How do I change the column width of a report?

Welcome aboard to the Community, @finance87.

I can show you how to change the column width of the report in QuickBooks Online. You'll need to hover your mouse beside the column header and drag the scale width icon to the left or right.

Here's how:

1. Select the Reports menu from the left panel.
2. Search and click the report you want to customize.
3. Hover your mouse on the column boarder until you see the scale width icon.
4. Drag the icon to adjust the column width.
5. Select Run Report. 

Additionally, I recommend the following resource which has video tutorials to help a user customize reports, as well as how to export it to Excel:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Online.

• Export reports, lists, and more.

Please know that the Community has your back if you need assistance. It’s a place for you to connect with experts and peers. Wishing you and your business continued success.

This function has not been working for some time and a prior thread about this issue is no longer accessable - I am told I don't have permission.  I have attached the message chain

Hello, @CaliEHSBusinesssolutions.

You can drag the columns of the report. Let's isolate your concern for a possible browser-related. You can use either of the following shortcut keys:

• Google Chrome, press CTRL  + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: press CTRL  + Shift + P
• Internet Explorer: Press CTRL  + Shift + P
• Safari: press Command + Shift + N

If you’re able to able to change the columns of your report, you'd want to clear the cache of your regular web browser. Also, you can use the Browser Health Checkup Tool to check any issues with your browser’s health and its compatibility with QuickBooks Online.

Fill me in if you have other questions about generating reports in QuickBooks. I'm always here to help.

I cleared my cache, reset chrome, and even installed Mozilla to see if I could get this function to work there, but I am still unable to drag the columns for resizing when viewing reports. 

It is increasingly frustrating that a) I cannot see the entire report at once as I need to, and b) I keep getting different answers to this problem.   

The below is the email I got updating about this issue back in October of 2019 wherin we were advised this issue had been escalated to the engineering department:

QuickBooks Community <[email address removed]> Oct 10, 2019,
1:02 PM
to me
Hi CaliEHSBusinesssolutions,
RoseMarjorieA (Moderator) posted a new reply in Other questions on 10-10-2019 11:02
AM:
Re: Unable to Save Column Width Preferences
Thanks for looping in this thread, Cheryl2do.
I can provide some updates about being unable to resize the reports column and help
you get pointed in the right support.

I would like to inform you that this is already been escalated to our engineering team.
Although I don't have a specific time frame as to when and how this will be meditated
upon, rest assured are looking into it. I'll keep you updated every now and then until
we've completely resolved the issue.

In case you’ve not been added to the list of affected users, I’d suggest getting in touch
with our QuickBooks Online Support. This way, you’ll be notified of any updates on the
progress of the investigation via email.

I know reports USED to let me drag column widths, but that function hasn't worked since last year.

I cleared my cache, that did not help.  I installed Mozilla and tried there, still not able to do so.  And I was advised previously that engineering knew this was an issue and were working on it (see below email from prior community post no longer visible).

It is increasingly frustrating that I cannot view reports the way I need to in QuickBooks Online, and that I keep getting different answers as to why or what's being done about it.

QuickBooks Community <[email address removed]> Oct 10, 2019,
1:02 PM
to me
Hi CaliEHSBusinesssolutions,
RoseMarjorieA (Moderator) posted a new reply in Other questions on 10-10-2019 11:02
AM:
Re: Unable to Save Column Width Preferences
Thanks for looping in this thread, Cheryl2do.
I can provide some updates about being unable to resize the reports column and help
you get pointed in the right support.

I would like to inform you that this is already been escalated to our engineering team.
Although I don't have a specific time frame as to when and how this will be meditated
upon, rest assured are looking into it. I'll keep you updated every now and then until
we've completely resolved the issue.

In case you’ve not been added to the list of affected users, I’d suggest getting in touch
with our QuickBooks Online Support. This way, you’ll be notified of any updates on the
progress of the investigation via email.

Hi there, @CaliEHSBusinesssolutions.

I can understand how it affects your work in preparing your business reports. This is already a reported issue that our engineers are working on. I suggest contacting the QuickBooks Online Care team to further check on the updates of this reported issue. Also, they'll be the one to add you on the list of the affected users. 

Here's how to contact them:

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online account and go to the ? Help icon.
2. Select Contact Us at the bottom.
   
   
3. Enter your concern such as, "Reported issue for Report column width adjustment, not working."
   
   
4. Scroll down and choose how you want to be assisted.
   
   
5. Follow the on-screen instruction.
6. Confirm your transaction.

For future reference, I added this article as a one-stop handbook that contains other sub-topics about handling your reports in QuickBooks Online: Run reports in QuickBooks Online.

I appreciate your patience as our product engineers are working to fix this.

Please don'r hesitate to Reply a comment below if you need anything else. I'll be here to help you. Keep safe out there.

Hello there,

I found this thread as we have the exact same problem. Has there been a solution to it in the meantime. For some reports we can easily adjust the column width with the described method but for several important reports it does not work.

I would be happy to get some news on this.

Best regards

Niklas

I appreciate you for joining here, Niklas.

Let me share a few details about adjusting the column width of the reports and share with you a workaround on how to make it possible in the meantime.

Before that, can you tell me more about the reports that we're unable to adjust the column? This way, we'll be able to figure out why it's happening. I've tried adjusting columns in multiple QuickBooks Online reports, and it seems like working fine. 

Meanwhile, you may want to export the report that's not working in adjusting the width column. From there, you'll be able to get this thing done. Let me walk you through on how to do it:

1. Go to Reports on the left panel.
2. In the search box, enter the name of the report.
3. Once opened, click the Export icon and select Export to Excel.

Here's the sample screenshot:

If you want to print or email with the right width of the column you've applied, you can do it from Excel. Also, you may want to check theses articles for additional information about managing reports in QBO:

• Customizing reports.
• Modifying columns on reports.

Please don't hesitate to post again if you have follow-up questions about it. Take care and have a good one!

Dear SarahannC,

thank you for your response. I am talking about the "Journal Report". Unfortunately the export to Excel does not really help, as we want to have the ability to access the journal directly from the journal report and that only works in the QB Online interface.

Best regards

Niklas

Hi, Niklas1.

I appreciate you getting back to us. Allow me to help you further with adjusting the report's column width (Journal Report) in QuickBooks Online.

Have you tried out the steps provided by my peer above, like clearing the browser's cache? I've tried adjusting columns in my Journal Report in QuickBooks Online and was able to adjust it.

To better isolate the issue, as an additional step, we can press the F5 key on your keyboard to refresh the page.

If you're still unable to adjust the column width on your Journal Report, I'd suggest getting in touch with our QuickBooks Online Support. Unlike in this public forum, they have the tools required to perform any escalations in the system whenever necessary on your behalf. To ensure we address your concern on time, check out our support hours.

I recommend customizing the report to get the specific details you need. You can also memorize it to save its current customization settings. It serves as your record and helps you quickly access it for future use. 

If there's anything else I can help you with, please let me know. I'm always here to help you out.

This has not been working for me as well for quite some time.  It's the #1 frustration I have with Quickbooks Online.  This should be a basic feature.  When I drill down into Transactions from a P&L report, the report is too wide for me to see the entire report of the screen.  Also, I try to customize and save to how I want it to look, but it always reverts back to the default method whenever I drill down from a P&L or Balance Sheet Report.  I have tried clearing the cache, going incognito etc. and nothing works.  I really need to clear this up.  I want to be able to recommend QBO online to my current company that uses Desktop and am afraid to do so solely on this. It's that important for me and my team. 

I appreciate you performing the troubleshooting steps, @evdiana.

I'm here to provide other steps to modify the column in your Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet reports. You can export these reports to Excel. From there, you can make the adjustments. 

Here's how: 

1. Go to the Reports menu from the left panel.
2. In the Find report by name field, search your report.
3. At the top of the report, select the Export icon. 
4. Choose Export to Excel.
5. Save the file somewhere you can easily find, like your Downloads folder or your desktop.

You can create custom reports to get the data that matters to you most.

Please keep in touch with us if you need further assistance with your QuickBooks reports. I'll always be right here to help you anytime. Have a pleasant day.

We should not have to export to excel to get the report columns to print as needed...This is unacceptable and with other problems I have ran into with QBO, I am looking at another vendor for my accounting needs.

I am following the column width adjustment instructions which advise to hover over the column width line to reveal the column width movement icon. 

When I do this, the icon permits widening the column, but I cannot make the column narrower than a certain (very wide) width. For example, the date column is three times wider than it needs, and the wasted space is needed elsewhere in the report. 

Please help.

Thanks for joining the thread, @Scotsman. 

I'll be happy to share a few insights and help you adjust your report column in QuickBooks Online (QBO). 

There's a maximum limit on the option to make your column narrower. You can use my colleague @Rubielyn J's suggestion to export your report to Excel and then change the column there as a workaround.

Let me also share the Customize and modify columns on reports article for future reference. It contains instructions on how to move the columns and steps to mark which one to appear on the report.

Lastly, for your reference, I'm sharing this link attached to guide you in printing and managing reports in QuickBooks Online: Learn how to run basic reports in QuickBooks.

Let me know if you have other questions or clarifications about QuickBooks or this topic. I'll be right here to help you whenever you need it. Have a lovely day!

I'm confused.... QBO really has not fixed this issue to easily change column widths unless exported in excel.... you make changes every year I can't believe this is a difficult one