It’s powerful. But the first time you open it, the blank screen issue can make people give up. You’re thinking about entities, relationships, and how to pull the right data from a long list of database tables essentially.
Having a bit of a MySQL mindset certainly helps. SearchKit is essentially letting you build queries through the UI.
Luckily, there’s an easier way to get started.
SearchKit Report Starter Pack
https://lab.civicrm.org/extensions/search_kit_report_starter_pack
This extension installs pre-built SearchKit templates that replicate many of the familiar CiviReport reports. On all client systems, I have this extension enabled. Surprisingly, it is not well known about with only 39 installs reporting. Hope this article helps!
Once installed, you’ll see templates such as:
- Contribution Details
- Top Donors
- Recurring Contributions
- Event Income Summary
- Attendee List
- Membership Details
- Lapsed Memberships
- Membership Summary
- Activity Summary
- Relationships
- Current Employers
The key advantage is that the relationships between entities are already configured.
So instead of figuring out how contacts connect to contributions or memberships in the interface, you start with a working example and modify it. Just:
- Clone the template
- Adjust fields or filters
- Save your own version
One concept worth thinking about first is choosing the right base entity. The base entity determines what actions you can take upon the search and changing it will reset your search and Search Display.
For example:
- A Contact-based search lets you send a mass emails to the results.
- A Participant-based search lets you update participant statuses.
Here’s the deal:
If you are entirely new to SearchKit, starting with Contact-based searches is usually the easiest way to begin. Start with one report you already care about and make a small change.
PS: For more technically-inclined users, it can sometimes help to look at the database structure in a tool like phpMyAdmin or Adminer (view only, all changes to data should be thru the API via the UI or API Explorer). Seeing how tables like contacts, contributions, line items, and memberships relate can make the lingo in SearchKit easier to understand.