Reporting and exports

Canonical reporting value vs help explanation

Help can explain reporting meaning, but it should not become a second source of truth stronger than the product surface itself.

Who this is for: Users trying to understand when article guidance is explanatory and when the product surface is the canonical reporting source.

Last reviewed 2026-04-30 · Source of truth: broader help library · Languages: en, es

Article metadata

Product area: reporting and exports

Owner: Reporting truth

Parity reviewer: Bilingual launch review

Retrieval-ready: Yes

What to expect next

Use help to understand the meaning of a report, then verify canonical values in the product surface when that surface exists.
Escalate if the definition or value appears serious enough to affect a real decision and you cannot reconcile it safely.

What help is for

Help articles should explain definitions, boundaries, and interpretation posture so users can read reporting surfaces more carefully.

That explanation is useful, but it should not be treated as stronger than the product surface when the live system is the place where canonical values actually appear.

What the canonical source means

The canonical reporting source is the product surface or governed system output that is meant to hold the actual value being referenced.

If help wording and a live reporting surface seem to diverge, the right next step is verification and narrower follow-up, not treating prose as a replacement for the system.

Escalation path

If the distinction between explanatory help and canonical value becomes decision-sensitive, verify and escalate rather than letting article wording carry more certainty than it should.

Related next steps

Read reporting and export basics Read when reporting ambiguity needs escalation Open Spanish version Back to help center