd + P (Mac) to open the print dialog.
- Set the destination to Save as PDF.
- Click Save. The PDF captures the filtered web view and excludes empty sections.
-
Populate missing data before exporting. If a section is empty because data has not yet synced, complete the data entry first. With all sections populated, no blank sections appear in the PDF regardless of the toggle state.
After exporting, review the PDF to confirm only data-filled sections are visible before sending it to your client.
🔄 Current Fix Status for the GHL PDF Hide Empty Sections Issue
This issue (internal reference: RB-1278) is in In Release status — the fix is complete and actively being deployed to production. No action is required on your end; the update applies to your account automatically once the rollout is complete.
After the fix is live, the Hide Empty Sections toggle will apply consistently to both the web view and all downloaded PDFs in GHL classical reports.
🎯 You now know why empty sections appear in GHL PDF exports despite the Hide Empty Sections toggle being on, and have three workarounds available until the fix reaches your account. For more on building and customizing GHL reports, explore the GHL Report Builder articles in this Help Center.