How to Set Subscription Email in the SSRS Report: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Email subscriptions in SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) allow you to automate report delivery to users based on a schedule. This is especially helpful for operational or recurring reports, like daily sales summaries or weekly performance dashboards. In this blog, we will walk through how to set up email subscriptions in SSRS step by step.
Automated subscriptions convert SSRS from a passive reporting repository into an active delivery engine—one that ensures stakeholders receive time-sensitive, formatted information without manual intervention. For enterprises operating hybrid analytics (on-prem + cloud), SSRS subscriptions are often the reliable glue between legacy reporting and modern BI (Power BI, Fabric) initiatives.

Why Email Subscriptions Are Crucial for Modern BI

In today’s data-driven enterprises, decision-makers expect insights in real time — not reports they need to pull manually. That’s where SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) excels. With automated email subscriptions, you can deliver up-to-date reports directly to stakeholders’ inboxes without any manual intervention.

This capability is especially valuable when your organization needs consistency, compliance, and scheduled distribution. SSRS supports pixel-perfect layouts and complex pagination that many executive and regulatory reports require—making subscriptions a key operational control.

Whether it’s a daily revenue dashboard, inventory status update, or customer service SLA report, SSRS subscriptions keep your organization informed and proactive.

Use cases span operational shift reports, inventory reconciliation, fraud-detection digests, daily finance snapshots, and system-health alerts. The delivery cadence you choose (hourly, daily, weekly) should align with the decision cadence of the recipient audience.

This feature is especially valuable for organizations that:

• Rely on SQL Server-based reporting as part of their BI strategy.
• Have large teams requiring automated report delivery.
• Need to integrate SSRS with Power BI or Microsoft Fabric as part of a hybrid analytics environment.

When integrating SSRS with Power BI or Fabric, consider orchestration via Azure Data Factory or SQL Agent to align dataset refreshes with subscription schedules. Hybrid patterns often use SSRS for paginated outputs while Power BI supplies interactive exploration; coordinated scheduling prevents stale data delivery.

What is an SSRS Email Subscription?

An email subscription in SSRS is a way to schedule a report to be delivered to one or more recipients via email at specified intervals. Users do not have to manually open the report each time; they receive it in their inbox with the latest data.

Subscriptions can be standard or data-driven. Standard subscriptions have static recipients and parameter values; data-driven subscriptions allow the distribution set and parameters to be read from a query—powerful when you must generate and send personalized reports at scale.

Deep Dive: Understanding SSRS Email Subscriptions

At its core, an SSRS Email Subscription is a report automation tool that allows you to distribute formatted reports to users at scheduled intervals. These reports are rendered in multiple formats – PDF, Excel, Word, or HTML and can be delivered as attachments or embedded links.

Choose the render format based on user behavior. PDFs are ideal for static, archival copies; Excel is better when recipients perform ad-hoc analysis. HTML links encourage portal engagement and allow centralized access control.

Each subscription is essentially a saved instruction set that tells SSRS:

• Which report to run
• When to run it
• Who to send it to
• What parameters to use

Store subscription metadata for auditing and version control. The ReportServer database stores subscription definitions; querying ReportServer.dbo.Subscriptions and ReportServer.dbo.Catalog helps administrators audit and manage them. This turns your SSRS instance into a self-operating reporting engine, reducing dependency on manual report execution.
When you automate delivery, consider retention policies and archiving—especially for large attachments. Also implement monitoring to detect persistent failures and alert owners before stakeholders notice gaps.

Example:
A retail organization schedules a daily “Store Performance Report” to be sent to all regional managers at 7:00 AM, ensuring leadership reviews KPIs before business hours begin.
In such deployments, you often need tenant-aware filtering so each manager receives only their store metrics. Data-driven subscriptions are the best practice here—store parameters and recipients are read from a control table (e.g., dbo.StoreManagers) and injected at delivery time.

Prerequisites

Before creating an email subscription, ensure:

• SSRS is configured with an SMTP (mail) server.
• You have access to the report server (via web portal).
• The report has no user prompts that can’t be resolved at runtime (e.g., default parameter values should be set).
• Additionally, verify network connectivity to SMTP, domain allow-lists, and that any third-party email protection tools (e.g., Proofpoint, Mimecast) permit messages from your SSRS sending account.

Expert Setup Notes: SMTP Configuration & Permissions

Before diving into subscriptions, it’s essential to properly configure your SSRS SMTP settings.

1. Locate the Configuration File:

The mail server settings are stored in RSReportServer.config.

• Example Configuration:

<RSEmailDPConfiguration>

<SMTPServer>smtp.yourdomain.com</SMTPServer>

 <SMTPServerPort>25</SMTPServerPort>

 <SMTPAccountName>reports@yourdomain.com</SMTPAccountName>

              <SMTPAuthentication>2</SMTPAuthentication>

             <SendUsing>2</SendUsing>

<SMTPUseSSL>true</SMTPUseSSL>

</RSEmailDPConfiguration>

When using Office 365, prefer authenticated SMTP (587/TLS). For on-prem Exchange, ensure the SSRS machine IP is permitted as a relay. Test SMTP settings using Test-Mailflow or a simple PowerShell SMTP send test prior to enabling production subscriptions.

Ensure Proper Permissions:

The executing SSRS service account must have permission to send emails.
Recipients should be within the allowed domain (if restrictions apply).
If you’re using Office 365 (Exchange Online) or Microsoft 365, you can use authenticated SMTP (port 587, TLS enabled) for secure delivery.

If your organization enforces Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules, confirm attachments are permitted. For sensitive reports, consider encrypting attachments or using portal links with RBAC instead of email attachments.

Steps to Create an Email Subscription in SSRS

1. Open SSRS Web Portal

Navigate to your SSRS Report Manager or Web Portal URL (e.g., http://yourserver/Reports).

Your SSRS Web Portal acts as the control center for all reports. Ensure you log in using appropriate credentials (Administrator or Content Manager role).

Use HTTPS for secure portal access. Centralize admin tasks and restrict subscription creation to designated report owners to maintain governance.

2. Locate the Report

• Browse to the folder where your report is saved.
• Click the ellipsis (three dots) next to the report name.
• Select Manage.

Once you open the report management view, you’ll find configuration tabs for Data Sources, Parameters, Caching, and Subscriptions.

Check data source credentials and update stored credentials for unattended report execution. Consider shared data sources to simplify maintenance and avoid broken subscriptions after database credential rotations.

3. Go to the Subscriptions Tab

• In the left panel, click on Subscriptions.
• Click New Subscription or + New Subscription.

This tab displays all existing subscriptions. If multiple users manage the same report, you can view each subscription separately- ideal for auditing or governance.

Document owner, purpose, and SLA for subscriptions in a central registry. Use naming conventions (e.g., Daily_Sales_Store_{StoreId}) to make management easier at scale.

4. Configure Email Settings

You will see the subscription configuration page with the following options:

• Delivered by: Select Email.
• To: Enter recipient email addresses (separate multiple with semicolons).
• Subject: Set a subject line (e.g., “Daily Sales Report”).
• Comment: Add a message body if needed.
• Render Format: Choose the format (PDF, Excel, Word, etc.).
• Include Link or Report: Decide if the email should include a link or attach the report.

Here’s where email personalization enhances stakeholder experience:

• Use dynamic subject lines like “Sales Report – [Date]” using SSRS expressions.
• Choose PDF for fixed layouts or Excel for data manipulation.
• Include a link if users prefer accessing the report via the portal.

For data-sensitive environments, always prefer attachments over links if external access is restricted.

For large recipient lists, prefer distribution lists. For compliance, attach audit metadata (run time, parameter values) in the email body so recipients can verify context.

5. Schedule the Report

• Choose Schedule Report Delivery.
• Set your schedule: daily, weekly, monthly, or custom.

You can also configure time and recurrence settings.
Scheduling determines when and how often the report executes.

For example:

• Operational Reports: Hourly or daily (e.g., production line status)
• Executive Dashboards: Weekly or monthly summaries
• Compliance Reports: Quarterly with audit trail

You can also align SSRS schedules with SQL Agent Jobs or Power Automate triggers for hybrid automation across platforms.
Consider orchestrating with Azure Data Factory or SQL Agent when reports depend on ETL jobs. Use staggered schedules for heavy reports and off-peak hours to minimize contention.

6. Set Parameter Values (if applicable)

If your report uses parameters:

• Set default or fixed values for this subscription.
• These values will be used each time the report runs.

This is where parameterization adds scalability. By predefining parameter values, you can:

• Deliver customized reports to different users.
• Automate regional or departmental data delivery (e.g., each manager receives only their region’s data).

Example: Parameter @Region → Subscription 1: “North Zone”; Subscription 2: “South Zone”.
For massive user bases, build a parameterization table and use data-driven subscriptions to automate per-user delivery. Always validate parameter values to prevent runtime failures.

7. Save the Subscription

• Click OK or Create Subscription.
• Your report will now run and be emailed based on the schedule you set.
• Once saved, SSRS will execute the report as per schedule and send it using the configured SMTP server. You can monitor execution in ReportServer logs or SQL Agent history for troubleshooting.
• Monitor ExecutionLog3 for render and delivery stats. Implement alerting for repeated failures and automatic retries for transient SMTP errors.

Best Practices

• Test First: Send a one-time subscription to yourself before adding multiple recipients.
• Use Distribution Lists: For larger teams, use email groups instead of individual addresses.
• Monitor Delivery: Check SSRS logs or subscription status for delivery issues.
• Parameter Setup: Ensure all parameters have default values to avoid runtime errors.
• Add telemetry and health checks for subscription processing. Consider integrating with monitoring tools like Azure Monitor or Splunk for enterprise observability.

Advanced Tips and Enterprise Best Practices

• Use Shared Data Sources:
• Configure shared data sources with stored credentials to ensure consistent access.
• Centralize Subscription Management:
• Implement data-driven subscriptions for complex enterprises, automatically generating subscriptions for hundreds of users dynamically.
• Combine SSRS with Microsoft Fabric or Power BI:
• Many organizations now integrate Microsoft Fabric or Power BI Service for hybrid delivery, combining paginated SSRS reports with interactive dashboards.

Error Logging:
Review the ReportServer.dbo.ExecutionLog3 table for delivery and rendering errors.

For large-scale deployments, consider moving paginated reports to Power BI Paginated Reports (service) when migrating to cloud, and utilize Fabric OneLake for centralized storage and dataset lineage.

SSRS email subscriptions are a powerful feature for automating report delivery and keeping stakeholders informed. With a few clicks, you can ensure your reports reach the right people on time without manual intervention. Following the steps in this guide will help you streamline reporting and improve operational efficiency.

To maximize ROI, pair subscriptions with lifecycle management—CI/CD for report deployments, role-based access, and governance processes that ensure only authorized, validated subscriptions are active.

Turning SSRS Subscriptions into a Business Advantage

Automated reporting saves time, reduces manual effort, and ensures data consistency across your organization. By implementing SSRS email subscriptions, companies can:

• Maintain real-time visibility into KPIs.
• Reduce manual report generation.
• Improve data governance and accuracy.
• Scale BI reporting to thousands of users efficiently.

When subscriptions are standardized, you reduce cognitive load for users and free analytics teams to focus on higher-value data science and decision-support tasks.

Addend Analytics is a leading Power BI consulting services provider and Microsoft Power BI partners based in Mumbai, India. In addition to Power BI implementations, we specialize in providing end-to-end solutions like Business Central with Power BI to unlock actionable insights. Our expertise also extends to Microsoft Fabric consulting, offering competitive Microsoft Fabric pricing to meet your business needs.
Addend’s cross-platform expertise (SSRS, Power BI, Fabric, Business Central) enables hybrid migrations and end-to-end automation, ensuring your reporting infrastructure is future-proof.

We have successfully delivered Power BI for the Manufacturing industry, with real-time Power BI manufacturing dashboards. Having successfully completed over 100 projects across industries such as financial services, banking, insurance, retail, sales, real estate, logistics, and healthcare. Whether you’re exploring Business Central implementation cost or seeking advanced data analytics, Addend Analytics is here to help.

We combine domain experience with technical depth—optimizing report delivery, designing scalable subscription frameworks, and aligning reporting with business SLAs.

Why Partner with Addend Analytics for SSRS and Power BI Implementations

At Addend Analytics, we bridge traditional SSRS reporting with modern analytics frameworks like Power BI and Microsoft Fabric helping clients build an integrated data ecosystem.

Our team of certified consultants delivers:

• SSRS setup and subscription automation.
• Data-driven report delivery architecture.
• Migration from on-prem SSRS to Power BI Paginated Reports.
• Integration with Microsoft Fabric, Azure SQL, and Business Central.

We also provide runbooks, monitoring playbooks, and subscription governance frameworks that ensure enterprise-grade reliability and compliance.

Ready to automate your report delivery and modernize your BI stack?
Contact Addend Analytics today for a free consultation with our SSRS experts.

Ready to automate SSRS report delivery and modernize your BI stack?
Book a free architecture review with Addend Analytics — we’ll assess your SSRS setup, design a secure SMTP and subscription framework, and map a migration path to Power BI Paginated Reports or Fabric-enabled publishing.