Installation
What are the system requirements?
Windows 10 or Windows 11 (64-bit). No Microsoft Office or Excel installation required. The .NET runtime is bundled with the installer.
Why does Windows SmartScreen show a warning?
ReportForge is a new application that has not yet built enough download reputation with Microsoft SmartScreen. This is normal for new software and does not indicate a security risk. Click More info then Run anyway to proceed. See the Troubleshooting guide for step-by-step instructions.
Where is ReportForge installed?
The default installation folder is C:\Program Files\BoringWorx\ReportForge.
Where does ReportForge store my data?
Application data is stored at %AppData%\ReportForge. This includes the database, managed copies of templates and data sources, logs, and backups. Generated reports are saved to Documents\ReportForge\Output by default (configurable in Settings).
Do I need Microsoft 365 or Excel installed?
No. ReportForge reads and writes .xlsx files directly using its own Excel processing engine. You do not need any version of Microsoft Office.
Templates and reports
What Excel features are supported in templates?
Cell values, number and date formatting, text formatting (bold, italic, colors), named ranges, multiple worksheets, and formulas (preserved as-is). See the Templates guide for a full list.
What is NOT supported?
Headers/footers, charts, pivot tables, macros (preserved but not executed), conditional formatting in row ranges, .xls legacy format, and password-protected files. See the Templates guide for details.
Can I use formulas in my template?
Yes. Formulas are preserved in the generated report. However, ReportForge does not recalculate formulas — they will be recalculated when you open the output file in Excel.
How do row ranges work for repeating data?
Place {{#row_start}} above and {{#row_end}} below the rows you want to repeat. ReportForge duplicates those rows once for each record in your CSV data, preserving all formatting. See the Templates guide for a walkthrough.
Can I use multiple sheets in one template?
Yes. Placeholders are detected and replaced on all sheets. Each sheet is processed independently.
What happens to unmatched placeholders?
If a placeholder in the template does not match any CSV column, it remains as literal text in the generated report (e.g., {{company_name}} appears as-is).
Data
What data formats does ReportForge support?
CSV (comma-separated values) is the only supported format in V1. Semicolon and tab delimiters are also auto-detected. Database connectivity is planned for a future release.
Why only CSV?
CSV is the most universal data exchange format — virtually every business application, database, and spreadsheet can export to CSV. Starting with CSV keeps the tool simple and reliable while covering the majority of use cases.
How are CSV columns matched to placeholders?
ReportForge matches column headers to placeholder names using case-insensitive comparison. A header Company_Name matches {{company_name}}. You can adjust mappings manually in the mapping editor.
Is my data sent to the cloud?
No. All data processing happens locally on your machine. ReportForge never uploads your spreadsheet data, templates, or CSV files. The only network requests are for license validation and optional anonymous telemetry.
Pricing and licensing
What is included in the free tier?
3 active templates, manual report generation, and .xlsx output. You can import unlimited data sources and create unlimited mappings.
How does the 14-day Pro trial work?
Every new installation starts with a full Pro trial — all features unlocked, no credit card required. The trial starts on first launch. After 14 days, the app reverts to the Free tier unless you activate a Pro license.
What happens when my trial ends?
All your templates, mappings, data sources, and schedules are preserved. Active schedules are paused (not deleted). If you have more than 3 templates, you choose which 3 to keep active — the rest become inactive but are not deleted. You can upgrade at any time to unlock everything again.
Can I use ReportForge commercially?
Yes. Both the Free and Pro tiers can be used for personal and commercial purposes.
How do I cancel my Pro subscription?
You can cancel anytime through the Stripe customer portal. Your Pro features remain active until the end of the current billing period. After that, the app reverts to the Free tier. We offer a 30-day refund policy — email support@boringworx.com for a refund.
Privacy and security
What data does ReportForge collect?
Optional anonymous telemetry only — feature usage counts and error rates. Never file names, file contents, or personal data. Telemetry can be disabled in Settings (Ctrl+, → Privacy).
Does ReportForge phone home?
Only for license validation (checks your license key against the server) and optional telemetry. No spreadsheet data, template content, or CSV data is ever transmitted.
Where are my files stored?
All files are stored locally on your machine at %AppData%\ReportForge. Nothing is uploaded to any cloud service.
Settings
How do I change the output folder?
Go to Settings (Ctrl+,) → General → Default Output Folder. Browse to your preferred location.
How do I change the output file naming pattern?
Settings (Ctrl+,) → General → Output File Naming Pattern. Use tokens: {template_name}, {mapping_name}, {date:yyyy-MM-dd}, {time:HHmmss}, {counter}.
Can I set PDF as default output?
Yes, if you have a Pro license. Settings (Ctrl+,) → General → Generate PDF by default.
How do I disable telemetry?
Settings (Ctrl+,) → Privacy → uncheck the telemetry option.
How do I configure history retention?
Settings (Ctrl+,) → Data → History Retention. Set the number of days to keep generation history records (default: 90 days, range: 7–365).
What is the max rows warning?
When a CSV file exceeds the configured row limit (default: 10,000 rows), ReportForge shows a confirmation dialog before generating. This prevents accidentally processing very large files. You can adjust the threshold in Settings (Ctrl+,) → Data → Max Rows Before Warning.