Why WebReports Remains a Top Choice for Content Server Customizations

Built to last, WebReports continues to be one of the most powerful, supported, and cost-effective ways to extend OpenText Content Server in 2026.

With the WebReports suite (now known as Content Intelligence) approaching its 24th anniversary, it's a fair question to ask: Is WebReports still the right platform for Content Server customizations in 2026?

The short answer: yes—but with some important considerations.

The state of WebReports today

Despite its age, the WebReports engine remains one of the most powerful and efficient ways to extend Content Server. It is fully supported by OpenText, tightly integrated with the platform, and continues to leverage the same underlying APIs and business logic used throughout Content Server itself.

What has aged is the development experience.

The WebReports development environment still relies heavily on the classic Content Server interface, which can feel limited and inefficient when compared to modern development tools. However, that distinction is important—the development interface may feel dated, but the underlying engine remains highly capable.

Let's define the problem

When customers begin questioning WebReports, the root cause is often not the technology itself.

Common issues we encounter include:

• Complex LiveReports with inefficient queries
• Prototype solutions that gradually became production applications
• Over-reliance on LiveReports instead of leveraging WebReports capabilities
• Poor development practices and accumulated technical debt
• Rebuilding existing functionality
• Retesting business processes
• Retraining users and developers
• Maintaining new technologies and vendor relationships
• Managing future upgrade dependencies

In many cases, performance and maintenance problems can be significantly improved through code reviews, optimization, and better use of the platform's existing features.

The hidden cost of replacing WebReports

When frustrations build, and you’re looking for solutions, replacing WebReports may seem like the obvious answer. However, migrating to a new platform comes with significant costs beyond the initial purchase price:

Most importantly, switching platforms doesn't automatically solve architectural or design problems. Without addressing the root cause, organizations often find themselves facing similar challenges on a different technology stack.

What about low-code and no-code alternatives?

Most alternative platforms promise faster development, easier customization, and improved performance. While each platform has its own merits, each one typically introduces additional layers of complexity that could require additional infrastructure outside of Content Server.

WebReports unique technology allows all customer developed code to run directly in Content Server as if it was part of the core software. This means internal security policies and permissions are protected while also providing peak performance with no external dependencies.

As far as the syntax goes, the learning curve for any platform is proportional to how much new functionality it provides. The three WebReport tag types are equivalent to any modern templating tool, and the documentation is still excellent.

Why we still support WebReports

After more than 20 years working with hundreds of Content Server customers, we have yet to encounter a business challenge that WebReports couldn't solve.

We've seen organizations build everything from dashboards and automation processes to full-featured business applications. Many of these solutions have successfully survived years of upgrades while continuing to deliver value.

At Ravenblack, we have developed a suite of tools to help organizations understand, assess, correct, and boost their Content Server environment. Our flagship product, the Ravenblack Application Analyzer, provides an intuitive and modern user experience, delivered directly within Content Server. It provides an industry standard user experience that is explicitly designed for Content Server, and is built on top of WebReports and CSApplications—making for a seamless user experience

Final thoughts

WebReports may not be the newest technology in the Content Server ecosystem, but age alone does not make a platform obsolete.

For organizations evaluating their customization strategy, the more important question is not whether WebReports is old—it's whether it still solves the problem effectively.

For most customers, the answer remains yes.

Before considering a major platform change, take the time to understand the actual challenges you're facing, the costs of replacing existing solutions, and whether a new technology truly provides benefits that outweigh the investment.

Sometimes the best path forward isn't replacing a proven platform—it's using it more effectively.

Authors note: In this blog we refer to WebReports capabilities related to performance, integration, and language complexity/simplicity. We would be happy to provide specific technical follow-up information by request to info@ravenblackts.com