SSRS Email Subscription: Send Reports Hourly Between Specific Hours

SSRS Email Subscription Quick Cheat Sheet

The following quick reference summarizes the key settings required to send SSRS reports by email at specific intervals, including hourly delivery between certain hours.

Key Settings for SSRS Email Delivery

Example: Send SSRS Report Hourly Between Specific Hours

To send a report every hour between 9 AM and 5 PM, configure the schedule as follows:

This configuration ensures the report is sent automatically every hour during the defined time window.

How SSRS Email Subscriptions Work

SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) allows reports to be automatically delivered to users through subscriptions. A subscription defines how and when a report should be generated and delivered.

Subscriptions can send reports to multiple destinations, including:

• Email
• File shares
• SharePoint libraries
• Report server storage

When a subscription schedule triggers, SSRS generates the report using the defined dataset and parameters, then delivers it to the configured destination.

What is an SSRS Email Subscription

An SSRS email subscription automatically delivers reports to one or more recipients through email based on a defined schedule.

Instead of manually exporting reports and sending them through email, SSRS handles the process automatically. This is particularly useful for:

• Daily operational reports
• Weekly management reports
• Financial reporting
• Automated monitoring dashboards

Email subscriptions are commonly used to distribute reports in formats such as PDF, Excel, Word, or CSV.

How SSRS Sends Reports by Email

SSRS uses an SMTP mail server to deliver reports via email. When a subscription is triggered, the report server performs the following actions:

1. Generates the report using the configured dataset and parameters.
2. Renders the report in the selected format (PDF, Excel, etc.).
3. Connects to the configured SMTP server.
4. Sends the report as an email attachment to the specified recipients.

The SMTP configuration is stored in the RSReportServer.config file and configured through the Report Server Configuration Manager.

Requirements for SSRS Email Delivery

Before email delivery can be used in SSRS, several prerequisites must be configured.

These include:

• A configured SMTP server
• Email delivery settings enabled in Report Server Configuration Manager
• A deployed SSRS report
• Proper permissions for users creating subscriptions
• A valid schedule configuration

Once these prerequisites are satisfied, reports can be automatically delivered via email according to the defined subscription schedule.

How to Send SSRS Report Email Hourly Between Certain Hours

One of the common requirements in SSRS is sending reports hourly during specific time windows, such as business hours.

This can be achieved using a standard subscription with a custom schedule.

Create a Standard Email Subscription in SSRS

To send a report by email, first create a standard subscription for the report.

Steps:

1. Open the SSRS Web Portal.
2. Locate the report you want to schedule.
3. Click the More Options (⋯) menu.
4. Select Manage.
5. Navigate to Subscriptions.
6. Click New Subscription.
7. Choose Email as the delivery method.

You can now configure the recipients and scheduling options.

Configure Hourly Report Scheduling

To configure hourly delivery:

1. Open the Subscription Schedule settings.
2. Choose Recurring Schedule.
3. Select Hourly as the frequency.
4. Specify the interval (for example, every 1 hour).

This allows the report to be automatically generated and sent on a regular hourly basis.

Set Start and End Time for Email Delivery

To ensure reports are sent only during certain hours:

1. Click Edit Schedule in the subscription settings.
2. Define the Start Time for report delivery.
3. Define the End Time to stop sending reports.

For example:

Start time: 09:00 AM
End time: 05:00 PM

With this configuration, SSRS will send the report every hour within the specified time range.

Sending Reports Only During Business Hours

Many organizations prefer sending automated reports only during business hours to reduce unnecessary notifications outside working time.

To achieve this:

• Set the schedule frequency to hourly
• Define the start and end times
• Choose appropriate report formats

This approach ensures that stakeholders receive reports only during active working hours while maintaining automated reporting workflows.

Configuring Email Delivery in SSRS

Before reports can be delivered by email, SQL Server Reporting Services must be configured to use an SMTP mail server. SSRS uses SMTP to send reports as attachments to recipients based on subscription schedules.

Email delivery settings are configured through the Report Server Configuration Manager and the RSReportServer.config file. Once properly configured, users can create subscriptions that automatically send reports via email.

Configure SMTP Settings in SSRS

To enable email delivery, you must configure SMTP settings in SSRS.

Steps:

1. Open Report Server Configuration Manager.
2. Connect to the Report Server instance.
3. Select the E-mail Settings section.
4. Configure the following fields:

After saving these settings, SSRS will be able to send report subscriptions via email.

Update RSReportServer.config for Email Delivery

In some environments, email delivery settings must be updated directly in the RSReportServer.config file.

This configuration file is usually located in the SSRS installation directory.

Example configuration snippet:

<RSEmailDPConfiguration>
    <SMTPServer>mail.company.com</SMTPServer>
    <SMTPServerPort>25</SMTPServerPort>
    <SMTPAccountName></SMTPAccountName>
    <SMTPConnectionTimeout>30</SMTPConnectionTimeout>
    <SMTPUseSSL>false</SMTPUseSSL>
    <From>reports@company.com</From>
</RSEmailDPConfiguration>

After modifying the configuration file, restart the SQL Server Reporting Services service for the changes to take effect.

Test SSRS Email Configuration

Once SMTP settings are configured, it is important to test email delivery.

Steps to test email functionality:

1. Open the SSRS Web Portal.
2. Select an existing report.
3. Create a test subscription.
4. Configure delivery method as Email.
5. Set a short schedule interval.

If the report arrives in the recipient mailbox, the email configuration is working correctly.

Types of SSRS Subscriptions

SSRS provides two types of report subscriptions that allow automated report delivery.

These subscription types determine how reports are generated and delivered to recipients.

Standard Subscription in SSRS

A standard subscription is the most common type of SSRS subscription.

Characteristics:

• Fixed list of recipients
• Fixed report parameters
• Simple scheduling configuration
• Easy to configure

Standard subscriptions are ideal for scenarios where the same report is sent to the same group of users on a recurring schedule.

Data Driven Subscription in SSRS

A data-driven subscription allows report delivery settings to be dynamically generated using data from a query.

This type of subscription enables:

• Dynamic recipient lists
• Dynamic report parameters
• Conditional report delivery
• Personalized report distribution

For example, a data-driven subscription can send different sales reports to different regional managers based on data stored in a database.

When to Use Data Driven Subscriptions

Data-driven subscriptions are useful when report delivery must vary based on data.

Common use cases include:

• Sending reports to hundreds of users automatically
• Delivering reports to different departments
• Customizing report parameters for each recipient
• Automating large-scale report distribution

Because data-driven subscriptions require a dataset and query configuration, they are typically used in more advanced reporting environments.

SSRS Data Driven Subscription Example

Data-driven subscriptions allow SSRS to dynamically determine report recipients and parameters using database queries.

This approach enables automated report distribution without manually creating individual subscriptions.

Create Dataset for Email Recipients

The first step in creating a data-driven subscription is defining a dataset that contains recipient information.

Example dataset query:

SELECT 
    EmailAddress,
    Department,
    ReportParameter
FROM EmployeeReports

The dataset must include columns such as:

• Recipient email address
• Report parameters
• Additional filtering conditions

SSRS uses this dataset to determine who should receive the report.

Configure Dynamic Email Delivery

After creating the dataset, configure the data-driven subscription.

Steps:

1. Open the SSRS Web Portal.
2. Select the report.
3. Click Manage → Subscriptions.
4. Create a Data-driven subscription.
5. Choose the dataset that contains recipient data.
6. Map dataset fields to subscription settings.

For example, the EmailAddress column can be mapped to the email delivery field.

Send Reports to Multiple Users Automatically

With data-driven subscriptions, SSRS generates separate report deliveries for each dataset record.

For example:

Each department receives a report customized for their specific data.

This approach is highly efficient for organizations that need to distribute reports to many users automatically.

Scheduling SSRS Reports Automatically

Scheduling allows SSRS to automatically generate and deliver reports at predefined intervals.

This feature is commonly used for recurring reports such as operational dashboards, financial summaries, and monitoring reports.

Create Recurring Report Schedules

Recurring schedules allow reports to run automatically at defined intervals.

Steps to configure:

1. Create a subscription for the report.
2. Select Schedule → Recurring Schedule.
3. Choose the desired frequency.

SSRS then automatically runs the report based on the defined schedule.

Run Reports Hourly, Daily, or Weekly

SSRS scheduling supports multiple frequency options.

Common schedule types include:

Choosing the correct frequency ensures reports are delivered when stakeholders need them.

Schedule Reports Between Specific Hours

Sometimes reports should only be delivered during specific time windows.

For example:

Start time: 09:00 AM
End time: 05:00 PM

By configuring these limits in the schedule settings, SSRS ensures reports are only generated within the defined time range.

This feature is commonly used to send reports hourly during business hours while avoiding unnecessary emails outside working times.

Sending SSRS Reports to SharePoint

SQL Server Reporting Services can also deliver reports to SharePoint document libraries. This allows organizations to store generated reports centrally where users can access them without relying on email distribution.

SharePoint delivery is useful when teams want a shared repository of reports that can be accessed through a browser or integrated into dashboards and collaboration platforms.

Configure SSRS SharePoint Integration

To integrate SSRS with SharePoint, the reporting services instance must be configured for SharePoint mode.

Typical requirements include:

• A configured SharePoint Server environment
• SQL Server Reporting Services installed in SharePoint integrated mode
• Proper permissions for the SSRS service account
• SharePoint document libraries configured for report storage

Once integration is configured, SSRS can deploy and deliver reports directly to SharePoint.

Deploy Reports to SharePoint Library

Reports can be deployed to a SharePoint document library so they are accessible through the SharePoint portal.

Steps to deploy reports:

1. Open the report project in SQL Server Data Tools or Visual Studio.
2. Configure the deployment URL to point to the SharePoint site.
3. Deploy the report to the SharePoint library.
4. Verify that the report appears in the SharePoint document library.

Users can then run reports directly from SharePoint or configure automated subscriptions.

Schedule Report Delivery to SharePoint

Instead of email delivery, SSRS subscriptions can save reports directly to a SharePoint library.

Steps to configure delivery:

1. Open the report in the SSRS Web Portal.
2. Click Manage → Subscriptions.
3. Select New Subscription.
4. Choose SharePoint Document Library as the delivery destination.
5. Configure the schedule for report generation.

This allows reports to be automatically generated and stored in SharePoint at defined intervals.

Monitoring SSRS Email Delivery

Monitoring report delivery ensures that scheduled reports are successfully generated and sent to recipients.

SSRS provides several tools to track report execution and identify delivery issues.

Check SQL Server Reporting Services Email Logs

SSRS maintains log files that record report processing and email delivery events.

These logs can be used to identify issues such as:

• Email delivery failures
• SMTP configuration errors
• Subscription execution errors

Log files are typically stored in the SSRS installation directory under the LogFiles folder.

Reviewing these logs helps administrators troubleshoot report delivery problems.

Review Execution Logs in SSRS

SSRS stores report execution details in database tables such as ExecutionLog3.

These logs contain information including:

• Report execution time
• Processing duration
• Data retrieval time
• Rendering format
• User who executed the report

Administrators can query execution logs to monitor report performance and identify scheduling issues.

Track Report Delivery Status

The SSRS web portal provides an Activity or subscription history section that shows the status of scheduled report deliveries.

This section displays:

• Last run time
• Success or failure status
• Error messages if delivery fails

Monitoring delivery status helps administrators quickly detect and resolve report distribution problems.

Troubleshooting SSRS Email Subscription Issues

Email subscriptions may occasionally fail due to configuration issues or environmental problems. Troubleshooting involves reviewing subscription settings, server configuration, and logs.

SSRS Email Subscription Not Sending

If email subscriptions are not sending reports, check the following:

• SMTP server configuration
• Subscription schedule settings
• Report execution permissions
• Email delivery extension configuration

Verifying these settings usually resolves most email delivery issues.

SSRS Schedule Not Triggering

Sometimes the report schedule may not trigger as expected.

Common causes include:

• SQL Server Agent service not running
• Incorrect scheduling configuration
• Disabled subscription
• Time zone mismatch

Ensure the scheduling service is active and that the subscription schedule is correctly configured.

SMTP Configuration Problems

SMTP configuration errors are a common cause of email delivery failures.

Typical issues include:

• Incorrect SMTP server address
• Authentication failure
• Invalid sender address
• Firewall blocking SMTP traffic

Updating the SMTP configuration in Report Server Configuration Manager usually resolves these problems.

Permission Issues in SSRS

Users creating subscriptions must have the required permissions within SSRS.

Common permission issues include:

• Lack of subscription management rights
• Insufficient database access permissions
• Restricted access to report server resources

Administrators should ensure that appropriate roles are assigned to users who need to create and manage subscriptions.

SSRS Email Subscription Reference

The following reference provides a quick overview of common configuration settings used in SSRS email subscriptions.

Common SSRS Scheduling Settings

These options allow flexible automation of report generation.

Subscription Configuration Parameters

Common parameters used when configuring subscriptions include:

Proper configuration ensures reliable automated report delivery.

Delivery Methods Supported in SSRS

SSRS supports multiple delivery methods depending on the environment configuration.

These include:

• Email delivery
• File share delivery
• SharePoint document library delivery
• Custom delivery extensions

Each method allows organizations to distribute reports according to their operational requirements.

Summary

SQL Server Reporting Services provides powerful capabilities for automating report distribution. By configuring email subscriptions, organizations can automatically deliver reports at scheduled intervals without manual intervention.

In this guide, we explored:

• How SSRS email subscriptions work
• Configuring SMTP settings for report delivery
• Sending reports hourly between specific hours
• Using standard and data-driven subscriptions
• Scheduling reports automatically
• Monitoring and troubleshooting report delivery

Automating report distribution through SSRS improves efficiency, ensures timely delivery of important information, and reduces manual effort for reporting teams.

Official Documentation

Create and manage subscriptions for SSRS reports