CSV Export
Package: BASIC
1. General
The file format CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values and describes the structure of a text file for storing or exchanging simply structured data.
The file extension is .csv.
CSV files can contain tables or lists of varying length. Within the text file, certain characters have a special function for structuring the data. Depending on the software used and user settings, these are often the comma, semicolon, or colon characters.
The first record can be a header record that defines the column names.
A CSV export allows records from modules to be exported in CSV format.
The CSV export is available in the following modules:
- Tasks
- Visit Reports
- Deals
- Services
- Documents
- Incoming Invoices
- Extended Contracts
- Contacts
- Leads
- Vendors
- Licenses
- Organizations
- Partner
- Products
- Tickets
- Timesheets
Whether a user is allowed to perform a CSV export — i.e., whether the CSV Export action is available in the list view — can be configured individually per module via the profile settings.
For CSV export — unlike CSV Import or CSV Update — no separate background task needs to be activated, since a CSV export is executed "immediately" and not on a schedule.
2. Exporting a CSV File
The following describes the export steps using the [Contacts]() module as an example.
Whether a user is allowed to perform a CSV export — i.e., whether the CSV Export action is available in the list view — can be configured individually per module via the profile settings.
Clicking the Actions button in the list view of the module opens a popup menu showing all available actions for that module.
All records, the records of the current page, or selected records can be exported from the module list view.
To select records, use the checkbox in the first column of the list view. The checkbox in the header row selects all records. Alternatively, the All Records option can also be selected in the Export Contacts popup before the CSV export.
By clicking the checkboxes of individual records, any number of records can be selected — even across multiple pages.
After clicking the CSV Export action, the Export Contacts popup opens.
CSV Export - Export Contacts Popup
In the popup, the Export settings - Data volume section allows you to define which data should be exported. The following options are available:
- All data
- Only the data of the current page
- Only selected data (This option is only shown if records were marked using the checkbox in the list view.)
The CSV export file is optimized for Microsoft Excel (semicolon delimiter, ISO-8859-1 format).
In the CSV Settings section, clicking the Customize settings action link allows the delimiter and format to be changed:
CSV Export - Export Contacts Popup - CSV Settings
The delimiter options are Semicolon and Comma. The format can be changed between ISO-8859-1 and UTF-8.
After clicking the Export button, the CSV export starts and the CSV file is saved in the browser's default download folder once generated.
The CSV export from list views and Reports runs in the background. Once successfully created, a notification is shown from which the file can be downloaded.
The filename of the generated CSV file is the English module name (for contacts it would be "Contacts.csv", for example).
Which fields from a record are exported cannot be configured. A CSV export always exports all fields of a record.
If only specific fields of a record should be exported, it is recommended to create a corresponding report and export it in CSV format.
3. Practical Examples
1 - Export customer data for further processing in Excel
Situation: The sales manager wants to prepare an overview of all organizations with revenue data for a presentation and needs the data in Excel.
Approach: In the Organizations module list view, open the desired view with the relevant filters. Via the CSV Export action, open the popup. Select All data as the data volume, leave the delimiter as Semicolon and format as ISO-8859-1. After clicking Export, the file is downloaded and opens directly in Excel.
Result: All filtered records are available as a structured table in Excel and can be used for evaluations, pivot tables, or presentations.
2 - Export selected records for a mail merge
Situation: Marketing wants to send a Christmas card to all contacts from a specific region. The addresses are needed for a mail merge in Word.
Approach: In the Contacts module list view, filter by the desired region. Mark all relevant records using checkboxes. Via the CSV Export action, select Only selected data. The exported file is used as the data source in Word for the mail merge.
Result: Only the relevant contacts are exported — without manual selection or post-processing.
3 - Data backup before a mass update
Situation: Before a CSV update with several thousand records, an administrator wants to save the current state of the data in order to have a reference in case of errors.
Approach: In the affected module list view, perform a complete export via the CSV Export action with the All Records option. The exported file is saved locally and serves as a backup before the update.
Result: The data status before the update is secured. In case of errors, it can be used as a basis for restoration via CSV update.
4. FAQ
Can I specify which fields are exported in the CSV export?
No, the CSV export always exports all fields of a record — selection of individual fields is not possible. If only specific fields should be exported, it is recommended to create a report with the desired fields and then export the report in CSV format.
Why are special characters (umlauts) displayed incorrectly in the exported file?
The exported CSV file is optimized by default in ISO-8859-1 format. If the file is opened in a tool that expects UTF-8, umlauts may be displayed incorrectly. In the export popup, the format can be changed to UTF-8 under CSV Settings → Customize settings, if the target tool expects this format.
Does the CSV export require a background task to be active?
No, the CSV export is executed immediately and does not require a separate background task. The file is available for download directly after clicking Export.
Can records be selected across pages for export?
Yes, by clicking the checkboxes in the list view, records can be marked across multiple pages and then exported via the Only selected data option.
In which modules is the CSV export available?
The CSV export is available in the modules Tasks, Visit Reports, Deals, Services, Documents, Incoming Invoices, Extended Contracts, Contacts, Leads, Suppliers, Licenses, Organizations, Partners, Products, Tickets, and Timesheets.